The Challenge:
A NYC gourmet institution was out of touch with the consumer and competitive landscape. They needed a new brand strategy and positioning to reconnect with shoppers and reverse a steep decline in sales.
The approach:
We conducted fresh category insights research to bring new consumer drivers, behaviors, and priorities to light, and to redefine the competition. We identified the gaps, which ones we could “own” and serve best, and repositioned the brand accordingly.
Why it worked:
We uncovered a whole new set of diverse and demanding city shoppers, who toggled between need states and food retailers. And found a teeming competitive set that vied for niche supremacy vs. market dominance.
The answer? Embrace the plurality. Leverage our NYC roots to provide a uniquely New York experience that catered to key need-states in highly localized ways. For example, new in-store and online journeys based on time constraints, special diets, and cooking interests.
Owler Hook:
Fast-paced competition can quickly edge you out of the game if you lose sight of your audience and brand DNA. In this case, reconnecting with both carved out a territory no one else could claim and paved new paths to innovation.
