"Fail to plan – plan to fail"

As new varieties continue to emerge in many produce categories, branding is fast becoming the last salvo of influence over consumer-led product choice and customer-led ranging choice. This makes it more important than ever to get branding right. But how can we do this? How can we know what will go the distance and what will fall flat? How do we transform brand development from a mystic art to a reasoned science? Fundamentally, we drive it from a position of consumer orientated brand research, rather than smoke and mirrors.

Leading this session, you will hear from Matthew Crouch, Head of Marketing – Freshmax Group. Freshmax has been at the forefront of varietal development across its core categories for many years, and off the back of this work has delivered multiple winning brand campaigns (recognised by the 2014 and 2016 Marketer of the Year awards to their name). As Head of Marketing, Matthew Crouch is leading the charge in overhauling the Group’s Marketing Practices from Good to Great. He has brought in Big Picture to help establish and enhance and expand a culture of research-led thinking around consumer marketing and with it, Brand Development.

On the other side of the Lectern you will hear from Deirdre Conroy, from Big Picture Research. Deirdre began her career at the National University of Ireland as a researcher of Health Psychology. Currently working as a Qualitative Research Strategist for Big Picture, Deirdre specialises in new product design, brand development and business performance evaluation and innovation research. Her passion for health, clean eating and consumer behavioural insights has established Deirdre as a key Qualitative Strategist across all projects in the Fresh Produce category at Big Picture.

Firstly the session will outline the role brand plays in the commercial relationship in produce. This will expand out into the growing role branding is playing in the Global Produce Landscape, and also to the wider FMCG landscape. A natural progression will lead into discussion around the commercial impact of research-led brand decisions, examining how we can and should elevate our priority to efficiently invest in branding.

With the why established, Big Picture will then take us through the how – showcasing a model that can be adopted when conducting multi-market, consumer-centric brand research projects. This will include the touch points in a brand development research framework and why each of these matter.

Finally, the session will circle back to where Brand Development is succeeded by Brand Campaigning and how research still has a role to play in this sphere, ensuring that the work carried out delivers the results anticipated. Offering a pathway to measured and accountable marketing and branding.

To register for Hort Connections 2018 follow this link.