Current Topic: Strategy

Oh my god, you’re such a….! I don’t like being labeled. Unless it’s really cute. What I do like is labels that tell me whether I should or should not be buying a certain product. It’s the paradox of choice that paralyzes me when I’m ‘hangry’ after a long day’s work; standing in the supermarket, having to cook dinner which should be reasonably nice and preferably to our planet and the people living on it as well. But that’s me. However, these labels influence you too. As for the marketers: read below why it is important to know what you should or should not be doing with these labels.

People in general are creatures of habit. We get attached to buying the same products from the same brands over and over again. For example: what happens to our favorite brand of chips, cosmetics or electronics when the brand/product undergoes a change. A change in packaging or a change in brand name could have a big impact on the way consumers perceive the product/brand. Will the old trusty chips, that you once called your favorite, still be the same after a change?

It’s every company’s worst nightmare: a product recall. Unfortunately, most consumer brands will be pulled out of the store shelves at least once in their lifetime.

What does a brand stand to do when its frozen pizzas are pulled from the store shelves because it makes people vomit? Sitting with the baked pears (which is a Dutch saying for: to just leave the bad situation as it is), won’t help them. It’s wiser to have a clear post-recall strategy in place, beforehand. But how to devise such a strategy?

What is the real price of your clothing? Getting your hands on a six dollar t-shirt is inexpensive, but who actually pays for it?

Recently, a clothing factory in Bangladesh collapsed, instantly killing thousands of low-wage workers. The disaster caused public outcry; never again shall we buy from brands that expose people to such miserable circumstances. Yet in reality, Primark remains one of Europe’s most popular clothing outlets.