Constructing a 21st Century Brand
Building an effective people-focused marketing approach requires a strategy grounded in data
Kate is not a real person. But that doesn’t mean the marketing folks at poultry producer Pilgrim’s Pride don’t know a lot about her. They know Kate is interested in where her food comes from and the impact its production has on the planet. They know she’s a label reader who cares deeply about what does — and, more important, doesn’t — go into the food her family eats. And they know when she’s most receptive to their messaging.
Pilgrim’s created the persona of Kate to help its marketing team and agency partner develop a campaign for the Just BARE Chicken brand that Pilgrim’s added to its product portfolio through its 2017 acquisition of GNP.
The “Who Makes Your Food?” campaign, launched last August, doesn’t feature Kate but rather five actual Minnesota farmers who raise Just BARE chickens. Each farmer is tied to a specific value the brand wants to emphasize. For example, Adam, who is also a volunteer firefighter, represents “Community,” and Hasten, a police search-and-rescue diver, embodies “Service.”
Pilgrim’s approach demonstrates how consumer-facing companies go about building a strong 21st century brand at a time of increasing complexity and media fragmentation. These brands share several traits:
- A well-defined brand purpose
- A solid planning process grounded in data
- A focus that is people-centric rather than product-centric
- A willingness to try new things to reach consumers — but in a disciplined manner
- An ability to learn from mistakes and move on
Modern consumers expect brands to have a solid purpose that reflects their own values. They look for brands to be transparent in their beliefs and behavior, and they want to see them having an impact, says Dirk Herbert, chief strategy officer-U.S. at Dentsu Aegis Network. Gravity, agency of record for the Just BARE brand, is part of the Dentsu Aegis Network. “Consumers are increasingly looking to brands to be change agents that make a meaningful difference in the world and bring about social change — not just sell them stuff,” Herbert says. For the Just BARE brand, that means focusing on natural ingredients, humane production processes, sustainability, and benefits to local communities.
Adhere to the Brand’s ‘North Star’
Pet supply company Petco focuses on similar values in its branding efforts. “Smart marketers understand that brands cannot exist in a vacuum, but are expected to authentically and positively impact their communities,” says Tariq Hassan, EVP and CMO at Petco. He uses the image of the North Star to describe how a brand stays true to its purpose.
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