A Simply Great Luncheon Presentation by Simply Orange
Last week we were treated to a wonderful presentation by Allison Barrett, Group Director of Marketing at Simply Orange (and pictured second from the right). Who knew that orange juice was that fascinating? Really, I’m a believer now. So, let’s shake up that bottle of orange juice and see what lessons we learned that can apply to anyone:
Lesson One: Stay true to your brand
Allison spoke quite a bit about how they apply right brand guardrails to everything from their advertising, to their naming, to their product extension strategy. Simply has a clear definition of who they are, and what makes them different. Armed with that, they are able to charge a premium for their product because they have a distinct mindshare with their audience. One visual example of this is in their ads and website: to reinforce the brand attribute of “untouched,” there are no people or happy families anywhere to be seen. Quite a contrast from other marketing of this type.
Lesson Two: Know your market and your competitors inside-out
I have no doubt that Allison is a true expert on orange juice and all of the marketing, financial and competitive pressure that category faces. It truly pays to know your business! One interesting point is that you should distinguish between your competitors and your peers. There may be some overlap, but these are not always the same group. In Simply Orange’s example, their peer group is other orange juices fighting for that elusive spot in the shopping cart. Allison stated that their real gold standard is a bag of oranges, a point made clear in a recent advertisement that highlighted Simply’s freshness. A competitor, though, can be an aspirational or alternative choice, so rethinking who your audience is looking at, or the choices they’re making outside of your tight peer group is a good exercise to go through.
Lesson Three: Pay attention to the details
Granted, not everyone will notice the printing on the sealed lid on a bottle of Simply Orange, or the exact ergonomic shape and art deco fluting on the clear carafe, or even the fact they they print on the bottles they are headquartered in Florida. Little details like these add up in the overall experience! I’m reminded that customers may not always be able to verbalize individual characteristics when something is working well together, but one inconsistent detail might in actuality be so glaring that it changes a purchase decision. Details do matter, even if it borders on the subconscious, or the customer can’t tell you why it matters.
During the Q&A, one attendee inquired about the most scandalous orange juice story of the year (or any year in recent memory) – the Tropicana rebrand. There’s one final lesson to learn here: that any time you reposition a brand, there will always be a difference between brand and marketing conversations in a boardroom between those same conversations in the market. And while we as marketers put steps in place to test our decisions, we need to make sure we’re testing the right things. We can be assured that Tropicana tested the new package, but can only hope that the test included exercises around the “selection time” needed to choose your purchase. This is one area where Allison educated the audience. Brand messages ARE important, yes, but if your audience can tell enough about the way you’re presented to make a timely selection, your efforts will fall short (FYI, this i one of the ways the new Tropicana failed – consumers could no longer locate their favorite type of juice)
With the news that Minute Maid (also owned by Coca Cola) is undergoing a “brand makeover,” we know both consumers and the critics will be watching.
Look at the photos from the November Luncheon event online!
