Kantar Brand Strategy Unpacked Digital Booklet

BRAND STRATEGY
UNPACKED
Grow brands through consistent,
Meaningful Difference
© Kantar 2024
BRAND STRATEGY UNPACKED 02
INTRODUCTION
We believe in the power of a structured approach to we’ve observed grow through

brands. tackling their challenges. the Kantar BrandZ database.
Via practical examples and case Each viewpoint has been
There is now undeniable studies, it demonstrates how organised to reflect our structured
evidence that great brands Kantar Brand Strategy solutions approach to brand strategy.
have the potential to influence can help you uncover present and Starting first with the importance
not just sales, but business future opportunities, prioritise of data-backed diagnosis and
value and resilience. Kantar where to focus, and finally, apply market understanding to Find New
BrandZ data shows that strong consistency in a way that builds Space to grow, before stepping
brands outperform others, drive Meaningful Difference and delivers into how brands can prioritise
profitability, and weather the long term brand value growth. and build Meaningfully Different
storms of economic uncertainty. positions with a consistency that
is able to embrace innovation
We have undertaken a deep The following pages and remain relevant to deliver
analysis of Kantar’s extensive have been designed long term brand value growth.
proprietary data sets, which as a celebration of
revealed four key things brands Whether you’re reading this from
with sustained growth and
the power of brands. cover to cover or dipping into a
value do and have. They have few areas of interest we hope it
been outlined as a core growth We’ve leveraged Kantar’s unique leaves you inspired and equipped
driver - Be Meaningfully Different position across all elements of to face your next challenge.
to More People - and 3 growth the strategic process to bring
accelerators in Kantar’s Blueprint you a breadth of data-backed Thanks,
for Brand Growth, which helps viewpoints from a selection of Carol Horsley
diagnose a brand’s challenges and our global experts. Unpacking Global lead – Brand Strategy
what it will need to do to grow. our clear perspective on the
In this Brand Strategy Unpacked importance of and beauty within
booklet we build on the brand strategy, showcasing the
core accelerators of growth strategic successes of some brands
and offer brand managers we’ve worked with as well as those
“Powerful brands do not happen by accident,

they are carefully crafted and consistently
communicated across geographies, touchpoints
and time to ensure that the associations and
connections that they represent are Meaningful
and Different and when the need arises, they
are quick to mind and an irresistible choice for
consumers. Shaping a powerful brand might not
be easy, but it is not a mystery. There is one key
growth driver - Be Meaningfully Different to More
People and 3 growth accelerators that lead to
brand growth. At the core of it all, a brand needs
to be Meaningfully Different and to Predispose
More People, Be Present and eventually Find New
Space to grow. We link much of the inspirational
pieces, case studies and thought leadership
articles contained in this booklet back to the
Kantar Blueprint for Brand Growth. All of what
we have unpacked to inspire you will build on
the Kantar Blueprint and show you HOW. ”
C AROL HORSLEY
SENIOR DIRECTOR
GLOBAL BRAND STRATEGY, KANTAR
Click here to read more about Kantar’s Blueprint for Brand Growth’
CONTENTS
1 2 3
Uncover Prioritise Build “It’s the right insights that
give your strategy wings
Uncover your start Prioritise where to focus Build Meaningful
point and opportunities and how to achieve Difference through every
and fuel growth. Tactics
to drive relevance. Meaningful Difference. brand touchpoint. come last, after strategy.”
Insight is critical to any brand Brand Strategy is about Building strong Difference ARY KYRIAKIDI,
M
strategy. Learn why the making choices. Learn how to requires consistency. GLOBAL THOUGHT LEADER
initial stages should include pull apart choices on where Learn how to master the
both market understanding to focus vs. how to drive art of evolving yet remaining
and data-backed diagnosis your Meaningful Difference the same, delivering your Click here for Mary’s guide.
of your brand’s current forward to win your way. Meaningful Difference,
equity and pricing power. across all touchpoints
and innovations.
1
05
Uncover your Brand Strategy is about working out how
to get from A to B. At the start of any
start point and

journey, you need a map. Great maps help
you understand the terrain, uncover new
opportunities, find the best routes, and avoid
opportunities to the traffic jams. And if that journey is a
Uncover
competitive one, as brand journeys tend to be,
drive relevance
you also need to make sure you’re clear on the
relative strengths of your vehicle. Diagnosis of
your brand’s current equity and pricing power
should be a corner stone of this groundwork.
Key takeaways:
1 Always start
your brand
strategy with
2 Build your
strategy on
human truths,
3 Hardwire your
brand’s
connection to
diagnosis of your leveraging real culture in order to
equity and pricing data at scale or lead and define
power in depth future trends
BRAND STRATEGY UNPACKED Uncover 06
BRAND STRATEGY SHOULD START

WITH BRAND DIAGNOSIS
Brand Strategy is about working
1 They are relevant These three concepts – Meaningful, Different,
out how to get from A to B. To and Salient – are validated through Kantar
and resonate
do this, you need to be clear on positively with people. BrandZ and externally authenticated by the
both your start point and your More people have Marketing Accountability Standards Board
destination. affinity towards them (MASB).
and say that they meet
The challenge is brand their needs. Evidence from the Kantar BrandZ database,
start points aren’t always They are Meaningful. that covers almost 20,000 brands in
immediately evident! over 500 categories across more than 50
Brands exist intangibly in markets, shows that Meaningful Difference
people’s heads and hearts, is the key to value creation. By modelling
a compilation of a lifetime
of encounters that live in our
2 They stand apart
from other brands.
BrandZ brand valuations alongside brand
equity data, we know that brands that are
memories. They have a competitive strongly Meaningful, Different, and Salient
edge that makes them command five times penetration today and
To measure your start point more unique or more real advantage in penetration growth over
you need to determine people’s dynamic. the next two years.
They are Different.
Predisposition toward your
brand. How do people feel It is imperative to uncover the start point
about your brand? What is your for your brand, ideally using these metrics, “Marketers who skip
before you strategise to achieve your
equity in the market? What is
brand research are
3
the equity of the other players? They come to goal. Mapping brands relative to one
Understanding this type of mind more quickly another illuminates competitive perspective doomed to fail”
status quo requires astute and easily than the and provides clear guidance on where to
diagnosis. competition, across a focus to drive brand value growth. Our MARK RITSON, MARKETING WEEK
broad range of category Chocolate and Confectionery case study
Kantar has found that brands occasions or moments. illustrates this in action.
Click here for Mark’s article.
that Predispose More People to They are Salient.
buy more and pay more tend to Lindsay Gorton-Lee,
have three qualities: Brand Strategy Consultant
PRICING POWER
Understanding your start
point also provides insight
what makes someone want to
buy it. This is because, being
Difference here is defined as
standing out as unique and
IS YOUR BRAND WORTH IT?
into your pricing power Meaningful and Salient helps
a brand come to mind more
leading the way. Meaningful
Difference is what drives
MEANINGFULLY DIFFERENT ?
Last year, we found easily; become more mentally perceptions of being worth
something significant, that available. paying more for. It is integral
is especially important for to pricing power because Pay 14%
7
more
brands in price sensitive However, how it helps make brands less
AVERAGE ACTUAL PRICE PAID

markets. We found that what substitutable and suggests
matters if you’re trying to get
Meaningful, and there’s something to lose by
6
people to pay more is quite Different a choosing an alternative. 5

different to what matters if brand is, explains
you’re trying to get people to 94% of how It’s Difference that makes 4
buy more. the Difference.
much someone
How Meaningful and Salient is willing to pay Adele Jolliffe, Head of Brand
3
Low Meaningful Average High Meaningful
a brand is, explains 80% of for it. Equity Excellence Difference Difference
BRANDS WITH...
“There are no examples whatsoever, in our nearly 2000 case

studies, of people who have managed to persuade the public
to pay more for things by rational argument… The key to
pricing power is to get people to feel something about your
brand. To disengage the rational brain. To make people just
want the thing, at any price.”
LES BINET, AT KANTAR IGNITE, MARCH 2023
Source: Kantar New Zealand R&D study, merged equity and Flybuysbehavioral
Click here to listen to Les data for 810 consumers
UNDERSTAND THE IMPLICATIONS

OF YOUR START POINT
Driving meaning requires human Chocolate and Confectionery: UK 2022 Market leaders need to Predispose
centric understanding More People
Brands in the top-left quadrant have The market leading brands in the
strong Difference, but they are lagging top-right box of our chart are strong
on meaning. They are not meeting performers. Their aim will be to keep on
needs or driving affinity as strongly winning, to find more room for growth,
as others. They lack relevance in the to guard against competitive pressure,
context of people’s lives. Resolving this to protect margins and to find growth
might require some human centric through Predisposing more people. In
understanding to unlock what people a rapidly evolving market context, this
want, need, and expect so they can means there is a constant need to adjust
broaden the scale of their appeal and to stay in the lead. The challenge for
avoid becoming too niche or specialist. these brands is resolving how to keep
winning, while protecting and retaining
that Meaningful Difference that has
Building Predisposition is key to driven their success in the first place.
volume, value, and margin creation
Bottom-left brands currently have
both low Difference and Meaning. Meaning without brand centric
Revolutionary change may be required Difference risks being generic
to create Meaningful Difference to Bottom-right brands are Meaningful
unlock growth and drive resilience. but have low Difference. They don’t
Sometimes these are new brands not stand apart from other brands.
disrupting enough to grow. Or they How can they plot a pathway to a
could be one-time leader brands, which stronger point of Difference? There
Source: Kantar BrandZ
lost relevance and edge. Either way are several ways to build Difference.
– a thorough diagnosis is the next key Innovating to create a strong functional
action. superiority and leading the way in the
category. Another is building strong
emotive clarity through brand centric
consistency and distinctiveness.
Click here to uncover your start point with Kantar BrandSnapshot’
UNCOVERING PEOPLE’S NEEDS & FINDING

GAPS IN MARKET DELIVERY IS CRITICAL FOR
GROWTH PLANNING
Finding meaning and staying Periodically taking time to stop

Meaningful means walking a and assess what people want,
constant treadmill in today’s and where the gaps are, is an
fast-paced environment. important discipline to ensuring that
your strategy is built on truth not
What people want and aspire to is assumptions.
ever evolving, strongly influenced by
trends and culture, so it’s important Complementing contextualised “These are volatile times, and volatility makes
to keep a finger on the pulse and an needs understanding with audience marketing more important than ever, because
eye on the future. understanding work can be a useful
way to uncover tensions and the the necessity to understand what the customer
Context also plays a big role in opportunities within a market. really wants becomes even more pronounced. “
shaping these needs. What I want
this morning may be different
ARK EVANS, DIRECT LINE.
M
to what I need this afternoon,
IGNITE GROWTH REPORT FROM THE MARKETING SOCIETY
influenced by when, where, why, and
who I am with.
Click here to read the report.
THE ART OF CONNECTING

TO CULTURE
Consumers don’t exist in isolation, their brand equity and be perceived The result is a celebration of the
they are shaped by the world as inauthentic. diversity of modern British culture,
around them. Culture informs enabling Burberry to seamlessly
what people value and how they One brand doing it feature both Mary Berry and the cast
express themselves, it shapes the beautifully, is luxury of Top Boy as faces of the brand.
decisions people make, without them fashion house Burberry.
necessarily being aware of it. As Following the appointment Cultural Intelligence helps us
phrased by Dr. Marcus Collins in his make sense of the shifting cultural
of Chief Creative Officer
new book For The Culture, ‘culture is a Landscape. Semiotic analysis can be
cheat code, the most powerful vehicle
Daniel Lee, Burberry is
used to identify emergent expressions
for influencing consumer behaviour.’ re-establishing itself of needs and values that your brand
as an iconic brand, by can learn from and employ, to better
Successfully connecting to culture rooting itself in its British communicate to your audiences.
can propel a brand from one of heritage. From updating Strategic thinking helps us shape the
the herd, to leader of the pack. But the typography and logo ‘so what’ for your brand, ensuring
culture is vast and complex, and to draw on the house’s authenticity and relevance that
navigating what is most relevant can drive Differentiation that is also
archival designs, to
and Meaningful to consumers is a Meaningful.
challenge for brands, especially in
opening ‘greasy spoon’
an era of accelerated trend cycles. pop-up Normans, the Hari BlanchBennett,
Sometimes, in pursuit of capturing brand is honouring its Creative Strategy Director
the zeitgeist, brands make choices history while also playing
that aren’t aligned with their own with the notion of
values or heritage, which can erode Britishness.
BRAND LOCALISATION STRATEGY Uncover 11
It used to be enough to be a big This means an intrepid, For example, whilst using liquid body
multinational brand launching in a new unwavering commitment to wash in the shower is prevalent in more CASE STUDY
market. The aspiration associated with change whilst always remaining developed economies like Europe, bar
certain lifestyles and perceived higher true to the brand’s core promise. soap is most common in many Asian
quality created buzz and demand. These And it starts with knowing your markets due to lower cost per gram and
rules no longer apply. Lower barriers market and your audience. ingrained hygiene habits.
to entry have seen an abundance of Johnnie Walker’s well known ‘Keep Walking’
new local players, catering to nuanced Cultural understanding is the Pricing strategy should align campaign illustrates localisation well. Following
local needs; and heightened consumer foundation of localisation. This with economic factors. Over 60% COVID restrictions, Johnnie Walker created the
can be done at a market level (e.g. multi-country Walkers programme. This focused
expectations have led to a reassessment of Southeast Asia is low income,
Indonesia) or a social group level on local experiences designed to reinvigorate
of global brands. so the only way to win is to ensure
(e.g. Modern, Millennial Muslims). The social spaces that had suffered. Through a series of
your portfolio and pricing strategy is
initiatives, the programme brought communities
Localisation has become a critical cultural lens shapes consumer habits designed for this. Constrained budgets
together to support local venues and bars.
part of global marketing strategy. It and expectations. Brands can align also shape decision-making and
is key to building affinity and meeting themselves to consumers better if they consumer relationship to brands, with This example from Thailand encouraged Thais to
become part of culture, tapping into
needs in local markets, unlocking new local relevance key for brands to tap into reacquaint themselves with their unique street
local values, beliefs, and behaviours. culture, giving 'Keep Walking' fresh meaning.
spaces for global brands. In this way it limited consumer spend.
is key to driving Meaningful Difference
For example, Hijabs are a big part of
and competitive advantage securing These aspects come together to inform
the identity of Muslim women in
both short- and long-term success. powerful brand strategy, informed by a
Indonesia and Malaysia, and also
However, often brands struggle to get localisation mindset.
shape hair care routines. Hair care
it right as localisation is brought in too
brands need to understand this to be
late at the executional stage and is not Anja Milosavljevic
able to craft relevant, nuanced
an integrated part of the marketing Head of Brand Strategy, Kantar
positioning and execution.
process. Singapore By comparison, the global execution has a
similar tonality but uses broader, cosmopolitan
Category maturity is also imperative
Localisation is a mindset. A move cultural cues that may not have resonated as
to understand across markets. To
from static strategy setting to strongly in the Thailand context.
localise your product portfolio mix as
dynamic evolution. part of your go to market strategy and
build brand relevance you need to be
tuned into category development.
BRAND STRATEGY UNPACKED
CASE STUDY
Culturally relevant brand expression
Vodacom built a refreshed Fuelled by these insights, Kantar

signature expression to reflect collaborated with Vodacom and their
their ambition to be a Pan African agencies to build a clear, compelling
tech brand, bringing the Vodacom signature expression with cohesive
purpose to life in a truly African messaging for each of their business
way. segments.
Vodacom has always been a pioneer. The new expression brought

In 2023 Vodacom reinforced this Vodacom’s purposeful
spirit with a powerful new brand positioning to life in a
expression. culturally relevant way to
resonate with African markets
In a rapidly changing Pan African
from South Africa to Egypt,
landscape, Vodacom realized that
Kenya, Tanzania, DRC, Lesotho,
their brand was not doing enough
Mozambique.
to drive future growth. Regional
brand positioning lacked a link to the
This refreshed brand positioning
company purpose and the brand had
strategy also reflects Vodacom’s
low Meaningful Difference. Kantar
shift from a tel-co to a tech-co.
was engaged to discover the cultural
Vodacom now articulates with clarity
meaning of tech across Africa and
what it means to be a tech-co, in an
craft a refreshed brand expression.
African context, through a localised
expression of the global Vodafone
Cultural scanning revealed how
positioning.
people are engaging with technology
across Africa.
Yasmin Kathoria
This insight was coupled with a brand Senior Director, Brand Growth
DNA review, using NeedScope AI to Strategy, Kantar Consulting South
map these powerful cultural insights Africa
into alternate positioning territories.
BIG DATA UNCOVERS ‘WHOLE PERSON THINKING’

HUMAN TRUTHS IS COMPLEMENTARY
WITH BOTH TO BIG DATA
BOUNDLESS SCALE X If the world of consumer digital data offers
a wealth of insight at scale, then qualitative
The ‘Ah ha’ moment came from a piece
of qualitative research that revealed the
GRANULAR DETAIL insight is the tool which brings meaning

and understanding of people’s experience
through a holistic and more culturally
consumer reaction, “Oh my god, it’s just
so fast!”. This went on to inform Google’s
key brand messaging. There is more to this
story than meets the eye. The functionality
relevant lens to marketers and their brands.
of Google’s speed can, of course, be
Every day, all over the world, people complemented by human intelligence The role qualitative research plays is attributed to its uncluttered page and its
invaluable. It is perhaps the only data algorithm delivering more relevant search
generate a tremendous amount of digital to hypothesise, to apply context of the
source that allows a true 360-degree view results. However, the fact that qualitative
data – when they’re googling to find a brand or category we’re dealing with,
of people’s real life. It allows marketers to research revealed not only that ‘fast’ was
product to purchase or an answer to to prioritise the business opportunities,
immerse themselves more deeply in their salient in the minds of users, but also
a question, when they post on social and to incorporate this into data-driven
customers’ worlds unpacking the meaning why ‘fast’ was salient, enabled Google
media, or when they leave a review of a strategies.
of culture, social life, and context. to shape the way they developed and
product they’ve bought. communicated this Meaningful Difference.
At Kantar we think of this as ‘whole
When done successfully, this provides
person’ thinking which complements
This data is incredibly valuable – it’s real- brands with robust, data-driven decision Coming from Google, synonymous with big
insights from ‘big data’.
time, it’s unprompted – and importantly, making. Combining digital insights with data and the second most valuable brand in
it’s consumer-generated. We can get other primary research methods, like world (Kantar BrandZ Most Valuable Global
At the Cannes Lions 2023, an example
both boundless scale, as well as granular qualitative insights, can provide an even Brands 2024), should make us all pause for
shared was when Google found itself
detail, with near population level more holistic view, bringing things to thought as to the opportunities that exist
struggling to communicate what
numbers of consumers creating billions life and truly helping brands understand with great application of qualitative insight.
its browser did and why consumers
of data points over the years. Analysing ‘why’ consumers are acting and doing
should use it over rivals (at the time Rhys James,
this data over time allows us to discover the things they do. Senior Client Director, Qualitative
Internet Explorer and Netscape).
trends and understand the changing
needs, interests, concerns, and sentiment
of people across the world. In this way,
digital analytics enables us to help
Winnie Cheng,
Senior Commercial Strategy Director,
“Qual is maybe even more important today
brands uncover human truths rather than Digital Analytics than it was before.”
make assumptions.
Lauren McDermott, ONCA DERVISOGLU, GOOGLE VICE-PRESIDENT OF
Y
AI and Machine Learning provide us Principal Consultant, MARKETING FOR EMEA AT THE CANNES LIONS 2023
with the ability to do this at scale, Digital Analytics
Click here to read the full article.
BRAND STRATEGY UNPACKED CASE STUDY
Uncovering human truths

in the meat free category
Unpacking Meat Free values or good intentions. Trend Progressive Good Meat
Disengaged
Audiences However, one shopper group Driven Values Intentions Mainstay
We segmented the meat might not have been expected
free shoppers to understand – the Meat Mainstay group.
WHO brands can target in this These people crave ‘real meat’
category and how they might be experiences yet they were the
able to resonate with different 2nd biggest shopper group we 26% 17% 16% 19% 21%
audience groups. Many of these identified. They are important
groups were expected e.g, and might have been assumed Brands and keeping up Making choices These busy consumers Lack knowledge Sceptical as to whether
with the latest trends based on their moral are torn between and confidence in meat free products
those driven by their progressive not to exist!
are important to these compasses, supporting their own values and purchasing and cooking can deliver on their
typically younger brands doing good in supporting those meat free products expectations for both
consumers the world around them enjoyment and health
Unpacking consumer needs Health and convenience

We also segmented consumer emerged as much more
needs to determine WHAT important than the need
people want on the occasions for sustainable options. It
21% 16% 14% 14% 13% 12% 9%
in which they eat meat free. is so important to unpack
Over and above the core consumer needs like this to
Healthy Convenient Satisfying Meat-like Sustainable Pragmatic Familiar avoid assumptions driving
needs for taste and value that
Reassurance Easy to store, Fills me up, Authentic meat Socially A good solution: Tried and trusted are always present, we found strategy.
on ingredients easy to eat and enjoyable to experience. Like responsible. nutritious, favourites seven needs benefit bundles
and health easy to clean up eat, suitable meat in every Sustainably practical and reliable and
benefits but still afterwards for a range of possible way, sourced, with full enjoyable beneficial
that illustrate what people
convenient and occasions premium quality disclosure on the want from the meat free
appealing and versatile packaging yet category.
still an appealing
meal alternative
Uncovering human truths in the meat free category Uncover 15
Different audiences had Strong intersection

Different priority choice
driver / needs Trend Progressive Good Meat
Disengaged
Looking at the Different Driven Values Intentions Mainstay
priorities of the Different
audience groups provides
further insight into these
groups helping brands Healthy
determine where to focus.
Convenient
Satisfying
Meaty
Sustainable
Pragmatic
Familiar
Unpacking the priority +

Consumer needs 21% Healthy Bigger white
opportunities
larger and spaces
Mapping how well brands relatively well Consumer needs
and products are delivering to served not well served
these consumer needs vs. their market delivery
incidence enables prioritisation.
SIZE OF NEED
Convenient 16%
Satisfying
Consumer needs 14% 14% Smaller white

smaller and 13% Sustainable spaces
Meat-like
relatively well 12% Pragmatic Consumer needs
served smaller but
Familiar
larger gap in
9% market delivery
SIZE OF MARKET GAP

+
CASE STUDY
From digital analytics to consumer connection:

making organic search work harder for Philips
In 2017, Philips spotted an

opportunity to explore whether
Search data provides valuable insights
into users’ authentic and immediate
“We saw big opportunities to interrupt journeys
they could make organic search needs, addressing personal insecurities, much earlier on, in the upper funnel, engaging
work harder for their growing DTC
business.
health concerns, and other topics
people may be uncomfortable with our potential customers before they’d even
discussing openly. considered the need for a product.”
They partnered with Kantar’s Digital
Content team to explore how to This data is unbiased compared to
SERGEY LESNIKOV, PHILIPS
connect with consumers through traditional survey methods and helps
increased visibility in organic search. identify popular topics, sentiment,
By utilising search engine data and and user concerns at scale and across
understanding key target audiences, markets. This data was used to uncover
Philips successfully implemented a Philip’s audiences, their needs and
content strategy that would have cost concerns, and then to prioritise the
37 times more through paid media. different business opportunities.
Consumers are constantly looking for

inspiration and help online, leaving
a trail of digital data behind them as
they do so. Analysing digital search To engage and meet the needs of bottle feeding. As a result, Philips’
data to tap into the needs and interests their audience, Philips and Kantar websites have attracted over 13
that consumers express online, helps built a content strategy based on million users seeking inspiration
create content that puts consumers’ these insights. We conducted a and advice since the programme’s
needs first. It can also enhance your successful pilot on the Philips US inception.
understanding of consumers’ online website, resulting in a 900% increase
purchase journeys, helping to inform
in traffic from organic search. This Digital data can provide a stable
your communication strategy for each
strategy was then expanded to 31 foundation for your creative strategy,
stage – upper, mid and low funnel.
Moustache styles: countries, with the production of ensuring the creative can be efficient
What are your over 1,400 articles covering various and relevant, and ultimately deliver
This can enable you to reach online
consumers before others do – before options? topics such as moustaches and conversion and ROI.
they even consider buying a product.
Deep market understanding aids Brand Strategy and Innovation
Haleon had historically categorized consumers behaviorally, as smokers, smoking-quitters We homed in on who to target today, with what existing portfolio offerings and what type of
or smoking-reducers. Marketing and communication strategies needed insight into the messaging; and we aligned on what to prioritise in the future, where to focus R&D and new
struggles, motivations and aspirations of people who aspire to reduce their smoking to product development outside of the existing portfolio.
resonate in a more Meaningful way.
To aid this process, further qualitative understanding made the target persona segments real
To gather this insight required foundational understanding of the market. First qualitatively and identifiable for the Haleon team and a socialization-activation workshop initiated these
uncovering language, rich emotive territories and developing hypotheses, then segmenting strategic and tactical outcomes and actions.
the market according to three integrated constructs.
From this rich, human-centric foundation we worked with Haleon to develop a multi-faceted Dee McGrath
growth roadmap for today and for the future. Partner, Brand Solutions, Kantar US
1 “Great partnership with very

Smoker personas - WHO:
Discreet groups of smokers actionable consumer & needs
with their own triggers, habits,
motivations, struggles
segmentation to guide targeting
and innovation strategy.”
2
CHRISTOPHER FARLEY, DIRECTOR US CI, HALEON
Smokers’ needs - WHY:

Different smokers at
Different times have differing
“Not only did the work inform
requirements for cessation aids innovation strategy, it aided us in
creating a new comms strategy
3 that drove growth in a declining
Brand perceptions - WHAT: category!”
Smokers’ opinions about
cessation aids COLLEEN BAHR, CI LEAD-SMOKERS HEALTH,
HALEON
EMBRACING UNCERTAINTY TO Uncover 18
FUTURE-PROOF YOUR BRAND

The world is changing in Here are four future-proof mindsets to help your brand thrive in uncertainty:
unprecedented ways, affecting how
“It means acknowledging
1
we live, work, and connect. Brands
today grapple with a multitude of
Move Beyond Past Predictions: that widely Different
uncertainties—from technological outcomes are possible. It’s
The past is no longer a reliable predictor
disruptions to shifts in consumer Firms focused on the long-term exhibit stronger teaching agility in
of the future. Brands must stop relying fundamentals and performance
behaviour. Questions such as “How how [they] operate.”
solely on historical data and instead AVERAGE COMPANY REVENUE (In US$ billions per year, indexed to 2001)
will AI impact our industry?” or “What prepare for various potential futures to
$10.0
Long-term ANNE-SYLVAINE
will the regulatory landscape look like ensure long-term success. FINANCIAL CRISIS +47% CHASSANY
in five years?” are top of mind. $7.5
FINANCIAL TIMES, 2023
All others
$5.0
Strategic foresight addresses these
$2.5
concerns by providing a framework to Adopting futures thinking is not just
0
explore and prepare for various future a tool but a strategic imperative. It
2001 ‘02 ‘03 ‘04 ‘05 ‘06 ‘07 ‘08 ‘09 ‘10 ‘11 ‘12 ‘13 ‘14
scenarios and outcomes. This can HBR, 2017 helps brands to prioritise where to
go and identify opportunities and
2
help reduce the fear of the unknown,
Embrace Uncertainty: threats in a structured way.
develop future-fit strategies and drive
innovation, ensuring that your brand
can maintain its relevance no matter
Accepting and preparing for uncertainty “To deal with the future we have to deal with Embracing this proactive approach
is crucial. Scenario thinking allows brands possibilities. Analysis will only tell us ‘What is’.” can help brands uncover new
what change lies ahead.
to explore multiple paths into the future, growth avenues, build resilience
EDWARD DE BONO against unforeseen disruptions, and
To win in the world of tomorrow, it challenging assumptions and identifying key
PARALLEL THINKING, 2016 ensures that brands not only survive
is imperative that brands embrace uncertainties that will shape the landscape.
but thrive in an uncertain future.
uncertainty and adopting scenario
3 4
thinking, moving beyond short- To find out more, click here
Make the Future Tangible: Prepare for Multiple Futures:
term trend analysis to preparing for
multiple potential outcomes. Whilst Scenario planning should combine creativity Instead of waiting for a single predicted future, Santiago Rente, Senior Consultant,
near-term trends offer valuable with data-driven insights to create realistic and brands should prepare for a range of possibilities. Kantar Consulting, UK
insights, they often fall short in actionable future scenarios. This approach helps This reduces vulnerability to surprises and enhances Meredith Smith, Director, Kantar
forecasting longer term outcomes - teams visualise and plan for potential outcomes, the ability to develop robust, flexible strategies. Consulting, UK
which are becoming harder to predict making the abstract concept of the future more
in a world of increased disruption concrete and actionable.
where change is the only constant.
2
19
Prioritise where to Brand Strategy is about making choices.
Deciding which route to take to achieve
competitive advantage is key. There is no
focus and how to need to get tangled up in these choices.

We explore routes to finding growth and
achieve Meaningful
creating Difference. We discuss how to pull
Prioritise
choices apart, separating the art of targeting
and deciding where to focus from decisions
Difference on how to win through brand positioning

and purpose.
Key takeaways:
1 Separate
decisions on
targeting from
2 Ensure you
know how to
maximise your
3 Design for
Difference,
through leadership,
decisions on portfolio reach functional Difference,
positioning and synergy distinctive assets
and by unlocking the
power of emotive
clarity
BRAND STRATEGY UNPACKED Prioritise 20
BRAND STRATEGY IS ABOUT

MAKING CHOICES
There is always a need to Kantar’s work in this area Your positioning
be choiceful about which shows how brands increasingly should be unique,
opportunities to go after. need to challenge their consistent, “The essence of strategy is
choosing what not to do.”
This is about deciding where category confines and Find
recognisable, and
to focus. Choosing the New Spaces to compete in.
opportunities that represent
able to Predispose
the greatest potential for They need to think about More People to ICHAEL E. PORTER,
M
your brand. Choosing what growth at a business or your brand. COMPETITIVE STRATEGY
to do; and what not to do. portfolio level to maximise
portfolio reach and synergy. Here Kantar’s brand equity
Armed with a robust They should also prioritise work shows the power of
landscape map, the next steps opportunities based on designing for Difference
should be about plotting a commercial attractiveness through leadership, functional
desired destination. Choosing with an eye to future growth. Difference, distinctive
where to focus should be assets, and emotive clarity.
distinct from your decisions You will need to revisit Often brands opt to drive
around brand positioning or decisions about where to Meaningful Difference
what your brand stands for. focus effort and investment through purpose too.
every few years to ensure Whatever the route, brand
Targeting is about deciding your brand stays relevant positioning decisions should
on your focus. There may and leads the way. be for the long term, building
be decisions about who to Meaningful Difference
target or where to play – which Well considered brand consistently over time.
needs or pockets of demand positioning also unlocks
is your brand fulfilling? opportunities. Lindsay Gorton-Lee,
Brand Strategy Consultant
Design brand strategy to suit

portfolio challenges. Each
LEVERAGE YOUR
brand in the portfolio will have
Uncover the total demand
its own unique opportunity,
landscape. Redefine the
depending on brand size and
FULL PORTFOLIO TO
business that you think you You won’t have infinite
brand equity. Some brands
are in to reflect your full might first need to build their resources. Prioritise
competitive context. Don’t
EXTEND CATEGORY
Meaningful Difference. Others opportunities based on
kid yourself people want what may need to Predispose commercial attractiveness
the category offers. Often More People to increase their and future growth.
CONFINES
the category is an enabler penetration. Those brands
for something else. Perfume with a strong brand equity
isn’t so you smell nice, it’s so foundation and with high
MEANINGFULLY
you feel good. Airlines aren’t Brand growth isn’t a task to
penetration in a category are
luxury experiences, they’re a be taken in isolation. It requires
best poised to Find New Space.
means to an end (although Kantar’s Blueprint for Brand collaboration, prioritisation,
experience obviously matters.) Growth helps brands diagnose and commitment. Ensure that
This idea is at the heart of where they are and what their your brands fit people’s needs,
All brands want to grow, but lots To protect against this, brands Find New Space, a key growth next step might be. are easy to choose and hard
of them don’t. We regularly come need to be human-centric. accelerator. to substitute. Take an extended
across brands that are inhibiting This means keeping a finger on view of the opportunities and
their own performance. These the pulse of changing demand balance commercial portfolio
Extend portfolio reach, roles with brand Difference.
brands tend to have three factors and culture. Failure to put Unpack and size the defining unique roles. To Making focused decisions on
working against them: people at the centre of brand opportunities. Map how well reduce risk of cannibalisation, where to play frees up time
evolution and revolution means brands (and products) deliver make sure you don’t compete and resource to apply to how
1 They make it hard work a misrepresented view of what in this broader landscape. with yourself in an unhelpful to win.
for people by not creating demand really exists. A balance Sizing will help identify larger way. Define clear roles for your
Predisposition in the minds of of human-centricity with business or smaller potential white brands, both commercially and
people or not Being Present at the and commercial reality is required. space opportunities across in terms of their unique points
moment of decision. the portfolio, where consumer of Difference. Make them hard
Growth can be thought of at a needs are less well served. to substitute. Unavailability
2 They apply assumptions brand level, but there is often
should trigger a tiny wave
to their strategies that fail to also a business or portfolio level
of distress for people. This is
consider or fulfil people’s needs to consider. For a business’ total
not just about being good at Paul Cowper, Senior Partner,
portfolio to grow, each brand
what you do, it’s about having Kantar Consulting
3 They are easily replaceable, must have a clear focused role
that little magic or edge – or
failing to have a Meaningful within that portfolio to ensure
Meaningful Difference – that Jade McMillan-Hainey,
Difference that cuts through in they capitalise on the moments
lifts you above other brands Director of Commercial
the moment of choice and makes that matter. We have distilled
and vitally your category. Strategy, Kantar Consulting
them easy to be swapped. a few rules of thumb to do this
successfully:
DIFFERENCE MAKES THE DIFFERENCE
1
To analyse the contribution of This evidence exposes as
Difference is the No.
brand equity on share price false the assertion that
“Difference is in the DNA
1 brand factor on
growth, Oxford University’s Difference doesn’t exist
share outperformance
Saïd Business School built a between brands or matter
sophisticated model based
on financial results from 872
(Corporate Responsibility
was third)
much. Consumers do perceive of brands that grow.”
it, and it is the factor that
brands between 2006-2022 matters most in driving share
OM BOYD, MANAGING DIRECTOR UK INSIGHTS
D
across multiple categories, to price outperformance.
AND MARKETING EFFECTIVENESS PRACTICE, UK
understand the contribution
2
of Kantar BrandZ’s equity Dom Boyd, Managing
Difference
measures to share price Director UK Insights and Click here for Dom’s article.
accounts for
outperformance. Marketing Effectiveness
35% of brand impact
Practice
on outperformance,
The model including brand
salience was just 0.6%
equity variables had over
99% accuracy, a major
advance compared with
models using just financial
data.
This work showed three

3 The importance
of Difference is
increasing over time and
things:
salience is decreasing
The DNA of Difference:

distinctive assets are
INFUSING BRANDS WITH
not enough
Factor analysis on the levers of Difference
A SENSE OF DIFFERENCE
highlights how it’s created by the sum of
tangible and intangible factors which connect
to forge brand memories. Distinctive brand Difference might seem like In particular, BrandStructures simply being distinctive to
assets (colours, fonts, slogans, characters, etc.) a tall order for brands in our analysis identified four leading aid your physical availability.
certainly play a role, accounting for 30% of connected age, in which strategies: Instead, brand marketing must
Difference. But the vast majority – over 70% good ideas can spread (and build and consistently activate
of Difference – is made from other intangible spawn imitators) at warp Category Leadership: Setting the many ‘Differences’ that
factors including positioning, product experience, speed. But in fact, to be rated the trends and challenging the bring a brand to mind more
service design, advertising associations, range as Different, a brand doesn’t status quo easily. Harnessing the
relevance and responsibility. have to be absolutely unique in Distinctiveness: A highly inter-relatability of your
every way. distinctive look and feel and a brands intrinsic and extrinsic
Kantar BrandZ suite of assets to reinforce this characteristic to own a point of
What the data does show is Emotive clarity: Building Difference in the audiences’
that for growing businesses, clear and strong emotional minds.
Distinctive look and feel there does have to be connections with consumers
Logos, slogans, characters,
something in people’s memory Functional benefits: Superior Over the longer term, brands
colours, fonts etc.
separating this brand from qualities that can help to set must work to refresh and
that brand – and brands them apart from others reinforce those aspects of
that fail to articulate these Difference that support higher
70%
distinctions risk falling behind. Characteristics that contribute margins in their categories.
to a sense of Difference can That’s because Difference is, in
<30% Intangible perceptions
and sensory experience
Difference is important – but
how do brands build it?
be intrinsic: baked into the
design, formulation, and
addition to its other virtues, a
major driver of Pricing Power.
– Positioning Recently, an investigation intent of the brand. But they
– Product / Service by Kantar Analytics Practice can also be extrinsic, drawing Graham Staplehurst,
Experience
– Great Ads
looked at 11,000 brand cases on associations borrowed Director, Thought Leadership,
– Responsibility / CSR to uncover insights about from the outside world and Kantar BrandZ
– Relevant Range brand growth. And what consumers’ social context.
– Provenance
Kantar found was that there Ellie Thorpe, Director, Kantar
are many ways brands can Difference is one of the biggest BrandZ
drive Difference. challenges facing marketers
today. It’s about more than To read more, click here
Difference in action some real-world examples CASE STUDY
of the ways you can create Difference
Category leadership Distinctiveness “So I do worry

TikTok is the media and entertainment brand in
our global ranking that is best known for ‘shaking things
Louis Vuitton has some of the most distinctive assets in the
world, and successfully leverages these ‘brand icons’ across its sometimes that
although it’s
up’ and really leading the way with its creativity, superior many ranges and partnerships (and also within its emerging
algorithm, and association with ‘viral’ trends. forays into spaces like the metaverse).
marvellous to
TIKTOK $44,349M #44 LOUIS VUITTON $124,822M #8
Global strengths Luxury brands Average change in Brand Value put the customer
at the heart of
everything, [if you
Less distinctive More distinctive
Shaking Makes lives Leading Distinctive
things up better the way look & feel
121 114 111 119 -4% don’t also apply a
-10%
brand lens] it’s
really dangerous
from a
Functional benefits Emotive clarity
Doritos is particularly known for its superior flavour, standing Brands that clearly embody one or two distinct, emotionally- differentiation
out from other snacking brands in this regard. At the same
time, Doritos also has strong distinctive assets, like its triangle
driven personality types tend to do better than brands that
straddle too many personalities or don’t have much of a strong
point of view.”
shape – demonstrating that brands can simultaneously personality. Disney+, for example, has stood out by mirroring its
leverage multiple aspects to build their Difference. parent brand’s consistent personality archetypes. Thanks to its ARA BENNISON FORMER CHIEF
S
strong heritage, Disney is known as a ‘Joker’ or a ‘Free Spirit’ in PRODUCT AND MARKETING
every market covered by the Kantar BrandZ database. OFFICER, NATIONWIDE, IGNITE
GROWTH REPORT FROM THE
DORITOS $5,376M #19* DISNEY $46,970M #39 MARKETING SOCIETY
Food & Beverage brands Average change in Brand Value Emotional positioning
Joker Free Spirit/Joker

SINGAPORE AUSTRALIA
Weaker superior taste Stronger superior taste USA BELGIUM Click here to read the report and to learn
BRAZIL more about NeedScope, click here
0% FRANCE
ITALY
-5% JAPAN
MEXICO
NETHERLANDS
UK Source for the cases: Kantar BrandZ
Most Valuable Global Brands 2023
CASE STUDY Prioritise 25
Guinness, the world’s most distinctive beer
Guinness is a strong brand that has leveraged “Key to making Guinness

its distinctive assets to create consistent
connection across brand encounters to so distinctive is the
fantastic effect. 2023 Kantar BrandZ data quarter white and three
ranks Guinness as the world’s most distinctive
quarters black pint,
beer and the 5th most distinctive brand overall.
which is unmistakably
Guinness have achieved this by skilfully Guinness and our most
leveraging key brand assets consistently
across their advertising. In fact, their most
memorable key brand
memorable asset, the one-quarter white asset.”
and three-quarters black pint spurred
NEIL SHAH, HEAD OF GUINNESS
#LooksLikeGuinness, a micro trend that
IN THE UK
inspired their extraordinarily memorable
post-lockdown campaign.
Not getting bored with their distinctive assets

and employing them skilfully across time and “We make sure that
touchpoint in a way that connects with culture
will certainly have contributed to the strong key brand assets are
brand Difference and perceptions of justified showing up in a way
premium evident in Kantar BrandZ data.
that is relevant in
In 2023 it was awarded Marketing Week’s people’s lives’.”
Brand of the Year and was also named Britain’s
ANNA MACDONALD, GUINNESS
most popular pint on the on-trade.
MARKETING DIRECTOR, DIAGEO
To learn more about the Guinness brand journey, click here to watch Russell Parsons, Marketing
Week Editor in chief chat to Anna Macdonald, Guinness Marketing Director, Diageo at
Kantar Ignite
BRAND POSITIONING WITH EMOTION

No discussion about Brand The influential role of emotion Emotion and brand positioning Cohesion is key
Strategy would be complete There are many ways a brand Emotion gives brands a strong A powerful brand positioning
without a reference to Brand might capture a point of foundation upon which to build needs to inform execution across
Positioning. In turn, you can’t Difference, from disrupting a powerful brand positioning. the full marketing mix. In this
overlook the idea of Differentiation category norms and setting This emotion can then permeate way emotion needs to ‘ladder’
when thinking about Brand trends, to offering functional every part of the brand and its cohesively through the layers of
Positioning. qualities that set your brand apart touchpoints. brand image. Building on our
from others. But finding a point example, we see how Mövenpick
Most marketers will be familiar of Difference is often challenging. The strongest brands are delivers a cohesive set of core
with the basic brand positioning In many categories brands are single minded in their emotive emotive values, through to
principles, namely that it is about functionally similar. positioning. This provides a functional expressions. It makes
building a set of associations clear anchor for development of intuitive sense that a brand
in consumers’ minds to make activation and innovation. crafted with care, purity, and
them consider your brand more
In an age where passion builds on its heritage
favourably. Typically, in ways
products are so easy For example, take these two and delivers a range of intriguing
that set your brand apart from
to copy, emotion offers popular ice cream brands: flavours to appeal to the ice-
competitors and motivate
such a powerful brand Ben & Jerry’s and Mövenpick. cream connoisseur in all of us!
consumers to choose your brand
positioning route. This Functionally, both are premium
over competitors. Differentiation is
is about building clear ice-creams, but they differ The Difference payoff
key to this.
and strong emotional starkly in their positioning. The This type of cohesive brand
connections with emotion in their positioning positioning, delivered consistently
Traditionally, this was about
consumers through your plays a big role in creating this over time, yields emotive clarity.
‘owning’ a unique set of properties.
positioning – driving Difference. The fun and carefree The payoff for this is clear.
But in practice this proved difficult
Difference through irreverence of Ben & Jerry’s Kantar’s BrandZ research reveals
to achieve. Often, brands within a
emotive clarity. contrasts against the sleeker, that brands with strong emotive
category share much in common composed Mövenpick expression. clarity have 1.5x the pricing power.
from a consumer’s perspective. Appealing to emotive needs is Both brands deliver this emotion Useful for any brand, crucial for a
Differences tend to be subtle. A central to this, connecting with the across every touchpoint from premium brand.
more nuanced take on this looks type-1 fast brain decision drivers packaging, to webpage design, to
for relative strengths in Difference that neuroscience has proven to product formulation, to product Myles George,
rather than trying to own unique be so powerful in building strong descriptors, to range architecture Director, Product Development
attributes. brands. and retail experiences.
EMOTIVE BRAND POSITIONING IN ICE-CREAM Prioritise 27
Ben & Jerry’s and Mövenpick BR ANDS WITH STRONG EMOTIVE

are both premium ice-creams, CL ARIT Y ARE PERCEIVED A S FAR MORE
but they differ starkly in their DIFFERENT AND ARE MORE LIKELY TO
positioning. The emotion in their JUSTIF Y THEIR PRICE
positioning plays a big role in
creating this Difference. The fun
and carefree irreverence of Ben Difference Index
& Jerry’s contrasts against the
109
sleeker, composed Mövenpick 94
expression. Average
brand
No emotive Strong
strength
Mövenpick delivers purity, and passion builds

a cohesive set of core on its heritage and delivers
emotive values, through to a range of intriguing % of brands with ‘extra’ Pricing Power
functional expressions. It flavours to appeal to the
1.5X
makes intuitive sense that ice-cream connoisseur in
a brand crafted with care, all of us.
34%
Crafted with the Alpine Spirit Average

23%
brand
No emotive Strong
Care, purity, passion strength
Swiss, alpine, premium,

ice-cream craft
Source: Kantar BrandZ database 2020 – 2023 (13,403 Brands asked
Brand Personality Powered by NeedScope)
Source: Kantar BrandZ database 2020 – 2023 (2,114 Brands with a
Secret ingredient, intriguing flavours strong emotive position)
THE BUSINESS CASE FOR Prioritise 28
BRAND ARCHETYPES
(that the C-Suite doesn’t need to know about)
If you are a casual scroller of LinkedIn, or Furthermore, your brand archetype won’t And for those breathing a sigh of relief that So, while your C-Suite may not need to
a regular glancer of the marketing press, matter one iota if you don’t get things someone is speaking out in favour of brand know what a Brand Archetype even is, don’t
it’s possible that you have noticed that the right with product, CX, distribution, pricing, archetypes, you should also know that be shy about leaving them in your kitbag
effective investment in paid/owned/earned the evidence is on your side. BrandZ has when the time comes to transform that
once revered “Brand Archetype” has been
touchpoints, etc. It’s when Archetypes are shown that brands with clearer associations internal brand strategy document into a
the subject of a healthy dose of mirth and
compelling in-market execution.
presented as the complete answer to “what is to archetypal attributes (something we
abuse. Much of it justified.
your brand strategy?” that they get a bad rap. call “emotive clarity”) over-index on
Ryan France
“Difference” – a key brand equity pillar that
To summarise the main concern: Head of Brand Strategy, Australia
HOWEVER. Despite the abuse, Archetypes reduces price sensitivity and underpins a
have their defenders. Because many of us brand’s potential for future growth. To read more, click here
- How can a marketing manager,
have seen firsthand the unlock they have
in a serious commercial
provided for brands that have gotten stuck,
enterprise, expect to be taken
or the way they have elevated a boring
seriously by the C-suite when
“me too” functional proposition into a
s /he tells them that “our brand
more compelling and distinctive emotive
strategy for our mayonnaise is to
proposition.
be the Jester”?
- Archetypes are little more than

You see, while archetypes
the horoscopes of marketing are not the language of
and absolutely not the stuff of a the boardroom, they
serious business discipline. often are a language that
is intuitive to creative
This is a fair response to some of the misuse
of Archetypes over decades, and so my
minds.
first piece of advice is this: don’t ever tell Used well, in the right place at the right
the C-suite which archetype your brand time, they can be a fantastic catalyst for
is supposed to be! ‘Jester’ means nothing divergent or creative thinking, helping
to them – you may as well be speaking in to define a creative brief with far greater
Swahili. precision and potential.
Great brands are built on great stories
Humans make sense of the world around them through stories. This helped define the potential emotive territory upon which
They are the lens through which we understand ourselves the Eurovision Song Contest brand could be built moving
and the other people we encounter. So, it is no surprise that forward.
brand marketers often turn to storytelling to help their brand
resonate more deeply with consumers. And this is exactly what
The target positioning space was brought to life tonally by two
the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) team did when they
archetypes: the Connector and the Artist – helping Eurovision
invited Kantar to help shape the Eurovision Song Contest brand
leverage the best of the story narratives they had uncovered.
of tomorrow.
Great stories have their home in a book. “Not only did Kantar
In the world of entertainment, telling a good story is a natural
thing to do. In this case storytelling also formed the first part The Artistic-Connector archetype gave the Eurovision team a
understand our vision
of the process Kantar used to develop a brand book for the powerful symbolic tool to guide the narrative development and but they helped
elevate the Eurovision
Eurovision Song Contest. The initial survey approach used a the tonality guidance to support it in their brand book. This
conversational tone, encouraging people to explain to a close
helped guide and inspire stakeholders, agency partners and the
friend what the Eurovision Song contest meant to them. People
spoke from the heart, sharing many rich stories of memorable
teams working on the Eurovision Song Contest. Song Contest brand.
experiences and magic moments they have had whilst watching
the Eurovision Song Contest. They were also asked to imagine
Marise Pronk I couldn’t have
Brand Expert Kantar Netherlands
how the event could make the world a better place in future. asked for a better
Now it would not be possible for Eurovision to tell all these collaboration. The
stories through their brand. So, to make these stories useful
Kantar used Generative AI (Artificial Intelligence) tools to draw
archetype was
out the most powerful themes the brand could focus on to
build its positioning.
incredible and gave
us goosebumps!”
These themes gave the team an authentic and powerful start
point from which to build a future brand position.
To help make sense of these themes the Kantar team then used LINA MOUSSAOUI
their NeedScope positioning framework, to plot the themes BRAND MANAGER
according to the emotion each delivered – in this case skewing - EUROVISION SONG CONTEST
toward the warm, affiliative, and lively, extroverted spaces.
BRAND PURPOSE IS A STRATEGIC

CHOICE, NOT AN IMPERATIVE
Whereas Positioning looks to define world or people. For some brands, has driven Meaningful Difference Advocate brands commit more
a brand’s Differentiated emotional the best strategic ambition will through its single-mindedness and strongly to DEI or sustainability
set of associations, Purpose is be to do a brilliant job of serving devotion to a purpose that whilst and push conversations and action
about what a brand promises to consumers through product and not bettering society, does offer to promote equity and/or climate
the people it serves. The latter has service alone. consumers a real, tangible benefit. action.
been the subject of much debate in But this isn’t to say Tabasco isn’t
recent years. Should brands pursue doing good too, there is a strong Activist brands put social issues
a higher purpose, will it ensure sustainability mission baked into its at the heart of their brand Activism
brand growth?   strategy – it’s just not central to its is their business model. They lead
purpose. difficult and polarising conversations
Kantar BrandZ data shows a strong and take the consequences that
correlation between Brand Purpose When it does make sense for a come with them.  
and Brand Power. Having a purpose brand to lean into a Public Issue
builds Meaningful Difference in (social or environmental) with Not all brands can be
the minds of consumers which can purpose, then that brand needs to activists, in fact most
ultimately lead to them choosing consider its appetite for bravery. cannot. Choosing to
your brand over another. How brave is it prepared to be to be an Ally, Advocate or
fight for the cause? What risks is it Activist will be dependent
But having a higher purpose for Let’s take Tabasco: the brand comfortable taking? on many things: equity;
people or planet is not going to has had a single-minded mission consumer expectations
be relevant for all brands. Key since the day it was founded on Kantar’s approach to brand bravery and importantly, a brand’s
questions to ask are whether Avery Island, Louisiana in 1868. That explores purpose through this lens: appetite for risk.
your brand can credibly and purpose was to enhance and liven
authentically play in this space? up the flavour of food. The brand Ally brands are inclusive and Brand Purpose is a strategic choice
Does it matter to people in your stays true to this golden thread environmentally conscious in – whether you commit or not, and if
category? Will it drive Difference – it has defined its innovation, their behaviours, but don’t you do, how deeply you commit.  
vs competitors? Perhaps the most communication, and activations. necessarily tackle world problems
important point to land is that Has Tabasco suffered from a lack head on. Alex Dewdney,
Purpose doesn’t have to better the of capital P ‘Purpose’? No. Tabasco Kantar Consulting
SUSTAINABILITY CREATES VALUE Prioritise 31
FOR BRANDS AND THE PLANET

CASE STUDY
Brands are leaving enormous value on the table Tony’s Chocolonely is perceived to
by not prioritising sustainability be leading on sustainability in the
Many businesses have ESG strategies at the corporate level
chocolate market by consumers.
disconnected with brands, and therefore no visibility of POTENTIAL SUSTAINABILITY Tony’s Chocolonely has unlocked value from these perceptions for
sustainability actions to consumers. Consumers miss out on
CONTRIBUTION TO VALUE the brand and their consumers with an excellent product. They are
knowledge many want, and brands don’t benefit from the
value creation sustainable transformation can bring. FOR GLOBAL TOP 100 additionally creating value for people across their whole supply
BRANDS chain based on genuine commitment to slavery free chocolate.
By measuring elements of E, S & G in BrandZ consistently for
10 years we have seen how sustainability perceptions can SUSTAINABILITY DEMAND
$600B
build Predisposition for a brand, driving volume and ability to
command a premium.
CONTRIBUTION POWER 185
TO BRAND VALUE INDEX Corporate
Sustainability sits alongside many other levers to build value. Most responsibility
important of these are the fundamentals of a brand’s category.
161
6% 156
Sustainability cannot come with a compromise for a consumer,
Brand Purpose
and therefore needs to be executed in addition to the brand’s
fundamental category needs. To unlock this value brands must:
1 2 3 Leading sustainability, responsibility and purpose perceptions

underpin strong brand Difference and a leading ability to Predispose
Take real Make it part of the Make it authentic
more consumers to the brand.
sustainability of the category and credible for that
actions fundamentals brand - part of being
Meaningfully Different
Mark Fisher
Powered by
Partner, Client Services
“We drive positive societal impact and brand growth

via our work on the UN Sustainable Development Goals”
ELAINE RODRIGO
CHIEF INSIGHTS & ANALYTICS OFFICER, RECKITT
- Speaking at Kantar’s Making Sustainability Real Conference February 2024
3
32
Build Meaningful
Difference through
every brand touchpoint,
consistently
Brand Strategy is about embracing change with imagination and
refreshed consistency. With a clear destination in mind, navigating
a constantly evolving terrain requires a reliable compass to guide
and course correct. Consistency is key to cementing your Difference
in the minds of consumers. To stay consistent means mastering the
art of evolving yet remaining the same. Delivering your Difference
Meaningfully, across all touchpoints and innovations in a way that
elevates brand value. To check progress against your goals you also
need a measurement system that inspires.
Key takeaways:
1 Consistency
is key to
building strong
2 Balance
reinvention
with reinforcement,
3 The right brand
performance
measures should
brand Difference using brand demonstrate
positioning to impact and
maintain direction catalyse evolution
“ People
BRAND build
STRATEGY UNPACKED Build 33
brands the way
birds build nests,
from the straws
and scraps they THE FINE ART OF REINFORCING
chance upon.
The art of strategy
WHILE REFRESHING
is making sure that Kantar evidence shows that consistency between being human centric enough to It requires discipline, it’s so easy to get
what people is key to establishing Difference. The
stronger your consistency, the stronger your
ensure your brand remains relevant and bored with direction, tempted by shiny
being brand centric enough to ensure new strategies or distracted by the need to
chance upon are Difference. This happens because brands are that you are reinforcing brand memories evolve.
built in our memories, in small increments. congruently.
the right Little connections accrued across a lifetime It also needs crystal clear alignment on what
of experience and exposure to many Be clear on the difference you need to you need to keep consistent so that brand
kind of straws.” touchpoints. keep consistent and agency teams across the world can
translate it into culturally relevant activation.
JEREMY BULLMORE If a brand is showing up in a consistent, To do this, brands need to be clear on their
congruent way, each encounter reinforces positioning and point of Difference so that Taking this approach ensures that even while
the next and your virtual bird’s nest in the it can guide decision making. This means you’re changing, you build on and maintain
brain becomes stronger and stronger. understanding what a brand brings to the shared and enduring associations your
the world, what sets it apart and how it brand owns.
Keep a finger on the pulse of change. resonates at an emotive level, as well as a
functional level. We call this brand centricity. We’re increasingly seeing that brands who
Given brand and category context is can execute in a way that is Different to
continually changing, category boundaries Reinforce brand memories congruently the competition, authentic to themselves
are blurring, and competitive frames are across time and touchpoint. but consistent across time and across
shifting. To maintain momentum, enrich touchpoints are more Different. The following
relevance and find growth, brands must This requires congruence of the scraps and case studies show how this can be done.
constantly seek ways to evolve in time with straws of activation: from messaging, to
changing demand and culture. We call this emotion and tonal delivery, to innovation, Lindsay Gorton-Lee is Brand Strategy
human centricity. to experience. Consultant, Kantar Insights UK
But how do brands balance the change

vs. consistency conundrum? “Do what others aren’t doing and keep
The imperative is to master the art of
evolving yet staying the same. To do this,
doing it consistently.”
you need to strike the balance between
JONATHAN MCCARTHY, (FORMER) GLOBAL HEAD OF BRAND, CADBURY,
reinvention and reinforcement. The balance
AT CANNES 2023
Building Brands Consistently To start building on this positioning, the team designed new activation. Everything from new communications to
experience ideas were designed to deliver more strongly to the Vibrant positioning, this included logo variations, new
pizza pack designs and even a potential rap music anthem. To ensure all assets were consistent with and optimised
against the Domino’s tone of voice, new activation was tested using both Kantar’s NeedScope AI and LINK tools.
Brand strategy is only made real for consumers through execution.
This puts a brand’s touchpoints firmly in the spotlight. It is in these
moments where the experience should be Meaningful and aligned
with the brand’s strategic positioning goals. This is the essence of the
‘build’ stage in brand strategy. The key challenge here is consistency.
Is the experience we are building consistent across touchpoints? Do
experiences evoke a consistent emotive experience?
Consistency of this nature is hard to achieve when dealing with

diverse stakeholders and multiple creative agencies, all responsible
for Different touchpoints. This was the challenge for Domino’s India.
The brand was facing significant brand equity headwinds – its brand
power was dropping, it was losing relevance with younger consumers
and facing competitive pressures from other Quick Service
restaurants and delivery aggregators. The AI outputs were even used to resolve internal hesitation around using the rap anthem. With this consumer
validation, Domino’s now had the confidence to move forward, taking these ideas into execution.
A strategic workshop confirmed the Domino’s positioning opportunity
as ‘Vibrant’ pizza brand – defined by a lively, light-hearted, and fun
feeling, youthful/trendy values, backed up with a wide variety of Shailley Firdous
new and exciting menu options. In terms of the NeedScope brand Associate Vice President
positioning map, these values aligned with the Yellow space. Client Services
“I want to call out the brilliant and enriching workshops

Lively, Fun Unstoppable
Happy Energised Kantar delivered for the Dominos Marketing team. The
Relaxed Self-assured
findings not only gave clear direction as to where we
Part of things In-charge
should reposition our brand, but also gave so much
Content Under control inspiration on how we can do it.”
At ease Discerning
APOORV SRIVASTAVA
GM – MARKETING, HEAD OF CONSUMER INSIGHTS
Refreshed consistency in action

Baileys designed for Difference align with what people might
while reinforcing their expect of Baileys? Indeed, they
quintessential Baileys-ness did! When mapped together,
Baileys extended their footprint there is clear evidence of the
into new occasions, new emotive clarity and consistency
consumers, and new moments across the campaign. Comparing BRAND MEMORIES
through their Treating strategy. it to consumers’ emotive REINFORCED
We used our whizzy NeedScope expectations of the brand
Ai decoder to assess whether (uncovered through our BrandZ
Baileys assets communicating Personality data), demonstrates
their new Treat positioning use that Baileys have successfully
similar codes to one another? reinforced brand memories while
And do these semiotic codes reinventing for growth.
McDonald’s evolved their product, comms and McDonald’s is a great practitioner

of artful reinvention while
This consistent connection across
time and touchpoints has meant
experience so that it feels it was always that way reinforcing.
They are always evolving their outlets,
McDonald’s Meaningful Difference
and value growth has benefited. They
menus, and routes to market to have moved from #9 in the BrandZ
NEW ROUTE NEW NEW NEW RENEWED SEASONAL
TO MARKET EXPERIENCES NEEDS APP EXCLUSIVE EXCITEMENT meet the changing needs of new Top100 in 2019 to #5 in 2023, jostling
generations. We now see a world against the powerful tech brands at
where flat whites, McPlant burgers the top.
and McDelivery all seamlessly blend
with the stalwarts BigMac and To watch Lindsay Gorton-Lee and
HappyMeal. Tom Lees chatting with Hannah
Pain and Fainareti Schortsaniti,
While McDonald’s evolution has been heads of McDonald’s UK Marketing
constant, in every reinvention they and Insights respectively; and
Between 2014 and 2024 have remained true to their core. This Tom Sussman, Deputy Chief
Well designed Shaking Gain importance in Better online and Leading the means that they always seem fresh Strategy Officer at Leo Burnett
products and services things up future mobile way and contemporary, while weirdly it UK, McDonald’s long-term agency
+30 +15 +23 +11 +10 seems that nothing has changed at all. partner, click here
BUILDING BRAND CONNECTION Build 36
THROUGH ARCHITECTURE
Defining a brand’s architecture can maximize the potential 2. Masterbrand and Sub-brand system: Masterbrand and
of the business, the brand and its component parts. sub-brands share DNA and both have a role in building
brand equity.
A great brand architecture can underpin the brand story
Sub-brands increase the brand’s reach by addressing the
and give it structure. It can also promote synergy by
needs of additional targets or categories. Sub-brands
clarifying the many connections between brands, sub-
borrow equity from the masterbrand and build on the
brands and products, guiding consumer purchases and
Masterbrand equity.
business decisions.
For example, Fructis is a
A successful brand architecture needs to be: sub-brand of the Garnier
- Simple and logical – easy to understand, to guide decisions masterbrand. Both Garnier
and Fructis contribute to the
- Flexible and future proof - to endure the test of time
brand narrative, they share
- Guide prioritization and the allocation of resources - to DNA but are not the same.
If you look at this collection of belongings, you can
drive growth and profitability
immediately paint a picture in your mind about who they
belong to and what they stand for. That’s exactly what 3. Endorser system: Endorsed brands don’t share identity with
brand architecture is all about: Positioning all the the Masterbrand, but the endorser brand plays a key role in
Broadly, there are three types of brand architecture transferring equity, acting as a stamp of quality or reassurance.
components of a brand in a very considered way, so they
system. In practice, however, multiple systems are often used
tell a very specific story about your brand. Each component
in combination by a single brand: For example,
tells its own story, but together they mean something more. KitKat is endorsed
1. Branded House system: Defined by a strong Masterbrand, by Nestle. Both
To find growth, brands must stretch and expand into new that has variants rather than sub-brands. Variants generally KitKat and Nestle
spaces. If not carefully planned, this can result in huge mimic the masterbrand, but differ by occasion or are brands in their
complexity for both the organizations they belong to and functionality, expanding its presence. own right and don’t
the consumers who encounter them. This is both a share identity.
marketing problem and a business problem. Lack of For example,
consistency and connection can dilute a brand’s Meaningful FedEx is a The term ‘House of brands’ typically defines a set of
Difference in the minds of consumers. Lack of focus can Masterbrand, with independent brands that make up a company’s brand
branches that portfolio. This is not a type of brand architecture. For example,
create a drain on business resources impacting efficiency
service Different Unilever and General Motors have huge portfolios offerings lots
and profitability.
business sectors. of Different brands.
BRAND STRATEGY UNPACKED Build 37
CASE STUDY
Selecting the right architecture is a complex process
Effective architecture can drive
brand growth A more unified range:
All strategies could be applied to almost any brand. Which you choose
will need to align with both resource and ambition. Fresh & Fruity Yoghurt were losing
re Vita
asu lity
market share.There was an hypothesis Ple
The route you chose will have implications for brand narrative and that sub-brands weren‘t supporting
positioning, touchpoint communication, targeting and product one another. Kantar’s NeedScope tool
development. To drive decision making, we recommend a four-stage confirmed that consumers saw sub-
brands as disconnected and unrelated.
approach anchored in art and evidence:
Discernment
Balance
- Unification required agreement to
1 Uncover business goals:
focus where the brand had greatest
equity.
Resource constraints, existing brand strategy and growth ambition. An
- Range rationalisation to avoid
endorser system will require more resource than a branded house system. cannibalization was complemented
with innovation to better meet
2 Uncover the brand’s start point: consumer needs. Co
mfo
rt
Com
pet
enc
e
- Packaging was redesigned to cue

What do people expect your brand, sub-brands and variants? What are
structure and guide decision making.
the relative associations, commonalitie and Differences between them?
How strong is your brand, sub-brands and variants? What are their
relative equities? Dr Irene Hubertz
Global Director Brand Strategy
3 Define roles and relationships: To learn more about NeedScope, click here
Springboard from possible brand architecture scenarios to develop

organizing principles and a common language to clarify roles, drive
efficiencies and leverage synergies.
4 Guide future activation:

Cascade and implement to achieve the intended change. Brand
Architecture is a crucial management task. Along with Brand positioning
and portfolio strategy architecture offers an important tool to drive brand
value. This enables customers to effectively navigate the brand and
enabling the business to build brand Meaningful Difference efficiently.
Renovation of a Market Leader
Lakme, a legacy Unilever beauty brand and market leader in Unilever took the bold decision to shift the Lakme positioning
India had begun to see declines. Share in premium makeup, unequivocally. Targeting the woman who was unafraid and
was declining quarterly. This was especially true among unapologetic to go after what she wanted, who refused to
younger consumers. The market had become fragmented apologize for her hedonistic quest for beauty and glamour.
and competition had grown significantly. The Indian woman To do this, the brand needed to shed attributes like charming
and popular, trading off likeability of the protagonist for
was evolving - she was more empowered, more individualistic
awe-striking admiration, her sweetness for empowered
- and the codes of beauty had changed.
sophistication, her friendliness for glamour.
Lakme needed a brand refresh to defend and grow its share The brand essence identified was ‘Unapologetically ME’ and
in this changing market. a new campaign was launched to embody the brand idea.
Kantar partnered with the Lakme team through the brand
Kantar insights revealed that Lakme was perceived as refresh, leveraging NeedScope to help create a sharp brand
alluring, graceful and trustworthy, reflecting the generic vision, with clear guardrails.
codes of traditional beauty. The user persona of the
The outcome has been rewarding. Lakme’s Salience grew as
charming gentle woman, popular and well-liked by all.
did sales and market share.
Absent were codes of boldness and sophistication, seduction
and dynamism, which represented the larger and growing Poonam Kumar
needs in the market. Head of Brand Strategy Domain
BEFORE AFTER FOR REFERENCE
LESS Coy charm MORE Defiant sass

Subtlety Drama
Traditional Trendsetting Old VS New
From Joy to Generosity:

Unlocking emotion to aid Cadbury’s revival
In 2016, Cadbury was a brand in Even more importantly, the ‘Joy’ There was still a long road ahead We partnered with Cadbury to stay Throughout we applied an
decline. Cadbury had lost its way positioning expression was at Having unlocked a new positioning, the course in a constantly shifting emotive lens to ensure that the
and its competitive edge. Cadbury odds with people’s expectations of it was important to steer the market, assessing compatibility brand continues to reinforce its
sought a strategic reset: A way to Cadbury which were of warmth, course. Kantar identified real of new opportunities, devising positioning.
win back hearts, minds and share approachability, and sincerity. The tensions from which creative organising principles for the wider
that was enduring (not a short- brand was becoming confusing and could springboard. Early and pre- portfolio, and finding authentic
term fix) and translatable across as a result, Meaningful Difference launch creative testing checked approaches to new territories.
cultures. was being eroded. ‘Joy’ was not a effectiveness.
viable route to Difference and long-
Kantar was engaged to bring term value.
deep human insight: to untangle The outcome: Cadbury has won back hearts, minds & share
options and underpin decision A new expression around The resultant impact is astonishing:
making, help find Meaning, Generosity
Difference, and inspire creative
process. We proposed an approach
rooted in emotive understanding.
Digging deeper, we uncovered
a rich, alternative, emotive
territory that aligned with people’s
+22% +27% +49%
Emotion transcends culture and expectations of Cadbury, the Commercial Regained Brand value
can endure even in the face of brand’s Quaker roots and what impact: overall competitive growth: Kantar
renovation and reinvention. It’s the Cadbury team loved about value sales +22% edge: Perceived BrandZ valuation
also a key ingredient in effective the brand. A tightly defined space (2017-2021) Meaningful of Cadbury
creative, a powerful lever to engage was agreed upon that ‘felt right’ Difference +29% UK +49%
consumers and inspire brand and provided an authentic and
(2018 - 2022). (2018 - 2022).
centric culture. Meaningful way to Differentiate.
The aha moment that changed Cadbury then worked with VCCP “Your collaboration has enabled us to consistently and
everything to create the IPA award winning,
Unpacking emotion led to Generous Instinct campaign. “Is it
authentically bring to life Cadbury’s Generosity.”
the discovery that Cadbury’s generous?” is a question Cadbury
MARIARITA MUGNAI, CADBURY’S GLOBAL CONSUMER INSIGHTS MANAGER
positioning cornerstone, ‘Joy’, was ask at every stage, from briefing,
a category fundamental. Instead of to development, to evaluation.
making them more famous, it was It is so simple and intuitive to To listen to Mariarita Mugnai and Clare To listen to Lynne Deason chat to Gemma
making them more generic. convey, avoiding misinterpretation, Hutchinson, Chief Strategy Officer at VCCP Flanigan from Mondelez International and
enabling consistency. London, chat to Lindsay Gorton-Lee, click here Gethin James from VCCP, click here
CONNECTED INNOVATION Build 40
Kantar BrandZ data shows us that Successful innovation starts with “Our purpose is at the heart of They looked inside and outside their ‘Playfulness’ is the
brands who are not only Meaningful what the brand stands for. everything for Oreo and innovation organisation for fuel to identify new
guiding force behind
and Different but also demonstrate Brands who successfully use is the way to bring that purpose ways to be Meaningful and Different.
innovative behaviours double their innovation to drive both short- alive”. everything that
chances of growth. Innovation gives and long-term growth use their They also took a learn, test learn Oreo does
brands the opportunity to drive Meaningful Difference as their Their work on flavour innovation, approach building confidence and
Meaningful Difference by creating north star. limited editions and new launch momentum along to way to enable
innovative products, experiences Cakesters made them a winner in them to take more risks (Kantar FLAVOUR INNOVATION
and services that meet needs better Those with clear brand strategies Kantar’s Outstanding Innovation Outstanding Innovation Awards,
than the competition in new ways. are likely to produce the best awards, 2023. 2024).
innovations. This also gives them
the red thread to activate with Having a strong brand strategy, Dr. Nicki Morley
better advertising and deliver better however, is not enough to ensure
Head of Behavioural Science and
more Meaningful brand experiences success. Our Outstanding Innovation Innovation Expertise, Kantar
(Connected Innovation, 2024). award winners also put the consumer
at the heart of everything they did. Click here to read the full guide.
McDonald’s and Baileys (as MEANINGFUL LIMITED
previously mentioned) are great EDITIONS
examples of brands that innovated
in a way that was right for their “Our purpose is at the heart
brand using innovation as a strong
lever of growth.
of everything for Oreo and
innovation is the way to bring
Another example of a brand doing
this well, is Oreo. Their brand
that purpose alive”
NEW SPACS BEYOND
strategy around playfulness is the EUGELIA ZALIS, THE CORE
However, not all innovation is right guiding force behind everything GLOBAL HEAD OF MARKETING
for all brands. Brands need to they do, including their innovation. AND BRAND FOR OREO
identify incremental innovations
that will drive category growth as Eugelia Zalis, Global Head of
well as deliver long term brand Marketing and Brand for Oreo,
equity benefits. told us,
EXTRAORDINARY EXPERIENCES Build 41
Experiences are extraordinarily The experiences need to be optimised The frontline drives the Brand leaders must work closely with This will lead to exceptional,
important for growth. Better to serve customers faster and bottom line the teams that design or deliver these Meaningfully Different, experiences
experiences mean customers are more effortlessly, leading to higher experiences. that mean customers will spend more
more likely to stay, buy again, and conversion, and lower service costs. Your owned channels and the
with you, buy across the range, and
tell everyone about it. And this drives This creates the most quantifiable experiences you create, are vital There must be a clear experience tell everyone about your brand. In this
market share growth. New Kantar short-term commercial returns. places to deliver on your Difference. vision and brand culture in the way, frontline staff drive the bottom
evidence shows that, over a two-year In addition, they must be Meaningful These interactions create the brand, business that steers all activities. As a line.
period, brands that improve their and contribute to the clear, consistent and they build memories for your result, colleagues must understand,
experience are 2.5x more likely to picture of the brand in the minds of customers, which influence buying live and breathe the brand, when
grow their market share than brands your customers, setting the brand decisions and willingness to creating experiences that impact Peter Aitken
that don’t improve. apart from the competition. This is pay more. customers every day. Head of Customer Strategy
how strong brands are built, driving
We often think of strong brands as growth by creating Meaningful
driven by great advertising, and paid Difference over the long term.
media. This is, of course, an important
THE FRONTLINE DRIVES THE BOTTOM LINE
part of it. But not the whole story. How do you activate the organisation?
Delivering on your Difference
Kantar research into the Brand clarity is vital to achieving

touchpoints that drive brand this. Customers need to understand
growth shows that 75% of who they are buying from, with their
Difference made clear and obvious,
brand Predisposition is CULTURE CUSTOMER COMMERCIALS
reinforced consistently at every
driven by touchpoints other possibility. A Kantar study found
than paid media that brands with strong emotive
– this includes the places consistency, where they feel tonally
you own and the places you earn. consistent at all points of interaction Leadership People Brand Business
score 13 points higher in brand success
For example, in financial services, 40% Difference.
of brand Predisposition comes from
your owned channels. This has some This Difference makes a big
surprising implications, for example, Difference, for retaining your existing
branded cash machines have more customers and bringing in new ones.
impact on brand perceptions than Kantar found that customers who
out-of-home advertising. considered their main bank to be a
little or a lot more ‘Different’ to the Clarity of vision, Creating Experiences Customers
Harder, better, faster, stronger alternatives were 2x more likely to be creating conditions the customer enhance the buy across the
completely uninterested in alternative for success experience brand and range, spend
Experience channels must work hard providers, and 68% more likely to through every build pride more, tell everyone
on several levels. recommend their bank to others. day actions in people about you
DIGITAL MEDIA NEEDS MORE Build 42
ATTENTION
Getting your audience’s attention requires Almost 60% of the impact on Difference WHAT’S HOLDING BACK DIGITAL MEDIA SUCCESS?
a balance of creative quality and media now comes from digital channels, with We observe three common barriers to fully engaging the power of digital:
effectiveness. Getting your media decisions longer standing social channels, Facebook
and YouTube, currently the strongest 1. Digital requires a digitally appropriate 3. Kantar analysis shows that digital
right is important. The digital revolution has
contributors to share of Difference impact. strategic approach. Too often digital advertising that evokes strong emotions
made selecting the optimal media mix more
So right now is the time to seize the moment strategy is disregarded. is four times more likely to generate
complex, but digital media offers marketers
with Facebook and YouTube, but things are impact and deliver long-term brand
the opportunity to harness a brand building 2. The digital environment means the equity, but digital tends to under-index in
constantly evolving, the likes of TikTok are
superpower - Difference. New Kantar insight consumer has more control of what they this arena. An emotional connection can
not far behind and other digital channels will
presented at IPA #Effworks shows offline want to see and how they want to see it be as easy as making the audience laugh
emerge tomorrow so it’s equally important
channels drive saliency, but digital does a – stress testing digital content becomes or leaving them feeling positive about
to keep a finger on the digital pulse.
stronger job of driving Difference. critical in any brand’s journey to your brand.
marketing effectiveness. Not enough
This alone should exponentially increase
Brands with stronger Difference are twice digital content is tested.
marketers’ confidence in justifying the shift
as likely to grow vs. those with a weaker in investments to fuel digital growth. While
Difference; and new research leveraging digital is a strong lever for driving Difference,
Kantar’s Global campaign measurement it has not yet reached its full potential in REALISING REWARDS IN DIGITAL
database shows us that digital media is now driving conversion (purchase intent), so The secret sauce to realizing rewards in digital is simple:
the driving force behind creating this brand using digital in synergy with offline channels
1. Tailor your content to the digital Campaigns are seven times more
Difference. remains important. channel. One of the biggest successes of effective amongst a receptive audience.
TikTok is its user experience. TikTok have To avoid that skip, content needs to be
revolutionised short-form video because they highly visible, demand engagement and
work with consumer brains not against it! evoke emotive reaction.
2. Attention is more than just the click. 3. Continue to compliment digital with
To avoid people just scrolling past, digital other channels. Offline channels remain
media needs to work hard to grab the cornerstone of building brand
attention. So, creating content that gets saliency. Using strengths of both offline
the audience to stop and engage in and online can be a powerful
is key. combination for media planning.
Marketers should invest in digitally appropriate strategy, customise content in a channel

Share of Share of Share of Share of Share of Share of appropriate way and leverage content that evokes emotion to effectively use digital as a
spend saliency Difference spend saliency Difference
impact impact impact impact
vehicle for brand building.
Source: Kantar UK Lift+ studies since 2020 Anusha Harri

Client Director, Media Insights, UK & Ireland
EFFECTIVE ADVERTISING Build 43
AMPLIFIES BRAND STRATEGY

Capturing the essence of your brand strategy in your creative brief in a way that’s unambiguous and inspiring is a fantastic springboard
to success; but a powerful strategy alone doesn’t guarantee that your advertising will be effective. Great advertising acts as an amplifier,
supercharging your strategy, its impact on brand value and future growth.
It’s not just what you say, but how you bring it to life that determines your success. Whilst there is no recipe to make an effective ad, the most
effective advertising campaigns unlock three things, leveraging the power of LINKED creativity:
1. LINK Meaningfully and memorably with the audience
Our brain pays attention to things that are that are Different, Tapping into the cultural pulse is a powerful way to link Meaningfully and
entertaining, personally relevant and make us feel something. The memorably with your audience. McDonald’s UK Christmas ad instantly
more we feel, the more deeply we process an experience, which in resonated with audiences by showing people escaping to McDonald’s
turn creates more enduring memories. from symbolic Christmas moments that they were not enjoying.
2. LINK natively with where the advertising will be experienced
Effective ads are enjoyable, entertaining, and/or personally relevant. Designing ads to work where they will be experienced increases the
They are not an unwelcome disruption or interruption to people’s ROI from your hard-earned media money. The Nike’s ‘She’s Ballin’
lives. Content must feel like it belongs in the context where it will ad on TikTok is a fantastic example of content that feels at one
be experienced. Ads that are integrated with the campaign and with the medium, maximising the opportunity for Meaningful and
tailored to context increase effectiveness by 57%. memorable engagement. Cultivate an effectiveness
culture in the way that you
3. LINK across encounters to drive brand Difference in a consistent, connected way bring your brand strategy
Effective ads embody the brand and are unashamedly branded They Cracking this requires evolving to stay fresh and relevant whilst
to life.
bring to life what makes the brand Meaningfully Different in a distinctive remaining distinctly recognisable. Drive profit, brand value and
and unambiguous way. Success comes when brands commit unwaveringly
Integrating distinctive brand assets is another component of linking future growth by linking
and single-mindedly to their strategy, bringing to life the distillation of
what the brand wants to be famous for, across all encounters. to your brand, but ads that truly magnify the brand go beyond this, Meaningfully with your audience,
making the brand central and inseparable from the creative, not connecting natively where you
Cadbury’s multi award-winning ‘Glass and a half’ campaign is an peripheral to it. If you can describe the ad without mentioning the show up and reinforcing the
effective and inspiring example of true discipline in committing to brand, alarm bells should ring.
both strategy and the brand’s creative platform across geography, essence of your brand in every
time, and connection points. Coca-Cola’s ‘Holidays are coming’ shows the power of reusing the encounter, consistently.
same ad on repeat (for more than 25 years!). The most effective
Familiarity with an idea people like heightens people’s emotional
Coca-Cola ads integrate distinctive brand assets, elicit the same
response and makes it easier to be more adventurous and creative Lynne Deason
emotive positioning, and put the brand at the centre of the story.
over time. Head of Creative Excellence
WHY BRANDS ARE LIKE PEOPLE Build 44
Ever since people started marking their animals with hot South African examples include Checkers, a Networker #5 BRANDS HAVE REPUTATIONS
irons to tell them apart, brands have been an integral part of with a special gift for bringing people together; Flying Fish
human life. Brands have moved from being purely functional and Chicken Licken, are seen as archetypal Jokers (no Just like people, brands are judged by their words and actions.
to creating emotional connections built on memories and explanation needed); and Dis-Chem, is an obvious Caregiver. Very few brands are lucky enough to have a leading purpose
experiences. baked into their DNA. Focusing on social and environmental
#3 BRANDS BUILD RELATIONSHIPS responsibility is all well and good, but a brand’s authenticity
In the process, they have become almost like real people to and values need to be reflected with integrity in messaging
us. Let’s take a closer look at the human-like qualities that Decades of talking about brand loyalty cemented the and actions in today’s transparent and hyper-critical world. So,
help brands connect. belief that the key goal of marketers is to get people to be say what you do, and then do what you say. Ultimately, in the
in an exclusive relationship with a brand. Kantar BrandZ words of Michael Iapoce: ‘Reputation is character, minus what
#1 BRANDS HAVE A LIFECYCLE you’ve been caught doing’.
challenges this, showing that less than 7% of consumers
consider only one brand in a category, compared to 53%
Most brands don’t enter the market screaming and red in
who choose from a repertoire of brands. Brand relationships
the face, but like new parenthood, introducing a new brand
are less like monogamous marriages and more like a circle
“Endeavour to keep your brand
can be a challenging and complex experience, as well as an
of friends. There are people we prefer and to whom we give Meaningful and Different to
exciting and rewarding one. This is then followed by a growth
stage, which seems to come more naturally to people than
more of our time and attention. As marketers, we need to more people by forging deep
brands. Kantar BrandZ found that only 7% of brands grow
figure out how to get consumers to choose us more often connections with a consistent
significantly over a three-year time frame. This is why brands over other brands. To do this, we need to weight the odds in
personality reflected authentically
our brand’s favour, by making them Meaningfully Different
need to worry about bad hair days and wrinkles and keep
and therefore easier to choose (and pay more for). in everything they say and do.”
reinventing themselves to stay relevant. Innovation, cultural
evolution and finding new spaces is a brand’s equivalent
STINA VAN ROOYEN
of keeping up with the latest trends and fashion. Just like #4 BRANDS COMMUNICATE
BRAND EXPERT, KANTAR SOUTH AFRICA
people, sometimes brands succeed, and sometimes they end
up looking like they’re trying way too hard. Communication is key to successful relationships. Sadly,
many brands see communication as transactional, talking at
#2 BRANDS HAVE PERSONALITY their customers and not taking the time to listen and assess
whether their content resonates, or even to understand what
Children come ready-made with their very own personalities – matters to people these days. This creates an audience – not
just add oxygen! But Kantar BrandZ data shows many brands an engaged community. It’s also important to remember
lack clarity in their emotional positioning. One in four brands that brands can communicate non-verbally too. Jeremy
has no consistent personality. Bullmore famously referred to brands’ body language.
Kantar defines this as the 75% of brand impact that falls
Brand personalities make brands instantly recognisable to outside paid media – the branded truck in traffic or the call-
those who encounter them. They give brand teams guardrails centre agent. Inconsistency in what you say and what people
on how to show up consistently across touchpoints, defining experience is the brand equivalent of a person saying all the
who you are and who you are not, both visually and verbally.
right things out loud but rolling their eyes at the same time.
Strong brands have charismatic personalities. Some great
NEW HABITS TO SUPERCHARGE

BRAND GROWTH
It’s been an unusually tumultuous consumer in both the experience norms will struggle. At the very least need to get to the heart of what confusing products will fail to win
few years for consumer-facing and end benefit. any product, innovation or brand deters people and what motivates them over. Life is much easier when
businesses. While it can feel chaotic execution must feel effortless to them to change. Helping customers we work with the grain of human
and disorienting at times, states Make it positive – Removing incorporate into their lives. plug this cognitive dissonance psychology, not against it.
of flux can challenge a brand’s barriers to purchase is one side gap between values and actions is
resilience. Brands can apply a of the coin. The other is giving While these three stages may crucial. People are juggling many Dr Nicki Morley, Head of
behavioural science lens to deliver people good reasons to buy. sound simple, the art of behavioural pressures, and businesses that Behavioural Science and Innovation
the loyalty and spend of their target Persuading shoppers that they’re change takes commitment. Brands add to this list with complicated or Expertise, Kantar
audiences in the long term, no making a positive change rather
matter the business climate. than a sacrifice is key. Moving the
Whether brands are innovating

conversation away completely from
any sense of compromise or cutting
“Those who stand out focus on understanding
new products, or growing existing
ones, there are three rules we like to
back is where the magic of your
marketing comes into play. The
what makes people tick and what
follow to help your brand be easy
to choose, easy to buy and difficult
important thing is to give people
something they actively want
helps the brand to be memorable.”
to leave: to adopt, not a battle to give up
JANE OSTLER, EVP, GLOBAL THOUGHT LEADERSHIP, KANTAR
something they love.
Make it stick – Consumers’ actions
Click here for Jane’s article.
and intentions don’t often match: Make it easy – Change must be
it’s something we call the value- straightforward. Consumers make
action gap and often happens split-second decisions about what
due to the frictions of adoption. to put in their baskets. If they can’t
Understanding the points of friction quickly identify what a product is
that might be holding people back for or how it would fit into their lives,
is essential. Any new product must it’s unlikely to be bought. Anything
design for successful behaviour that requires a lot of work on the
change by removing these frictions part of shoppers or makes them
and providing real benefits to the feel they are at odds with social
Driving growth by changing behaviours
Changing behaviours requires behavioural science Kantar BrandZ data shows that in Sweden, the
thinking. You need to identify the points of friction country where Klarna originated, the brand has
that might be holding people back. And remove \built strong Predisposition through Meaningful
them! Make it positive -give people something they Difference – it is now the #9 most valuable Swedish
actively want to make them compromise, give brand.
them something Meaningful – it should not be a
battle to give up something they want. And make it
People see Klarna as a brand that’s:
effortless to incorporate into their lives.
Klarna success appears to have been underpinned 137 ‘better online and on mobile’
by strategic behavioural change and clear positioning:
130 ‘has well designed products’ Kantar’s Finding the Future Financial Services Trends report shows that,
- They removed the points of friction: high interest
rates and rigorous credit checks. in the UK, long term interest in Klarna is building while interest in credit cards
125 ‘is likely to gain importance is declining.
- They made it positive, enabling buy-now-pay in the future’
later purchases without compromise - easier
access to credit, by evaluating each transaction
separately. 124 ‘has great advertising’ and
- And they made it easy by partnering with

e-commerce retailers at check-out , bringing the
123 ‘makes people’s lives better’
moment of choice much closer to the point of sale.
- In addition, Klarna have all the above in a To encourage adoption of innovation or behaviours,
Meaningfully Different way. Their “smoooth” brands need to remove barriers, design Meaningful
brand promise is all about the freedom and experiences and make it effortless for people to
permission to enjoy your money, brought to life incorporate into their lives.
through their signature millennial pink with
high-energy, trendy imagery cuing youthful
playfulness and free-spirited enjoyment.
MEASUREMENT THAT INSPIRES

Long gone are the days where
tracking was purely a reflective
those brand equity measures
can be linked to your financial
Consistency through the chaos
We said goodbye to stability some
“However you decide to
task, looking back on what has
happened, today your brand
performance. Giving marketers the
credibility and right to talk growth
time ago and we now live in an
age where change is abundant
approach the change vs.
tracking should inspire your next
evolution.
beyond the marketing department.
Proving the value of their brand
and frequent. If a brand were to
shift tactics every time a new trend
consistency conundrum,
Your tracking is a valuable part
in being the fuel for shareholder
returns.
or disruption entered the world,
brands would become the tinder
simply don’t stay static.
of your diagnosis and market
understanding toolkit. Used
that fuels the fire. By organising Evolve with the times,
Uncovering the inarguable truths your brand around the consistency
alongside strategic thinking to truly
understand your brand, as well as
With the right mix of tracking that measurement and tracking maintain your relevance,
metrics and KPIs you create deliver, you can build tactics built
your competition and what really
matters to your target audiences.
situations that cannot be ignored from strategic insight rather than whilst keeping a vigilant
and reasons to make the right reactive impulse.
When used correctly, your tracking
can have major benefits to your
decisions. By analysing brand data eye on how you are doing
alongside other metrics, such as Tracking therefore gives you
business as discussed below. market factors, NPS or awareness the reasons to change, but also against your ambition”
Insights to influence scores, you can start to see where the reasons to stay the same.
Understanding your brand’s the opportunities lie for greater Shining the light on where your MARY KYRIAKIDI, GLOBAL THOUGHT LEADER
Meaningful, Different and Salient investment. strategy is working and how to
scores as part of your diagnosis is improve it over time. Driving
key but by continuing this analysis These insights give power to greater understanding of how
over time creates a consistent influence where you don’t have to leverage your Demand Power
picture on how to influence long authority, but this is more than just and more reasons to work in
term brand building. knocking down doors, this is about collaboration to bring forward
creating reasons for collaboration. the growth your stakeholders
By focusing on common metrics in Bringing together teams across and board members desire.
your tracking you create a common marketing, innovation, and
language within your business, but experience to find solutions to the Tom Lees, Brand Strategy
the magic really happens when inarguable truths in your data. Consultant, Kantar
CONCLUSIONS
When you prioritise, ensure
that finding and maintaining
Difference that is Meaningful,
1
Insights should precede
strategy and strategy
should precede tactics.
2 Prioritise Difference
and ensure that your
difference is
3
Build strong brand
Difference through
refreshed consistency.
is front and centre of your Make insights an essential Meaningful to your target Embrace change but ensure
criteria. The goal here is to part of your brand strategy audience. Find routes to your brand positioning and
Predispose More People to foundations. This is key to growth that extend beyond brand Difference guides all
your brand. Find routes to building on human truths the confines of your category your decision making. Reinforce
growth that extend beyond rather than assumptions and and build uniqueness through brand memories through every
the confines of your category connecting to the cultural leadership, functional touchpoint while reinventing to
and build uniqueness through drumbeat. A cornerstone of Difference, distinctive assets maintain relevance. We call this
leadership, functional this groundwork should be and emotive clarity. Emotion balancing human centricity with
Difference, distinctive assets the diagnosis of your brand’s can offer a powerful route to brand centricity. This requires
and emotive clarity. Emotion current equity and pricing Difference. discipline, alignment, and
can offer a powerful route to power and the monitoring of congruence in activation: from
Difference. brand progress against this communication, to innovation,
goal to inspire and influence to experience.
your next evolution.
“Breakthrough Brand’ leaders frequently describe

a common approach. They start with a clear
compelling position, amplify it with powerful emotive We hope that you have enjoyed our unpacking
of the strategic journey and that we have
communications and reinforce it through Meaningfully provided you with useful structure as well as
inspiration and food for thought.
Different innovation and product/service experiences.”
Kantar Global Brand Strategy Community
D OM BOYD, MANAGING DIRECTOR UK INSIGHTS AND MARKETING EFFECTIVENESS PRACTICE, UK with special thanks to Lindsay Gorton-Lee and
Tom Lees for their inspiration and contributions
Click here for Dom’s article. to this booklet.
Lindsay Gorton-Lee Tom Lees Peter Aitken Hari BlanchBennett Dom Boyd Winnie Cheng Paul Cowper Lynne Deason Alex Dewdney
Brand Strategy Brand Strategy Head of Customer Creative Strategy Managing Director Senior Commercial Senior Partner Head of Creative Director
Consultant Consultant Strategy Director UK Insights Strategy Director Excellence
and Marketing
Effectiveness Practice
Shailley Firdous Mark Fisher Ryan France Myles George Anusha Harri Carol Horsley Dr Irene Hubertz Rhys James Adele Jolliffe
Associate Vice Partner, Client Head of Brand Director, Global Client Director Senior Director, Global Director Senior Client Director Head of Brand
President Services Strategy, Australia Brand Strategy Media Insights Global Brand Strategy Brand Strategy Equity Excellence
Client Services
Yasmin Kathoria Poonam Kumar Mary Kyriakidi Dee McGrath Meredith Smith Lauren McDermott Jade Anja Milosavljevic Dr Nicki Morley
McMillan-Hainey
Senior Director, Brand Head of Brand Global Thought Partner, Brand Director, Kantar Principal Consultant Head of Brand Head of Behavioural
Growth Strategy, Strategy Domain Leader Solutions, Kantar US Consulting, UK Director of Strategy, Kantar Science and
Kantar Consulting Commercial Strategy Singapore Innovation Expertise
South Africa
CONTRIBUTORS
Jane Ostler Marise Pronk Santiago Rente Stina van Rooyen Graham Staplehurst Ellie Thorpe
EVP, Global Thought Brand Expert Kantar Senior Consultant, Brand Expert, Director, Kantar Director, Kantar
Leadership Netherlands Kantar Consulting, UK Kantar South Africa BrandZ Global BrandZ
About Kantar
Kantar is the world’s leading
marketing data and analytics
business and an indispensable
brand partner to the world’s top
companies. We combine the
most Meaningful attitudinal and
behavioural data with deep
expertise and advanced analytics
to uncover how people think and
act. We help clients understand
what has happened and why
and how to shape the marketing
strategies that shape their future.
www.kantar.com
Get in touch with your local

Kantar office or make an enquiry
via our Kantar Website

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BRAND STRATEGY

We believe in the power of a structured approach to we’ve observed grow through

“Powerful brands do not happen by accident,

start point and

opportunities to the traffic jams. And if that journey is a

BRAND STRATEGY SHOULD START

AVERAGE ACTUAL PRICE PAID

people to pay more is quite Different a choosing an alternative. 5

“There are no examples whatsoever, in our nearly 2000 case

UNDERSTAND THE IMPLICATIONS

UNCOVERING PEOPLE’S NEEDS & FINDING

Finding meaning and staying Periodically taking time to stop

THE ART OF CONNECTING

Culturally relevant brand expression

Vodacom built a refreshed Fuelled by these insights, Kantar

Vodacom has always been a pioneer. The new expression brought

BIG DATA UNCOVERS ‘WHOLE PERSON THINKING’

GRANULAR DETAIL insight is the tool which brings meaning

Uncovering human truths

Unpacking consumer needs Health and convenience

Different audiences had Strong intersection

Unpacking the priority +

Consumer needs 14% 14% Smaller white

SIZE OF MARKET GAP

From digital analytics to consumer connection:

In 2017, Philips spotted an

Consumers are constantly looking for

Deep market understanding aids Brand Strategy and Innovation

1 “Great partnership with very

Smokers’ needs - WHY:

FUTURE-PROOF YOUR BRAND

focus and how to need to get tangled up in these choices.

Difference on how to win through brand positioning

BRAND STRATEGY IS ABOUT

Design brand strategy to suit

DIFFERENCE MAKES THE DIFFERENCE

This work showed three

The DNA of Difference:

Category leadership Distinctiveness “So I do worry

Joker Free Spirit/Joker

Guinness, the world’s most distinctive beer

Guinness is a strong brand that has leveraged “Key to making Guinness

Not getting bored with their distinctive assets

BRAND POSITIONING WITH EMOTION

Ben & Jerry’s and Mövenpick BR ANDS WITH STRONG EMOTIVE

Mövenpick delivers purity, and passion builds

Crafted with the Alpine Spirit Average

Swiss, alpine, premium,

- Archetypes are little more than

Great brands are built on great stories

BRAND PURPOSE IS A STRATEGIC

FOR BRANDS AND THE PLANET

1 2 3 Leading sustainability, responsibility and purpose perceptions

“We drive positive societal impact and brand growth

But how do brands balance the change

Consistency of this nature is hard to achieve when dealing with

“I want to call out the brilliant and enriching workshops

Refreshed consistency in action

McDonald’s evolved their product, comms and McDonald’s is a great practitioner

“Powerful brands do not happen by accident,

“There are no examples whatsoever, in our nearly 2000 case

1 “Great partnership with very

Guinness is a strong brand that has leveraged “Key to making Guinness

“I want to call out the brilliant and enriching workshops

“Breakthrough Brand’ leaders frequently describe