Converting Case Study
PROTECTING YOUR BRAND WITH A COMPOSTABLE SOLUTION
By Mark Shaw, new product development manager at Parkside
good benefit of being better for the environment, consumers feel that by purchasing from brands that harness this ideal, they too are contributing. Experiential marketing, a relatively new
business that aims to make waves in what is a saturated commercial environment needs to sit up and take note. Where once a value-led proposition won
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the day, and price points were the most crucial motivator to shoppers, today’s consumers hold the cards and make purchase decisions based on a much wider spectrum of factors. This seismic shift has meant that brand equity and iconography is pivotal in maintaining competitiveness. This leaves a great deal of palpable
opportunity in the FMCG market space. Think of the most consistently successful brands and, despite vast swathes of market differentiation, the one thing that unites them all is a laser-sharp focus on branding. Where perception is everything, the values and ideals that are so key to the brand become the central benchmark by which the brand itself is judged by its customers. Where customer values are key, it’s
critically important that products and services – indeed any paid transaction – aligns with the ideals that the customer holds. Today’s shopper is notably less loyal than in previous years, and there’s a reason for that; buyers today are not just seeking the same instant gratification of former years. Consumers want to buy into their chosen brands as an experience, giving priority to those with identities that reflect their own. That’s partly why the sustainability topic has received such a surge of popularity within the packaging market. Aside from the functional common-
36 September 2020
n enormous shift in the retail and buyer dynamic has changed the very foundation of retailing, and every
term to the sphere of branding, focusses on building empathy between consumer and brand - creating an all-important connection. Marketer and Brand Specialist Kevin Keller’s model of brand equity outlines the key elements of resonance being a combination of identity, meaning, both a response and relationship. Customers make their own decision as to whether a product is relevant to them and their needs, which means businesses, outside of the traditional marketing mix, must create a product that is salient for the target market. In the value-led economy of today’s commercial environment, this means intangible ideals are front and centre in the consumer mindset. Successful brands today put the focus on meeting the customer on their level, in stark contrast to the retail dynamic of old. Where historically brands chose what they wanted to sell and the market reacted to that, now the consumer decides what they want to buy and brands respond to meet these needs – and that’s the core dynamic of modern business. For brands and marketers, loyalty, strong brand equity and the perception of a meaningful connection are the holy grail of retail, because they form part of long-term strategy and profitability, as well as market positioning of a business. As the market moves towards a more sustainability- focussed mindset, creating empathy between brand and shopper by reflecting these values grants a feeling of ownership and agency to the buyer, increasing the likelihood of repeat purchase behaviour.
PERCEPTION IS EVERYTHING A key component of implementing strong protection for a brand is understanding its inherent nature and value. Author and marketing analyst Seth Godin defines a brand as “the set of expectations, memories, stories and relationships that, taken together, account for a consumer’s decision to choose one product or service over another”; a definition which highlights the need to protect brand perception – it belongs to the consumer, not to the brand. Businesses aiming to develop long-term relationships with customers need to make
sure that the outward values of the product, and its qualities, align with the values of the market. As widespread media coverage of
contemporary environmental issues creates a strengthened cultural resolve, ever more brands are looking to implement sustainable thinking into each aspect of the product, with packaging being no exception. In what is now being termed the ‘Blue Planet effect’, there has been a massive upswing in the public sourcing information about packaging, recycling and sustainability. Buyers across the scope of retail, both B2C
and increasingly B2B, demand packaging that meets their emotional needs, and as sustainability becomes a key driver to purchase decisions, how effectively brands weave this into the core of the business can be a deciding factor in commercial success.
THE DAWN OF COMPOSTABILITY Consumers looking for an alternative to plastic are often attracted to compostable packaging. Food packaging that is designed to be compostable is manufactured, used, disposed of and breaks down organically, in a manner that is considerably more eco- friendly than many contemporary plastics. At one time, compostable solutions for common product formats were something of a rarity. Now, there appears to be a common commitment by brands and retailers to incorporate them into their ranges, creating a novel sales tool, generating consumer loyalty and offering greater choice. Retailers that are able to harness the benefits of compostable packaging find themselves with a tangible competitive advantage. Compostable options such as
Park2Nature from Parkside are made from plant-based materials and under the right environmental conditions, can deliver nutrients back to the soil in a safe and efficient way. With the growing trend of home composting, many consumers are finding this to be a great way to contribute to waste reduction in their own way; compostable packaging ultimately reduces the amount of their waste going to landfill. The new product development team at
Parkside works with brands and retailers to help them design a compostable pack that fits perfectly with their product positioning. This means being involved from start to
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