Eddie Stableford, the UK's Foremost Food Brand Expert
For decades, and pretty much from the outset of mass-marketing, brands and marketing agencies have steered clear of targeting grey consumers, unless they were promoting products specifically to this demographic. Typically, they were seen as too cynical, set in their ways and unmoved by marketing so they were largely ignored. In more recent times this cohort …
Numerous scientific studies which have shown how colour influences our mood, behaviour and purchasing. For example, it can mess with the way we experience our other senses, such as taste and flavour or even our music preferences. Red for example consistently conveys sweetness irrespective of the product type. A study of more than 5,300 people …
Continue reading "How colour affects our mood and sensory evaluations"
At the mid-point of my career in brand and marketing in the 80’s, there was a step-change in attitude relating to the value of targeting older consumers – in marketing speak, coined as 'marketing to silver surfers'. Historically, this demographic had been largely ignored by marketers as they were viewed as being cynical, demanding, critical …
Brands exist in our heads. You can’t see them, touch them, smell them or hear them. And they are much more than the visual expression of the brand through its name, logo, trademark, artwork, pack, product or business. So if that’s the case, what is a brand? A brand is a collection of emotion of …
With the average purchase decision process taking just ten seconds, winning over customers in store relies on packaging communicating quickly and effectively. So how does the semiotics of brand packaging influence consumer purchase behaviour? Effective packaging has inherent attributes which enables 'instant dialogue' creation with a potential purchaser. If it’s a regular buy, the packaging shape, …
With anything between 25,000 and 60,000 product lines in a multiple retailer store, every product category is super-competitive. Many businesses do not have uniquely, differentiated products, so audience attraction through product and brand standout is key – and whilst in past decades the marketing mantra was ‘communicate what the product is’ and ‘do this in …
Going back to my ad agency days in the 80’s, there was a clothing brand that I aspired to be able to buy, as for me it encompassed all the attributes of great design, style and kudos. By the late 90’s and the early new Millennial, I was fortunate enough to be able to visit …
Insight and ideation are key disciplines in identifying opportunities for true food and drink product innovation. With every food and drink category hyper-competitive, investing in me-too products or simply looking at the market today can result in the creation of products with limited potential for success. Insight and ideation play crucial roles in the shaping …
A visit to any mainstream retailer demonstrates just how crowded every product category has become and how, now more the ever, impactful and effective packaging design can enable a brand to win against its competitors. One of my key abilities is being able to place myself in the position of a consumer and to evaluate …
Continue reading "Optimising your brand and packaging for success"
After nearly two years of disruption, the pandemic changed the way we shop for ever. It altered not only what we buy, but how we buy. Big purchases now require clicks, not shopping trips. Remote working turned the home interiors market into the new fast fashion and shifted our definition of a workplace. It also …
Continue reading "How the pandemic re-shaped our shopping behaviour"