How do you become Britain's Biggest Brand?

Last month, The Grocer revealed Britain’s 100 Biggest Brands from the retail industry, compiled in association with Nielsen and based on sales figures. The UK market consists of a battlefield of brands, each competing for consumers who want high quality, reasonably priced goods. So, what do brands need to do to become Britain’s favourite?

1.     Stay fresh: It’s not just the produce that needs to stay fresh, new product launches allow brands to stay fresh and offer consumers something different. September 2014 saw the UK launch of Coke Life, the brand’s first launch since Coke Zero in 2006; Walkers’ MixUps launched in February this year; Dairy Milk Oat Crunch launched at the beginning of the year, as well as Birds Eye ‘posh ready meals’ (Stir Up Your Senses) in February 2015. Coca-Cola, Walkers, Dairy Milk and Birds Eye were among the top five of over 100 brands. It’s probably not a coincidence that they also launched this raft of new products in the last year. At Bauer Media we always strive to know audiences inside out; to stay fresh we undertake in-depth research to find out what our audience wants. Brands need to ensure that if they plan to launch a new product it is relevant and useful to consumers to keep them interested in the brand.

2.     Invest in brand ambassadors: Celebrity involvement within advertising is favoured by both Warburtons, who recently launched a new television advert with Sylvester Stallone taking up a Rocky-style role, and Walkers, who have a long standing association with Gary Lineker. This partnership is still clearly effective as they come in at number three on the list. Whilst it doesn’t always have to be a celebrity, brand ambassadors can work well to promote your brand. In the same way editors ensure their content is engaging and relevant to their audience, brands must ensure that the brand ambassador they invest in appeals to the audience they are trying to reach. We wouldn’t put Kim Kardashian in Kerrang, as readers wouldn’t identify with her, but she would appeal to the heat audience.

3.     Lead with a strong marketing strategy: Implementing effective marketing strategies is vital to the success of a brand. The launch of Coke Life saw the implementation of a multi-platform campaign, including outdoor, print, digital and experiential. Interestingly, the latest Cadbury adverts, which feature office workers dancing and lip-syncing to ‘Yes Sir, I Can Boogie, by Baccara, are completely unrelated to the product but are fun for the audience, helping Cadbury’s success. Brands need to remember to target specific audiences by reaching them through various platforms.

Undergoing research that surveys a brand’s audience is of the utmost importance, rather than simply relying on instinct. Brands must be sure to adapt to retain customers, as well as gain new ones, remaining interesting and vital to their audiences through both their product and marketing strategy.

Krissie Ford, Head of Client Development, Bauer Media