Farmhouse Cookies Branding Strategy

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2012 Farm House Cookies Submitted by: Ammar Hameed Asif Ali Malik Bilal Imtiaz Ahmed Kiyani Mohammad Uzair Muqtadir Kazi Sultan Yousaf Zain Malik Zohaib H. Shah

Transcript of Farmhouse Cookies Branding Strategy

Page 1: Farmhouse Cookies Branding Strategy

2012Farm House Cookies

Submitted by:

Ammar Hameed

Asif Ali Malik

Bilal Imtiaz

Ahmed Kiyani

Mohammad Uzair

Muqtadir Kazi

Sultan Yousaf

Zain Malik

Zohaib H. Shah

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ContentsIntroduction.................................................................................................................................................2

Company History........................................................................................................................................3

Product Mix.................................................................................................................................................4

Key Challenges...........................................................................................................................................6

Brand Elements.......................................................................................................................................7

Brand Marketing Mix..................................................................................................................................9

Product....................................................................................................................................................9

Price......................................................................................................................................................10

Place......................................................................................................................................................10

Promotion..............................................................................................................................................11

Competitor Analysis..............................................................................................................................11

Leader................................................................................................................................................11

Challenger.........................................................................................................................................11

Followers:.........................................................................................................................................12

Niche.................................................................................................................................................12

Company View......................................................................................................................................12

Brand Exploratory Analysis......................................................................................................................13

CBBE Model.........................................................................................................................................14

Brand Salience...................................................................................................................................14

Brand Performance...........................................................................................................................15

Brand Imagery...................................................................................................................................15

Brand Judgments...............................................................................................................................16

Brand Feelings..................................................................................................................................16

Brand Resonance...............................................................................................................................17

Positioning.............................................................................................................................................18

Analyzing failure through the Immutable Laws........................................................................................19

Law of Quality.......................................................................................................................................19

Law of the Generic................................................................................................................................19

Final Word on current analysis.............................................................................................................20

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Module II: Rebranding Strategy................................................................................................................21

Brand Inventory Analysis..........................................................................................................................22

Brand Architecture....................................................................................................................................22

Hierarchy...............................................................................................................................................22

Brand Product Matrix............................................................................................................................23

Roles of brands in portfolio...................................................................................................................24

Redesigning...............................................................................................................................................28

Brand Elements.........................................................................................................................................29

Brand Name...........................................................................................................................................29

URL.......................................................................................................................................................30

Logo......................................................................................................................................................30

Character...............................................................................................................................................31

Slogan....................................................................................................................................................31

Jingle.....................................................................................................................................................32

Packaging..............................................................................................................................................32

Product Strategy........................................................................................................................................32

Pricing Strategy.........................................................................................................................................33

Channels of distribution.............................................................................................................................34

Effective and Feasible Communication Plan.............................................................................................35

Conclusion.................................................................................................................................................39

Bibliography..............................................................................................................................................40

Appendix...................................................................................................................................................41

Focus Group Discussion Guideline.......................................................................................................41

Focus group summary...........................................................................................................................43

Interviews (Summary)...........................................................................................................................44

Rebranding Focus Group Results Summary..........................................................................................45

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Introduction

English Biscuit Manufacturers (Private) Limited or (EBM), are the pioneers of packaged biscuit

manufacturing in Pakistan and the country's leading manufacturer of biscuits and cookies since

1967. For more than four decades, EBM continues to remain in the hearts, minds, and souls of

the people through the variety and excellent quality of biscuits manufactured under its umbrella.

Our philosophy has been to produce biscuits which meet international standards of quality and

hygiene in terms of Food Safety and wholesomeness. Every member of EBM is committed to

owning this philosophy and has the mind-set to produce the best of products under the trademark

of "Peek Freans".

The Company has an annual sales volume and production capacity in excess of Rs. 16 billion

and 100,000 tons respectively. The Company takes pride in the leadership position it enjoys with

a market share of over 40% of the branded biscuit market.

EBM is the only biscuit company in Pakistan to have achieved International Certifications

pertaining to Quality Control and Human Resources. The Peek Freans brand has recently been

given the recognition of the internationally acclaimed Super brands status.

In the field of R&D, EBM has established its very own Centre of Excellence, a state-of-the-art

research facility, to facilitate international level of researches. The Centre of Excellence also

helps in developing students of food technology, nutrition, bio-chemistry and other related

scientific disciplines with the objective of attaining lead in ground-breaking studies pertaining to

food grains and other related topics.

Company History

English Biscuit Manufacturers (Private) Limited was established as a joint venture company in

1965 with the name of PEEK FREANS PAKISTAN LIMITED.

In 1966, the UK sponsor company was renamed as Associated Biscuits International Limited

(ABIL), while the venture was renamed to English Biscuit Manufacturers (Private) Limited,

which stands to date.

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EBM has led the biscuit industry in Pakistan for over 40 years by providing innovative and high

quality biscuits. It started manufacturing and marketing world famous Peek Freans range in order

to provide Pakistani consumers with good quality, healthy, nutritious, wholesome and

hygienically packed biscuits.

Ever since the trademark "Pied Piper" made its mark about 35 years ago, it has been recognized

as a symbol of 'trust & confidence' for consumers and is true to its corporate claim, 'The Legend

Leads'.

With the help of their strategic vision and direction, EBM has successfully transformed the

biscuit eating habits of Pakistani consumers by making biscuits more of an everyday necessity

and less of a luxury item to be consumed only at tea-time; as they were once considered to be.

Product Mix

Sooper is a Danish style cookie with a rich homemade appeal .It is the single largest selling

cookie brand in Pakistan

Gluco is a rectangular, light golden brown appearance biscuit which has been in EBM portfolio

for the past 40 years.

Rio is the largest selling sandwich cream biscuit in Pakistan. It is distinctive &

unique owning to its flavours and smooth rich cream.

Market leaders in the Nuts Segment Peanut Pik and Peanut Pista were launched in

1983 and 1990 respectively.

Market leaders in the Nuts Segment Peanut Pik and Peanut Pista were launched

in 1983 and 1990 respectively.

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Party is the only biscuit in the industry that carries a unique combination of

imported raisins and imported peanuts. It is a sweet biscuit with soft crispy bite.

The 1st cumin seed biscuit launched in Pakistan - Click is round in shape, sweet and salty in

taste.

Marie is the "Queen of Biscuits" - a premium quality offering from the house of Peek

Freans since 1968

Whole Wheat Slices is a rectangular, high fiber content biscuit that keeps consumer

active and healthy throughout the day

Launched in 1974, Butter Puff is a light crispy cracker with a superb buttery taste.It has

very superb buttery taste with natural ingredient giving high melting mouth feel, with

very crunchy bite.

Saltish is one of the oldest and most recognized brands offered by Peek Freans since

1972.It is also popularly used in preparing light snack between meals.

One of the finest cookies ever to be launched by a local manufacturer, Farm House

Cookies are one of the richest and wholesome cookies with quality, taste and

packaging at par with any international gourmet brand

Lemon and Chocolate sandwiches were launched in 1971 and 1973 respectively.The

biscuits are of square shape with exquisite embossed design

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Key Challenges

They key challenge faced by Peek Freans Farmhouse Cookies is to prove to be a worthy

component of the Peek Freans family; in terms of its position within the brand architectural

framework (specifically in the hierarchy) and the fact that at the moment, its target market lacks

brand knowledge, specifically identity and as such one of the major challenges is for Farmhouse

to carve a specific identity for itself in an intensely competitive industry.

The purpose of this study is to understand the reasons of failure for Peak Freans Farmhouse

Cookies; however it is important to first define the scope of the word failure:

Failure in this context simply means that the product failed to live up to the expectations of its

target market and the company itself. Although the brand is still in business and doing

reasonably, it is important to note that it is well below par in terms of the expectations of the

company and as such is considered a failure.

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Brand Elements

Brand Elements are also called as brand identities and help to identify and differentiate the

brand. Brand equity is the result of a process which leads to a creation of a unique and distinct

brand identity. The main ones are brand names, logos, symbols, characters, spokespersons,

slogans, jingles, packages and signage.  Brand elements facilitate the process of consumer brain

mapping and play a key role in building brand equity. Consumers over period of time are able to

identify the brand through brand elements. The idea is to develop brand elements, which can

properly communicate about brand and its point of difference from competing brands.

Starting with brand name, Farm House Cookies is new to the market and reflects the positioning

English Biscuit Manufacturers have crafted. It is based on the concept of wholesome, fresh and

pure ingredients used in cookies manufacturers. Along this the brand name clearly mentions the

limitations of being in cookies category and not what the company or competitors existing

product category that is biscuits. It is easy to pronounce and remembered but still is kind of

generic name then the other brand names the company has adopted like Sooper.

There is no specific logo for this brand. The company has used the parent brand logo on top.

They have used the same Pied Piper logo/figure on top of the packaging. The trademark "Pied

Piper" made its mark about 35 years ago, it has been recognized as a symbol of 'trust &

confidence' for consumers and is true to its corporate claim, 'The Legend Leads'. It is familiar in

the biscuit industry and has high equity being a generation brand logo. Thus Farm House

Cookies also uses it for greater and quicker associations. It was used as a character initially but

has now been limited to the logo thus the character element of branding has been eroded leaving

just a logo than the character with some links in the mind map. The parent brand that is Peek

Freans has been stapled with the logo so it helps in recognition of the brand for those who cannot

easily associate or identify the logo.

The brand Farm House Cookies under audit reveals that there is no slogan for the brand. This

element is missing. The parent brand had used a slogan of “The legend leads” but from past few

years it has not been used for branding and/or advertising purposes. It would be better for

individual brands like Farm House Cookies to have a slogan that is remembered and is identity

of the brand itself. The company EBM has used jingles effectively with some of their brands

like Sooper, which is start product in its category. However for a premium positioned brand like

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Farm House Cookies there is no jingle. This also reflects week choice of brand elements. There

is no specified URL for the brand. It just has a section of product description under the corporate

website.

Packaging is different for Farm House Cookies. It reflects the use of premium materials and style

compared to the regular offerings of the company. It is a vertical box compared to the regular

horizontal box. This gives an elevated look and tall face has been used to present the logo, brand

name and the flavor of it. Along this packaging houses individual cookies layered on top of each

other in a neat and clean way compared to the local biscuits packaging. A tea cup picture is in

the background of the cookies and ingredients shown on the packaging. This is use of subliminal

direction of the usage of product and is rated high on brand element. The packaging is good in

identifying the brand and parent company. Along this it conveys the description of the product

by showing the cookies themselves and the key ingredient indicating the flavor type. Along this

the premium style of packaging helps in home-storage of cookies but the package has limited

numbers of cookies and consumption is perceived to be on spot and not for long term storage.

The elements available for branding that eventually lead to brand equity have not been employed

as to achieve the branding purposes. Farm House Cookies brand audit shows that few elements

have been used including company logo, a brand name and packaging. There is no logo for the

brand itself but the company logo has been pasted on top of the brand name. It has not been

incorporated well enough. The brand name itself feels generic and limited in scope with cookies

only. Cookies are not famous as the category of biscuits is. However the class being targeted is

familiar with the product category so can be acceptable but still limited. Packaging is different

and stands out. It has used mature colors and pictures depict what the product will look like and

are good representation of the inside content of the package. Another effective measure used is to

place the ingredients cue like chocolate chips on the packaging to indicate the ingredients and

quality via the picture.

Missing elements include a spate URL from the company corporate website. There is no slogan

and jingle for the brand used in advertisements. There is no character directly associated with the

brand but the Peek Freans character has been used. This leads to low brand equity based on

brand elements and thus awareness in general.

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Brand Marketing Mix

Marketing mix in the evaluation of any brand proves to be very beneficial in every regard. By

doing the marketing mix analysis of the company one can understand each and every detail of

the company including the areas where they are performing well and the areas where the

company may be lagging. The marketing mix basically includes the analysis of the 4p’s which

actually include Product, Price, Place and Promotion.

Product

English Biscuit Manufacturer (pvt) ltd is the manufacturer of the Farm House Cookies. As far as

the product is concerned then EBM has positioned the product as of very superior product in the

market as compare to other competitors. It is true that the quality which EBM offers through

Farm House Cookies to their customers is way too high as compare to the quality which other

competitors in the market offers. It is a general perception that this Farm House Cookies is

actually mainly for the elite class because of the price which is charged by the company. So in

short we can say that the product is expensive as compare to other competitors. Consumers at the

same time also believe that the product is of very high quality and this offering of high quality is

satisfied by the price which is charged by the company. As EBM is a very strong and pretty old

company so consumers rank the company to high level as far as the credibility of the company is

concerned. So in return basically the consumers think of every product offered by the company

to be of high quality and of good value for the money.

Farm House Cookies are one of the richest and wholesome cookies with quality, taste and

packaging at par with any international gourmet brand. The brand is available in 3 delicious,

irresistible flavors namely:

Chocolate Chip - Indulgent cookies full of rich chocolate chips

Short Bread - Freshly baked crumbly cookies with creamy butter delight

Coconut Crunch - A hard to resist cookies filled with the crunchiness of coconut

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Price

As far as the price of Farm House Cookies is concerned then there is no doubt that they are way

too expensive then the product of their competitors. The reason which is given by the

company’s official regarding higher prices is higher quality. The company which is EBM is of

the view that the quality which they are offering to their customers through Farm House

Cookies is way too high then the quality which is offered by the competitors. The company

believes that no other local player has the potential to match the quality of our product which is

Farm House Cookies. So by looking at the price which is charged by the company one can

easily say that the people which the company is trying to target belongs to the elite class of the

society. The company is targeting that segment of the society which require those product which

offers high quality and at the same who are willing to pay high price also for high quality

product.

Place

Place in the marketing mix is basically concerned with the places where the company’s product

is easily available. Place in marketing mix basically means that what is distribution strategy

which opted by the company and at which places the product is available to the consumers of

the company.

When initially EBM launches their Farm House Cookies then for quite long the product was

only available to very limited areas of the market. Initially the company only made their product

available to the posh areas of the society. Then after once the company starts getting positive

response regarding their product only then they made their product available to other areas of

the market. One thing which is important and which needs to be highlighted here is this that

company does not went for intensive distribution of the product as far as Farm House Cookies

are concerned. Farm House Cookies is not a product which requires intensive distribution. So in

a similar fashion the company opted for selective distribution for their product. So the product is

available only to limited areas because the company uses selective distribution for their product.

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Promotion

As EBM is a local company so as far as promotion is concerned then it is observed that

consumers do not get to see the advertisement very often. When the company first launches its

Farm House Cookies then company at that time spend a handsome amount of money on the

advertisement. At that time the main purpose of the advertisement was to increase the awareness

of the public regarding their product. So initially company spends heavily on promotion, but as

time passes then EBM reduces the amount which was dedicated to the promotional activities

regarding the product. So cutting the promotional budget is the main reason why the consumers

do not get a chance to see the advertisement of Farm House Cookies.

Competitor Analysis

The Pakistani biscuit industry consists of twelve manufacturers, five of which are considered

major players in terms of market share. These are: English Biscuit Manufacturers (26,7%),

Continental Biscuits (23.6%), Ismail Industries (14,7%), KS Sulemanji Esmailji & Sons (11%)

and Coronet Foods (9.8%). EBM and continental biscuits dominate the industry as they account

for half of the market share combined and although numerous other small competitors exist, they

have failed to make a considerable impact.

Leader

EBM is the market leader and has been in business since 1967. It is the leader as it offers the

widest variety of products which are known for their quality and taste. These include brands such

as ‘Peanut Pista’ and ‘Sooper’, Cornonet Foods is also an EBM subsidiary which primarily

makes ‘Rio’ and ‘Butter Puff’. EBM is at an advantage due to the fact that its large operations

result in economies of scale and has a wide distribution network however it is difficult for them

to respond to changing consumer demands quickly.

Challenger

Continental Biscuits fall within this category and have been in operation since 1985. They have

gained a lot of market share from the leader and continue to try and be innovative in their

approach. They too benefit from economies of scale and a vast distribution network; however it

is relatively easier for them to change to consumer demands.

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Followers:

Ismail Industries and KS Sulemanji Esmailji & Sons fall within this category. These companies

have introduced products on the basis of success of leaders’ product. Their products are an

imitation of the leading brand is sold for a lower price so that they can attract price sensitive

customers. Their main advantage is that there is little need for research. The disadvantages

include: weak distribution network, small market, low awareness among consumers, low quality.

Niche

‘Farmhouse cookies’ by EBM fall within this category. Although produced by EB, these cater to

a specific small segment of the market, namely those looking for high quality products,

regardless of price. Their advantages include the fact that they provide a need which others do

not and as such can charge higher prices. However the consumer might not prefer such a

differentiated product or competition may increase, resulting in reduction in profits from an

already small segment.

Company View

[The company view is based on two interviews conducted with company personnel to find out

more about the brand that is Farmhouse Cookies and the overall EBM organization]

EBM is one of the largest biscuit manufacturing companies in Pakistan not only in terms of

production but also in sales as well. It has the biggest market share in biscuit industry and lies at

the top with much higher than industry average.

EBM has a very diverse portfolio and its users are from all age groups. Consumers consume

biscuits at all the times depending upon their preference, some take it as a source of energy,

some think it to be a healthy tea time snack, some consume it as dessert and last but not the least

some people believe it to be the best treat for guests.

As a brand EBM conveys an image of wholesome snacks for the entire family to be consumed at

different occasions and as such that is what they want consumers to remember as the company’s

defining trait.

In terms of Farmhouse Cookies, EBM has created a snack that is nutritious as well as tasty and is

made from fresh ingredients that may be enjoyed by the entire family and comes in different

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flavors to accommodate different tastes. The key focus of the company is on freshness, hence the

tagline, “Irresistibly Fresh.”

Brand Exploratory Analysis

The brand exploratory is research activity conducted to understand what consumers think and

feel about the brand and its corresponding product category to identify sources of brand equity.

A brand exploratory analysis helps to identify the extent of brand knowledge (both awareness

and identity) that consumers have of the brand and as such the areas where the band can improve

in terms of better catering to the needs of its target market.

Consumer Brand Knowledge Structure

[The knowledge structure is based on the results of two focus groups conducted as preliminary

research into consumer’s mindsets; a more detailed brand knowledge structure would be formed

in the second phase of this report]

The focus group findings suggested that people do not associate freshness with the packaged

products. They are of the opinion that whatever is packaged isn’t fresh. Same is for cookies.

According to our participants packaged cookies can’t be fresh. This is why they do not place

high priority to cookies being fresh.

The name Farmhouse Cookies has no significance to people. Their perception about the name is

that it means fresh from the farm. Beyond this, Farmhouse Cookie name does not hold any

meaning like symbol of quality or freshness etc. in response to a question related to farmhouse

cookies logo, the participants were blank. They had no idea about the logo. The reason for this

response was that actually no logo of farmhouse cookies exists. People cannot identify or recall

any slogan or logo specific to the brand. The brand has failed to occupy any spot in the mind of

consumers.

Consumers are unable to relate with characteristics like taste, texture, freshness, quality, its

image and deliciousness etc. The quality is associated with the taste of the cookies, the texture,

its packaging, price and amount of advertising one does. If a brand has an excellent packaging, is

priced a bit on the high side, has recognizable logo or slogan and does considerable advertising,

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then it is considered as high in quality. Farmhouse cookies are not advertised sufficiently, have a

mediocre branding and packaging, lacks personality and is priced high compared to other local

biscuits. People consider it not worth buying. They can get better imported cookies like Oreo for

a little more money.

CBBE Model

According to Kevin Lane Keller, the term brand equity may be defined as customers’ subjective

and intangible assessment of a brand above and beyond its objectively perceived value. In simple

words brand equity refers to the value of a product due to its specific, recognizable name as

compared to other competing branded and generic products.

Customer Based brand equity is the differential effect of a particular brand on consumers’

response. This difference is due to the brand knowledge that consumers have regarding a brand.

The brand knowledge is a function of the awareness and image of a brand which is primarily

accumulated through the various marketing and promotional campaigns carried out by the brand.

Thus the CBBE model approaches the concept of brand equity from the viewpoint of consumers.

The CBB model is divided into various building blocks composed of a rational route and an

emotional route to achieve the desired end state i.e. brand resonance. The rational route starts off

from brand salience, then performance, leading to judgments and finally brand resonance. The

emotional route starts from brand salience, then imagery, leading to feelings and finally brand

resonance. Successful brands tend to achieve resonance by focusing upon both routes.

Brand Salience

Farm House Cookies is a brand which represents an exquisite line of cookies under the parent

brand of Peek Freans which is essentially a UK based brand whose rights are owned by English

Biscuits Manufacturers (Pvt.) Limited, in Pakistan.

In terms of brand salience which is in fact the identity of a brand, Peek Freans already enjoys a

reputable position in the market. Consumers are aware of the brand and the quality products

launched under the brand. The latest venture of Farm House cookies under the parent brand of

Peak Freans are well recognized among the target population. In order to gauge the level of

awareness of Farm House cookies the focus group discussion was directed towards the number

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of times consumers were able to remember the brand (depth of a brand) and the range of

situations during which the brand came to mind (breadth of a brand). The results revealed that

Farm House brand enjoys considerable depth however in terms of breadth the brand is lacking.

The depth is primarily because of the unique ad campaigns and promotional programs carried out

under the Farm House brand. However in terms of circumstances during which the Farm House

brand came to mind the target market generally recalled foreign competing brands.

Brand Performance

Brand performance and Brand Imagery highlight the meaning of a brand. These dimensions

explore the points of parity and points of difference.

Brand performance highlights how well a particular product meets customers’ functional needs.

Thus brand performance transcends the product’s ingredients and features to include the

differentiating aspects of a brand. The primary ingredients and features of the brand depict a

healthy and hygienic indulgence to appeal to consumers’ gustatory senses. In terms of

performance attributes Farm House ranks high in terms of reliability, quality and taste. Quality

and premium taste is the strongest and highly positive association which consumers have with

the Farm House brand. The style represents the features of sophistication and exclusivity. In

terms of price consumers regard the Farm House brand as expensive in comparison to the

alternatives available in the market.

Brand Imagery

Brand imagery represents the way people think about a brand abstractly rather than what the

brand actually does. Thus brand imagery represents the more intangible aspects of the brand. The

associations towards a brand may be formed directly through consumers own experiences or

indirectly through advertising and promotional campaigns.

The intangibles linked to the Farm House brand in terms of user profiles are family/shared

experiences. In terms of purchase and usage situations the Farm House brand represents

associations of occasions/celebrations. This may be regarding as a negative association as it

limits the usage of the brand. In terms of personality and values the brand depicts

competence/uniqueness/sophistication/reliability. As far as history, heritage and experiences are

concerned the brand represents modernity with a rich heritage and enriching experiences due to

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the high quality offered by the brand. The rich heritage is a strongly positive association

primarily due to the link with the parent brand. i.e. Peek Freans.

Brand Judgments

Brand Judgments and Brand Feelings are supposed to invoke positive consumer response which

ultimately leads to the formation of a close relationship with customers through brand resonance.

Brand Judgments reflect customers’ personal opinions formed through the perceptions and

experiences in terms of performance and imagery. Four types of judgments are typically

important namely quality, credibility, consideration and superiority.

In terms of quality the Farm House brand induces positive attitudes among the target audience.

As revealed through the focus group discussions consumers believe that the brand offers high

quality products. Credibility is judged on the basis of perceived expertise, trustworthiness and

likability. The brand enjoys a leadership position in the market and thus is ranked high in terms

of perceived expertise and trustworthiness. On a similar footing likability is also high as the

product ranks high in terms of quality and it spurs interest as it is a unique offering. Brand

consideration depends upon how the consumers find the brand in terms of personal relevance.

Peek Freans Farm House cookies rank low in terms of personal relevance. Although the brand

induces positive attitudes however these does not translate into the actual purchase preferences.

On a similar footing this particular brand is evaluated in comparison to competing brands from

foreign countries and thus ranks low in terms of superiority.

Brand Feelings

Feelings towards a brand are emotional responses and reactions towards a brand. These feelings

are evoked through personal experiences and various marketing tactics employed by a brand the

Farm House brand evokes strong feelings of warmth. This feeling is induced through the

advertisement of the brand which depicts an environment characterized by serenity and

freshness. A small family setting is shown which is enjoying the rich taste of Farm House

cookies in a serene environment. In the case of Pakistan the brand also represents the feelings of

social approval as the cookies are premium priced and thus ensure exclusivity.

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Brand Resonance

Brand Resonance describes the nature of relationship and the extent to which consumers feel

they are in ‘sync’ with the brand. Resonance is described in terms of the intensity of the

psychological bonding that consumers have with a brand as well as the level of activity induced

through this psychological bonding. Resonance requires strong personal attachment which means

that consumers should go beyond having a positive attitude towards a brand and rather view it as

something special or even as an integral component of their daily life. The Farm house brand has

failed to induce positive response in terms of measurable actions. Thus brand resonance has not

been achieved. Consumers have positive attitudes towards the brand yet this positivity does not

translate into ultimate actions, a sense of community or even behavioral loyalty.

In contrast competing foreign brands have been successful in achieving brand resonance as they

represent the benefits and features which are actually valued by the target market. Consumers opt

for these foreign brands to gain social approval and primarily because of negative associations

towards products manufactured in Pakistan.

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Positioning

Positioning is the process by which marketers try to create an image or identity in the minds of

their target market for its product, brand or organization. The two variables used in positioning

are price and perceived quality. Price is the quantity of payment given by consumers in return

for goods. Perceived quality is defined by customers as the richness of taste, packaging,

thickness of cookies. Farmhouse cookies lie in the second quadrant which is high perceived

quality and high price but as compared to its competitors (both direct and indirect) it has the

lowest perceived quality. Farmhouse cookies are not positioned in a manner as to be perceived

by any particular segment as ideal.

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Analyzing failure through the Immutable Laws

Law of Quality

Law of quality states that “Quality is important, but brands are not built by quality alone.”

The main reason of the Farm house cookies for not becoming a successful brand or product is the

same. Peak freans does emphasis on quality and charges a high price but quality alone does not

matter. Years of observations have led us to the conclusion that there is almost no correlation

between success in the market place and success in comparative testing of brands. Whether it be

taste tests, accuracy tests, reliability tests, durability tests or any other test. Quality or quality

perception resides in the mind of buyer. Being of the top quality does not mean consumer will

adopt it unless people believe in it. This is the main problem as Farm House targets the upper

class and the upper class usually believes imported brands to be top in quality.

Law of the Generic

Law of the generic states that “One of the fastest routes to failure is giving a brand generic

name.”

Another reason for the low sale of Farm House is due to law of the generic. Farm House is a very

generic name although there are many companies who succeeded with generic names but the

reasons for their success are something else. Vast majority of brand communication takes place

verbally, not visually and according to some statistics an average person spend nine times less

time for reading newspaper or magazines than with listening radio or television. Giving a generic

name will never help a brand. Brand name should be like to convey some meaning; a printed

name is secondary to the sound that it generates in the reader’s mind as it is very difficult for

consumer to differentiate a generic word. Farm House just by its name does not convey any

meaning no one can guess what the brand really is nor does it give any uniqueness or elegancy.

People cannot perceive the real quality of brand by a generic name.

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Final Word on current analysis

If we analyze the stance of the company on building brand awareness and brand image then we

see a major difference between the time when the product was launched and the current time.

Initially when Farm House Cookies was launched what company was doing is this that they

dedicated heavy amount for the promotional activities and this was the time when Farm House

Cookies advertisement was played on majority of the TV channels. And also at this point in time

one thing which needs to be pointed out is this that at this time the frequency of the ads was also

very high. At this time the main focus of the company was on building awareness of the product,

because as this product was expensive so there was a need on the end of the company to convey

and make the public understand that what is so special about the product for which the company

is asking for such high prices. At this point company was somehow able to build the image in the

minds of consumer regarding high quality product. At this time consumers were able to link the

company’s product with other premium or imported product which were available in the market.

While on the other hand if we analyze the current situation then we can say that now company’s

is not spending anything as far promotion or the awareness or brand image building is concerned.

One reason for this no promotion for their product can be this that may be the company is of the

view that they are successful in building the required image and now at this point they have

sufficient awareness in the market and there is no need to waste more resources on the

promotional activities.

Page 22: Farmhouse Cookies Branding Strategy

Module II: Rebranding Strategy

Page 23: Farmhouse Cookies Branding Strategy

Brand Inventory Analysis

Brand inventories provides a comprehensive profile of how all the products and services sold by

a company are marketed and branded. A brand inventory analysis is useful in identifying reasons

as to the failure of Peek Freans Farmhouse Cookies.

Brand Architecture

The brand architecture for a firm tells the marketers which brand names, logos, symbols and so

forth to apply to which new and existing products. It also defines both the brand boundaries and

brand complexity.

Hierarchy

A brand hierarchy is a useful means of graphically portraying a firm’s branding strategy by

displaying the number and nature of common and distinctive brand elements across the firm’s

products and revealing the ordering of brand elements. The hierarchy below shows the no. of

products and brands sold by EBM under the license of Peek Freans which include Farmhouse

cookies, Sooper, Marie, Gluco, Butter puff and so forth. The simplest representation of brand

elements and levels of a brand hierarchy is from top to bottom.

1. Corporate brand : English Biscuit Manufacturer

2. Family brand : Peek Freans

3. Individual Brand : Farmhouse cookies

4. Modifier: Chocolate chip , Butter , Coconut cookies

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Brand Product Matrix

Products

Crea

m

Butte

r

Chocolate

chip

Coconu

t

Mil

k

Nut

s

Salt

y

Whole

wheat

Other

s

Sooper x

Gluco

Rio x

B Peanut Pik x

R PeanutPista x

A Party x x

N Click x

D Marie x

S Wheat x

Butter puff x

Saltish x

Farmhouse x x x

The rows of the matrix represent the brand-product relationships and capture the brand extension

strategy of the firm in terms of the number and nature of products sold under the firm’s different

brands. Whereas the column of the matrix represent product-brand relationships and capture the

brand portfolio strategy in terms of number of brands marketed in each category. For example in

the Nuts category EBM has three brands which are peanut pik, peanut Pista and party biscuits.

The brand portfolio is the set of all brands and brands lines that EBM offers for sale to buyers in

a particular category. Brand portfolio is one particular column of the matrix like the category of

Nuts or Salty in the above table.

Page 25: Farmhouse Cookies Branding Strategy

Roles of brands in portfolio

Flankers – Fighter brands

These products are in the market to help the flagship product to maintain its sales .For peak

Freans the fighter brands are party biscuits and butter puff which create points of parity with the

competitor so that the sales of flagship brand are not hurt.

1. Party

2. Butter puff

Cash Cows- help in capitalizing existing brand equity

The brands are usually the old and famous brands which are milked and their cash flows are used

for the growth of other brands. For peak Freans these cash cow brands are Rio and Marie. They

are also the flagship brands and are in a mature stage.

1. Rio

2. Marie

Low- End Entry level – Attracts customers to outlet

These brands only exist to attract customers to the retail outlet and once the customer walks into

the store, they are targeted with other high end brands. For peak Freans these low end Entry level

are Click and Gluco .These two are cheap products and are only there to attract customers.

1. Click

2. Gluco

High- End Entry level- Add prestige and credibility entire product portfolio

The purpose of these products is to add prestige and credibility in the entire product portfolio.

For Peak Freans this high end Entry level brand is Farmhouse cookies. This is a high-end brand

which is there to add prestige and value in the brand portfolio of Peak Freans

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Point of Parity

Point of Parity associations are not necessarily unique to the brand but may in fact share with

other brands. In case of Ozel, POP will be texture of the biscuits and the different flavors.

Point of Differentiation

Point of Differentiation are strong attributes that consumers strongly associate with the brand and

believe that it would not be find in competitive brand.

Point of differentiation for Ozel cookies is their ingredient that is Butter and also their value for

money.

Core brand associations

Core brand associations are those abstracts associations that characterize few most important

aspect or dimensions of a brand.

For Ozel cookies, the core brand associations will be healthy, high price, excellent perceived

quality, tasty, unique, and convenient.

Brand Mantra

The brand mantra for Ozel cookies will be “world class butter cookies”

Positioning Process

Identify relevant sets of competitive product:

In this step we have identified the substitute products which satisfy the same basic needs of

consumers. The products which we identify as a substitute for our product are cakes, chips,

chocolates etc. These products directly compete with our product in the market and consumers

have a clear choice to pick any of the mentioned products whenever he or she feels to have a

healthy snack. All of these mentioned products can be consumed in the place of biscuits. The

general perception about the biscuits is that it is relatively healthier snack and can be taken at any

Page 27: Farmhouse Cookies Branding Strategy

time. Consumers believe that it is a very convenient product that can be consumed whenever you

feel hungry.

Identify Determinant attributes

We have done our positioning on the basis of following attributes.

Ingredients: Ozel cookies are the only cookies in Pakistan that are made with butter. The three

flavors of Ozel cookies that are short bread, coconut and chocolate are made with the butter thus

giving them the ultimate taste.

Perceived Quality: Ozel cookies are positioned on the basis of quality associated with the

product. It is considered as a high quality product. Consumers associate Ozel cookies with the

premium brands in the category.

Benefits

Ozel cookies emphasize on the health. The cookies are perceived as a healthy snack providing

consumers with the best alternative for their hunger.

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Positioning map

Positioning is the process by which marketers try to create an image or identity in the minds of

their target market for its product, brand or organization. The two variables used in positioning

are value for money and perceived quality. Value for money is A utility derived from every

purchase or every sum of money spent. Perceived quality is defined by consumers as the richness

of taste, packaging, thickness of cookies. Ozel cookies lie in the second quadrant which is high

perceived quality and high value for money. As compare to its local competitors the value for

money and the perceived quality is way ahead and it is competing with the international brands.

Ozel cookies are now positioned in a manner as to be perceived by a particular segment SEC A

as ideal.

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Redesigning

The overall brand strategy for Ozel is to bring the sub-brand as a brand in consumer minds,

which is dominant over the original or parent brand. The strategy to be followed is “Furtive

Brands”. Furtive literally means secretive, and in the branding sense of application it is regarding

the nature of being a brand with silence on the parent brand. In this case single brand name is

used and corporate identity is undisclosed. So applying to our product, Ozel will replace Farm

House and the Peek Freans brand will be removed from the packaging and might be used

subliminally in marketing the product, but still hidden and silent on the parent brand. This helps

develop the new brand according to the positioning decided and separate from the other sub-

brands the company has.

The Principle of Differentiation is being applied in terms of branding and the nature of product.

Ozel being a high end positioned product along with the fact that it distinguishes itself as a

cookie and not as a biscuit, makes itself different. It helps the company place the product at the

channel members which are to some extent brand ambassadors when the new brand has to be

endorsed at the shop level. It helps distinguish the brand at same levels as the other competing

high end brands in the market. This principle is important for the individual brands as in the case

of Ozel. This element is important for leveraging the brand and lead to a best fortifying of the

position adopted making it successful.

Adopting this strategy also contributes to the brand dominance strategy mentioned above and not

directly pegging with the corporate brand as it currently exists. The strategic decision is not to

relate the brand and corporate names. Here with the integration of brand elements especially the

new brand name and its logo help create brand dominance. This dominance is on other brands in

the market and also detaches it from the company it belongs to. To give the royal and expensive

feel the corporate brand name that is English Biscuit House is kept separate. The consumer based

brand equity model had revealed in the brand audit that the Farm House fails to charge and

establish the position it is trying to by predominantly linking it to the Peek Freans name causing

a clash of branding and positioning. However with Ozel the new brand, the new logo and the

new slogan contribute to the brand development. Furthermore there is no link either with English

Biscuits or Peek Freans and help position and brand the product as an individual identity.

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Brand Elements

According to Kevin Lane Keller ‘Brand Elements sometimes called brand identities, are those

trademark able devices that serve to identify and differentiate the brand.’ Moreover the CBBE

model suggests that marketers should choose brand elements to enhance brand awareness;

facilitate the formation of strong, favorable and unique brand associations; or elicit positive

brand judgments or feelings. Thus Brand elements facilitate the process of consumer brain

mapping and play a key role in building brand equity. The main brand elements include brand

names, logos, symbols, characters, spokespersons, slogans, jingles, packages and signage.  

The current brand elements of Farm House cookies have remained unsuccessful in developing

resonance with the target customers. Thereby this section focuses upon the concept of

Rebranding. Rebranding may be defined as the creation of a new name, term, symbol, design, or

a combination of them for an established brand with the intention of developing a differentiated

position in the mind of stakeholders. Rebranding would help to revamp the current image of

Farm House cookies which is characterized by confusion and help the brand to stand out among

competing brands.

Brand Name

The brand name is of fundamental importance because it often captures the central theme or key

associations of a product in a compact and economical fashion. The existing brand name of Farm

House cookies is too generic to generate consumer interest. Individuals in the focus group

highlighted the fact that they don’t seem to be attracted to the current name and only consider

this name to be merely a descriptor for the product. i.e. Fresh cookies.

Therefore in line with the feedback given by the focus group respondents the new name which

we have suggested for these cookies is Ozel (pronounced Aw-zel) Cookies. The word Ozel is a

Turkish word and it means ‘unique’, ‘special’ or ‘extraordinary’. This name is based upon a

morpheme which is basically, a small linguistic unit having meaning. This particular name

reflects the elements of sophistication and elegance which is in line with our positioning strategy.

Moreover this is a short crisp name which will facilitate recall as it would be easy for consumers

to remember it. Furthermore this name stands out from the other brand names for biscuits and

cookies. Thus all in all, this particular name is memorable, meaningful and distinctive.

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URL

URLs (Uniform Resource Locators) specify locations of pages on the web and are also

commonly referred to as domain names. English Biscuits Manufacturers owns the rights of the

Peek Freans brand in Pakistan. Currently the organization operates a website which provides

information regarding various aspects of the company. However the website does not provide

wholesome information about the company’s products and Farm House cookies are not even

mentioned.

Therefore realizing the importance of internet presence in this technological era we propose that

a dedicated website should be developed for this exquisite line of cookies. The website should

provide a detailed account about the brand, meaning of the brand name, ingredients used in the

production of these fine cookies, the current SKUs, flavors and even a comments section for

individuals visiting the web page. This would allow widespread awareness and ultimately

acceptability of the brand.

Logo

Currently the organization is not using any particular logo for Farm House Cookies. Rather no

logo is assigned to any line of biscuits produced by English Biscuits Manufacturers. The

organization should realize that logos indicate origin, ownership and associations. Moreover

logos are often easily recognized and can be a valuable way for product identification. Another

advantage of logos is their versatility because they are often non-verbal and thus can be extended

beyond borders.

Considering these factors we have designed a new logo for ‘Ozel Cookies.’ The logo consists of

tri-color wavy stripes with the top one colored red, the middle one is colored orange, while the

third one is colored blue. The three colored stripes represent passion (red), elegance (orange) and

sophistication (blue). The idea behind this new image is that these new personality characteristics

will help the target audience to develop positive associations.

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Character

Characters represent a special type of brand symbol one that takes on human or real life

characteristics. Brand characters tend to be attention getting and quite useful for creating brand

awareness. Peek Freans has been using the ‘Pied Piper’ as the main character for its products.

This character made its mark about 35 years ago, it has been recognized as a symbol of 'trust &

confidence' for consumers and is true to its corporate claim, 'The Legend Leads'. It is widely

recognized in the biscuits industry and commands a high equity. Therefore we do not intend to

change the character associated with Ozel Cookies because the sub-brand can leverage upon the

equity commanded by the parent Peek Freans brand and its signature character.

Slogan

Slogans are short phrases that communicate descriptive or persuasive information about the

brand. Slogans tend to highlight the brand’s value or the meaning behind the brand. The parent

brand Peek Freans does have a tag-line/slogan which is ‘The Legend Leads’. The sub-brand

Farm House Cookies does not have a proper tagline; however the words ‘Irresistibly Fresh’ are

used in the brand’s advertisement.

Thus we intend to differentiate the ‘Ozel Cookies’ brand from the other biscuits produced under

the banner of English Biscuits and Peek Freans. This is primarily because we believe that this

particular brand should symbolize class which can only be ensured by focusing upon some form

of exclusivity. Therefore in line with this particular purpose we intend to use the slogan “Food

from the Heavens”. This particular phrase encompasses numerous qualities, generates a certain

degree of exclusivity and would also be in sync with our positioning strategy.

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Jingle

Jingles are musical messages used in a brand’s advertisement. A well known jingle can serve as

an advertising foundation for years. The company English Biscuits Manufacturer has used

jingles effectively with some of their brands like Sooper, which is a star product in its category.

However for a premium priced brand like Farm House Cookies there is no jingle. The current

advertisement for Farm House cookies uses a simple musical theme with a light music. We

propose that the company should opt for a more memorable jingle that is easily recognized and

resonates in the minds of consumers even after the advertisement ends.

Packaging

Packaging entails the activities of designing and producing containers or wrappers for a product.

Currently the packaging for Farm House Cookies is quite unique and different from other

biscuits manufactured by EBM. Premium material and style has been used as compared to the

regular offerings of the company. The packaging comprises of a vertical box compared to the

regular horizontal box. This gives an elevated look to the product. Along with this the packaging

houses individual cookies layered on top of each other in a neat way which is different from

stacking methods employed for other biscuits. The packaging is good in identifying the brand

and parent company. Along with this it conveys the description of the product by displaying the

cookies themselves and the key ingredient indicating the flavor.

The current packaging highlights class, sophistication and elegance and it stands out from

competing products therefore except for minor modification we believe that there is no need for

developing a completely new packaging for Ozel Cookies.

Product Strategy

The current scenario reveals that Farm House Cookies, are manufactured using the best quality

of materials and this fact needs to be highlighted in order to improve the perception of the

consumers that these biscuits are of high quality. The greater focus should be upon emphasizing

the values of luxury, elegance and class which are in sync with our current positioning strategy.

This overall product strategy would be applied to the three different flavors of cookies that fall

under the ‘Farmhouse Cookies’ umbrella; these are: Chocolate Chip Cookies, Shortbread

Cookies and Coconut Cookies.

Page 34: Farmhouse Cookies Branding Strategy

It is the packaging that plays a key role in presenting the brand values of the product and for a

luxury brand, which differentiates itself on quality and image, the importance of the packaging is

intensified. Luxury brands rely on packaging to cultivate an image of high quality, elegance and

sophistication for their products. Amongst many different packaging types used in the luxury

world, high quality cardboard boxes have gained prominence in recent years. Farm House

Cookies should be packaged in a high quality cardboard box with special decorative finish,

which demonstrates value through sophisticated printing and luxury shaping.

Color is the best way to reflect and enhance a unified image and branding of a product, as it is

such a visual medium. The packaging colors should relate to the logo and reflect the image being

sent to the market place to attract buyers.

Farm House Cookies should be packaged in white as white packaging implies elegance and

sophistication and white combines well with most other colors. A combination of white, blue,

red, orange and gold would be used in the packaging with the logo prominently displayed. A

visual representation of each flavor would be shown on the packaging for easier identification

and greater appeal.

Pricing Strategy

There are lots of factors that need be to taken into account when pricing a product and after

thoroughly going through those factors, one needs to select the pricing strategy most suitable for

the product and market conditions. The company needs to set pricing objectives, determine

demand, estimate costs, analyze competitors costs and pricing, select a pricing method and then

come up with a final price.

In an environment with multiple competitors, it is important to look at the product’s value in the

eyes of the customer, its perceived value, and what is deemed to be a fair price for such a

product. The competition and their prices also have to be kept in mind and how one wants to

position the product in terms of the competition.

Keeping in mind these factors, premium pricing strategy will be used which involves setting the

price of the product higher than similar products. The reason for selecting this pricing strategy is

that currently consumers perceive Farmhouse cookies as of average quality. This perceived

quality can be defined as the consumer’s judgment about the product’s superiority. High price of

Page 35: Farmhouse Cookies Branding Strategy

Farmhouse cookies would change the perception of the consumers and would signal the

consumers that the product is high in quality. The reason for doing this is that generally people

equate high prices with high quality therefore it would be easy to change consumer’s perception

by artificially increasing the price of Farmhouse cookies. The benefits of using premium pricing

strategy are that it could easily cover high costs of the new packaging. Premium pricing would

also result in high profit margins.

Moreover premium pricing is the selected strategy primarily because of the fact that this

particular cookies line is being positioned as a high-end offering, suited for the elite class. The

primary competition for Farmhouse cookies includes imported cookies which are generally

priced highly. Therefore in order to differentiate from current biscuit products in the market, to

depict a high quality image and to give a sense of exclusivity Farmhouse cookies would be

priced high.

Channels of distribution

A ‘selective channel distribution’ strategy will be used as these are high quality cookies and as

such would be available only at supermarkets and hyper markets to help with the perception that

these are high quality cookies and as such aren’t available at small stores.

The current distribution channel has too many intermediaries and thus isn’t efficient; the

following distribution channel is proposed: Manufacturing plant -> Company Ware House ->

Regional Ware House ->Distributor -> Retailer

All cookies manufactured at the plant will be shifted to the company warehouse for storage

purposes. Once stock is accumulated it will be shifted to the regional warehouses according to

the demand for further distribution to local distributors and then to the selected retailers.

The five-step easy distribution will help in the following ways:

Centralized approach, which will enhance efficiency

Less cost will be incurred in transporting the cookies since selective distribution would

require lesser number of distribution channels

Record maintenance at fewer areas allowing easy reconciliation

Optimal number of employees engaged to do the task ‘ The Right Way’

Page 36: Farmhouse Cookies Branding Strategy

Availability at selected retailers will improve perception about the quality of the cookies.

More cookies at a particular location will increase bulk sales

Exhibit: Current Distribution Channel

Effective and Feasible Communication Plan

Overview

Communication planning is basically the art and science of reaching target audiences

using marketing communication channels which includes advertising, social media,public

relations, experiences for example. It is concerned with deciding who to target, when, with what

message and how.

We have choose middle upper and higher upper class as the target market of Farm House

Cookies (Ozel), In this communication plan we will discuss how we will convey our message to

our target audience using the right type of message, from the right communicator to the right

audience through the right channel, at the right time. We will address the six basic elements of

communication plan i.e. communicator, message, communication channel, feedback mechanism,

receiver/audience, and time frame.

Page 37: Farmhouse Cookies Branding Strategy

Objectives

Our objective for the farm house cookies is to create awareness in the mind of consumers so that

they associate our brand with foreign brands because of high quality, taste and freshness. The

fact that at the moment, its target market lacks brand knowledge, specifically identity and as such

one of the major challenges is for Farmhouse to make a specific identity for itself in an intensely

competitive industry

We are also trying to change our consumer mindset that they think of farm House as one of the

finest cookies ever to be launched by a local manufacturer, Farm House Cookies are one of the

richest and wholesome cookies with quality, taste and packaging at par with any international

gourmet brand.

Target Audience

The target market on which we will be focusing would be relatively young people belong to

middle upper or higher upper class. Because in our opinion we believe that the quality which

farm fresh cookies is offering to their customers is perceived more favorably by the young

people as compare to the old people which are prevailing in the market. It is commonly observed

that young are more receptive in accepting the new product as compare to the old people in the

society. So these are all the reasons because of which we are selecting the people who are

relatively young. The main target which we will be targeting will be from the age bracket of 20

to 40 mainly. In our opinion we think that people from this age group will be the main users of

our product.

Approach

In the current scenario there is a serious need that proper selection of communication medium

should be conducted. Because currently there is a serious need that to change and improve the

perception of the farm house cookies in the minds of the consumers. Currently the need of the

hour is this that we should use effective communication medium to create a positive image in the

minds of the consumers. Mainly communication medium are very strong way to reach the target

audience and to leave an everlasting impact. So the main communication medium on which our

main focus would be is as follows:

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Television

Billboards

Social Media

The most powerful medium according to us which is present in the current scenario for Farm

House Cookies is without any doubt is the television medium. There is a wide reach of this

medium. It is actually pretty much true that majority of the households do have a television in

their houses. So in the current situation there is a serious need to focus and divert major

resources of the company to the television medium. Considering the target market in mind we

can say that it will be more beneficial if the company place their ad in the music and sports

channel. Because in our opinion our major target market would be watching these channels most

of the time, so the best way to target these individuals is to basically place maximum ads in these

channels.

Billboards will also be used to reach the target market. Billboards are a good medium to reach

the target audience but there is a serious need to choose the location of the billboards with much

due care. If we place the billboards in the wrong direction then there will be a devastating effect

on the company. The location which will be on our target will mainly be the posh areas of the

society, the reason behind in choosing the posh areas for the billboards is this that the majority of

our target market basically reside in these areas of the society. The areas in which our main focus

should be basically include Defence, Gulberg and Shadman mainly. So majority of our

billboards will be restricted to these 3 areas mainly.

The last communication medium on which we will be focusing on will be the social media. If we

analyze and study our target market then we can say with much confidence that social media

would be a feasible option to reach the target audience. The reason behind saying this is this that

large amount of our target market is the youth and the youth is pretty much active on the social

media and if we want to reach to these people then we have to advertise on the social media. The

main thing in the social media in which we will be focusing will be the facebook. It is a known

fact that almost majority of the people are enrolled on facebook and in order to reach these

people there is a serious need to advertise their. Advertisement on twitter is also another option

which can provide fruitful results to the company.

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Key Message

Our key message for this project is to inform our target audience so we will use Informative

advertising, in informative advertising a detailed informative advertising about Peak Freans and

Farm House Cookies regarding its superior quality, taste and freshness.

Tactics

The three main components of advertising, also known as the three big M's, are: the message, the

media and the market, the message consists of the words used in the advertising; the media is the

type of advertising; and the market is the targeted group the advertising is meant to reach.

This phase is also divided in two parts in the first phase a hype is created in the mind of

consumers without actually telling them what is the brand actually is by just advertising the word

“Ozel” this will create a feeling to discover the product. Then in the second phase Peak Freans

will give detailed information about Ozel

A variety of advertising media is available. Effectively mixing of these media is an important

part of designing advertising campaign.

Electronic Media:

The electronic media will be Television only. Peak Freans should advertise in Ads that will be

aired on Geo Television, Hum television and at ARY Digital. Advertisement will be shown twice

in peak time i.e. 7pm to 10pm and thrice in off-peak time.

Print Media:

The print media used will be Newspapers i.e. The News, Dawn, and Magazines (Quarter page)

i.e. Mag fashion magazine, Pakistan fashion magazine and She magazine. She magazine is

Pakistan’s best selling fashion magazine. It contains latest Pakistani fashion trends, showbiz

news, health tips, latest Pakistani models, Pakistani fashion dresses and many more.

Billboards:

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Peak Freans should decide to advertise “Ozel” on at particular (main) locations covering the only

the porch areas i.e. Model Town, Defence and Gulberg.

Conclusion High value for money , High perceived quality key PODs for brand

Move beyond features and benefits

Focus on brand values and association with consumer mindset

Periodic measurement, deliverance of mantra, key to sustaining brand

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Bibliography

Keller, K. L. (1997). Strategic Brand Management. Pearson Publishing.

Tan, Donald (2010). Success Factors In Establishing Your Brand. Franchising and Licensing

Association.

Matt Heig (2009). Brand Royalty: How the World's Top 100 Brands Thrive and Survive.

Tom Peters (August 1997). The Brand Called You. Fast Company (Mansueto Ventures LLC.)

Trout, J., (1969). Positioning is a game people play in today’s me-too market place. Industrial

Marketing, Vol.54, No.6.

Levi, K. (2007). Differentiate or Diminish. Journal of Marketing.

Moore et. al (2006). Branding and the EMBA. MBA dissertation, University of Virginia

Joseph Gladden (2002). The Role of Advertising in Branding. University of Massachusetts

Page 42: Farmhouse Cookies Branding Strategy

Appendix

Focus Group Discussion Guideline

INTRODUCTION/ WARM UP (5 Minutes)

Introduce yourself

Highlight the purpose of focus group

Introduction of respondents

Ask about their hobbies

Try to be friendly and build rapport

Rules of Focus Group

LIST OF PREFERENCES (5 Minutes)

Perception about biscuits

Difference between biscuits and cookies

Ask respondents regarding different brands of biscuits

Ask them to list them as per preferences

Basis choosing one brand (biscuit) over another

PERCEPTION OF FARM HOUSE COOKIES (5 MINUTES)

Perception about Farm house cookies

When do they like to eat Farm house cookies

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How they perceive Farm house cookies when they see advertisements

Ask them about taste of Farm house cookies

Quality of Farm house cookies

Flavors of Farm house cookies

PACKAGING (10 Minutes)

Ask them about packing of Farm house cookies

Ask them about color of packaging

Is the packaging convenient?

What do they suggest regarding any change in packaging and color

PRICE SENSITIVITY (10 Minutes)

What do they think about price of Farm house cookies?

Is it fair or over priced or under priced?

Will they pay more for improved Farm house cookies?

Branding (5 minutes)

How do they see farmhouse cookies brand?

What is its image?

CLOSING (5 Minutes)

Summarize

Feedback

Closing remarks

Page 44: Farmhouse Cookies Branding Strategy

Gifts

Focus group summary

There were two focus groups conducted. Each focus group had 8 members. All the eight

participants were university students. The focus group was conducted by following the guideline

that has been given here. Two focus groups will be conducted with participants belonging to

different demographics. The first group will consist of people belonging to the age bracket of 18

to 26 years both male and female with the household income of Rs.50, 000 and above. These are

primarily the students. The reason for choosing such participants is to find out their perceptions

about farmhouse cookies.

After the introduction session, the participants were asked to differentiate between cookies and

biscuits. Most of them answered that cookies are made of butter while biscuits are made of milk

and flour. Next, the participants were required to list their choices in order of their preferences.

The set included both local and international biscuits. In international biscuits Oreo was the

favorite among the participants while in local biscuits people had a mix choice. The most

favorite were Sooper cookies and chocolate chip cookies. The bases of choosing these brands of

biscuits were the quality, taste, advertising impact and strong branding. Also these brands were

successful in making a relationship with tea time or drinking milk etc.

Then the participants were asked to identify the different flavors of the brand which almost

everyone successfully did. Next they were asked about the taste, quality and freshness. The

common perception of the participants was that the cookies taste good, the quality is ok and are

considerably fresh. The perception of the brand however was not positive. People failed to see it

as high quality and high end cookies brand. They associated it with local products and hence

found it expensive too. The participants were also not aware of the advertisement of the cookies

and recall was really weak. Lack of advertisement was identified by one participant as major

weakness of the brand.

In the next phase, we discussed the packaging and other elements of the marketing mix. The

participants thought that the packaging was not good for the product. It did not reflect the high

end quality cookies. It seemed weak and dull. People were not able to recall exact color and

packaging details. They wanted it to be livelier and elegant so it can portray the message of

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quality and exclusiveness. The distribution was also weak according to some participants as the

cookies were not easily available. According to one suggestion, farmhouse cookies should be

branded separately from peak freans and should have its own logo and slogan and theme. the last

thing discussed was the price. Participants thought that price was high as compared to local

biscuits. The product did not offer enough value and should be lower in price. People think that

they can buy much better imported cookies by paying a little more.

Interviews (Summary)

Operations Manager Mr. Ahmed Islam who is working for EBM for over twelve years now had

provided us with the following information during his interview with us.

EBM is one of the largest biscuit manufacturing companies in Pakistan not only in terms of

production but also in sales as well. It has the biggest market share in biscuit industry and lies at

the top with much higher than industry average.

EBM has a very diverse portfolio and its users are from all age groups. Consumers consume

biscuits at all the times depending upon their preference, some take it as a source of energy,

some think it to be a healthy tea time snack, some consume it as dessert and last but not the least

some people believe it to be the best treat for guests.

Target audience of EBM includes kids, youngsters, office employees and families within the age

bracket of 4 to 70. The biggest competitor of EBM is continental biscuits who are giving them a

good tough time. EBM being oldest in the market enjoys first mover advantage and also it has

gained good market share which is also growing with the years.

Mr. Faisal Kaleem who is sales executive gave us the following information. He is working with

the company for three years.

EBM is giant in biscuit industry with its huge market share. Pakistan where the population is

growing on a very high rate has huge opportunity for biscuit industry. Biscuits are consumed by

everyone so literally you can say that every one living in Pakistan is our potential consumer

within the age bracket of 4-70. We just need to convert those potential consumers to our

consumer profile and for that all the supported activities like distribution, packaging and

advertisements are mandatory.

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EBM is very strong in terms of finance so these activities are well integrated and coordinated by

the company thus we are doing the best in the business.

Rebranding Focus Group Results SummaryIn the earlier part of our report, we have found various reasons for lack of success of farmhouse

cookies as a brand. The brand has failed to impress the target market. It could not create the

desired impression/perception in the consumers mind. Though the product isn’t bad but still it’s

finding hard to sell. Here are some suggestions that might be helpful to revitalize the farmhouse

cookies

First and foremost, farmhouse cookies need to reposition their brand altogether. They have to

find the certain USP of their brand that will allow them to get this perception. The USP for

farmhouse cookies is that among the local brands they are the only authentic cookies which

conform to the international standards. The product has good quality and taste. Farmhouse

cookies need to take this point and build around it the whole program. They need to portray their

product as best quality and best tasting local cookies which are as good as any international

cookies. Once they get this perception in consumers mind, the brand will start to have positive

results.

To achieve these farmhouse cookies need to completely overhaul their brand. For this purpose

they need to change their brand name. Currently Farmhouse cookies name is very generic name

which we do not want. The cookies would be launched under new name which we propose as

‘Ozel’. Ozel is a Turkish word meaning extraordinary or special. The next we do is change the

packaging. The packaging should be created keeping in mind the packaging of bestselling

cookies in the market. The new packaging should be made more lively, more meaningful and

elegant at the same time. The package should spell out the brand promise which is simplicity and

elegance. Second thing Ozel cookies can do is making a new logo for the product. The company

needs to separate their product from peak freans brand as the two brands have totally different

market. Peak freans on one hand is quality affordable biscuits whereas Ozel cookies are high

quality luxury cookies. The new logo should again conform to the brand message and should

give a strong image to the brand. The placement of farmhouse cookies is also weak. To get

positive results, the new Ozel cookies need to get the best shelf space right next to quality

cookies. They also need to give their product exclusivity by making it available in only the big

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stores. To support all these efforts, Ozel cookies should advertise heavily. They need to make ads

which build the desired perception in the mind of consumers. Through advertising people should

be made to think that this is the best quality brand of cookies available in the market. Last but not

the least the pricing should be revised and made to match the best cookies so to attract the high

end consumers.

Focus group result for brand name and positioning

To select a new name for the brand and reposition it, we conducted another focus group. The

focus group consisted of 8 people from the target segment who are consumers of cookies. During

the focus group we gave them several names and asked them about their perception of each of

them. The participants were told that these names are already of existing cookies but actually

they weren’t. This was done deliberately done to get the response more precise to cookies name

rather than to the word itself.

Among the names we suggested, people gave more favourable responses to the following three

names: Ozel, Affinity and Amedeus cookies. These are ranked according to the most favourable

to least favourable responses. When the participants were asked about the name Ozel, none of

them knew the meaning but still said that it looks more classy and elegant. It was the first choice

name for most of the participants and second choice for the rest. Participants responded

positively to the names Affinity and Amedeus but they were second and third choice name for

most of the participants. As one of the participants said ‘though I don’t know what Ozel means,

but still to me it sounds more classic and elegant.’ The criteria that we set for the participants

were to select the name of the brand which gave them most classy, simple and elegant image.

In the second phase of the focus group, we asked the participants about the desired perception of

this brand of cookies. This desired perception will then allow us to reposition the brand. The

participants wanted the image of the brand to be stronger, separated from Peak frenas. The

perception they wanted to have about the cookies was that it should be perceived as high quality,

exclusive cookies which are at par with any international cookies. A couple of the participants

indicated that through sophisticated packaging and good advertising, the brand can gain the

desired position in the mind of consumers. Another participant in the group highlighted the fact

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that the price should be kept high so it will justify the quality and create an exclusive product

image in the mind of consumers.

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