I frequently meet clients and entrepreneurs looking for a food brand consultant to help them with new product creation or innovation.
Innovation covers so many aspects of both ideology and delivery and my expertise is in helping clients develop the most appropriate strategy, ready for translation into fabulous branding and communications ideas, optimised to engage target consumers and achieve success.
My in-depth knowledge of the food and drink sector and my work in creating and establishing new brands over the last 25 years has manifested in a robust process to ensure that objectives are clearly understood at the outset, as is the road map to deliver them – including identification of the most appropriate product format in relation to a cost-effective and profitable route to market.
I often have an initial meeting with a client in which the focus rapidly moves to brand and packaging creation but I gently guide them back to the ‘why, the how, the what, and the where’.
Core to my work is defining how do we change audience behaviour and get consumers to move away from their existing purchasing habits and to try something new.
This activity needs to be grounded in real products with real opportunities – whilst clients often tell us they’ve ‘identified a gap in the market’ I always ask if there is a market in the gap’.
Focusing on the fundamentals is key in my view in optimising a concept or idea for success and I know that the emphasis I place on market knowledge, competitors, price points, sales distribution and full cost model analysis is crucial in giving a new market entrant the strength to rapidly gain a competitive positioning.
With strong foundations in place, identifying if innovation can add real value becomes clear, as does the precise focus of that innovation – is the task inventing, re-engineering re-positioning or value engineering?
Looking at these dynamics in relation to the entrant sector along with societal trends and high-growth areas are key in ensuring that the creative brief that manifests from this strategic work is robust and provides a stimulus for exciting differentiation.
Innovation isn’t always about disruption or inventing new of course, it can be about making simple changes for the better – how to create stronger product benefits or stronger emotional connections that will gain new consumers and engender long-term loyalty.
For more information about how I help my clients in a role as a food brand consultant to launch new products take a look at Food Brand Strategist.
And take a look at BoomBod as an example of my work.
If you’d like to explore how I can help you, ping me an email so we can schedule a call.
Call: +44 (0) 207 205 2998 or email today for an initial chat.
Last Updated on 22/07/2021 by Eddie Stableford
