The disruption brought by the pandemic has left no business – or person – untouched. The ongoing uncertainty has, however, seen the rise of an interesting trend: more people are seeking out the comfort of the “familiar” as this stressful period persists.
People are naturally gravitating towards food, snacks, television networks, actors, actresses and artists that they know and love – and trust – because they continue to deliver on their promise and act as an anchor in times of rapid change and unpredictability.
“This has given established brands a competitive edge, particularly over the past 18 months, driven by the familiarity, values and purpose of the brands that form part of our individual and collective history. These brands resonate with us and provide a semblance of some much-needed solace and respite from the ambiguity and challenges of our current normal,” says Alisdair Sinclair, Managing Director – South Africa, Mondelēz International.
A recently released report by Brand Africa on the top 100 most admired brands in Africa, backs up the importance of connections. Established brands dominated the rankings – and Mondelēz ’s Cadbury made the list. Cadbury has a long-standing history in South Africa: it was first brought to the country in 1903 and has been produced locally since 1938 when the chocolate manufacturing plant in Gqeberha (formerly Port Elizabeth) started manufacturing slabs.
Changing consumer values and behaviour – driven largely by the economic impact of the pandemic – means that brands that have been an integral part of day-to-day life in many South Africans’ homes cannot rest on their laurels and rely on nostalgia and goodwill alone.
Established and trusted companies need to re-evaluate what they have to offer today’s consumer in a highly pressured and volatile time.
Walking the tightrope between continuity and changing consumer needs and values
“In a fluid and changing world, where South Africans are becoming increasingly more price sensitive, established brands need to entrench themselves in consumer’s minds by proving their value and staying relevant through innovation, consistent quality and purpose driven communication that entices both existing and new customers,” says Sinclair.
That means walking the tightrope between brand continuity and staying true to their essence as a brand; and competing with newer brands by introducing pioneering and competitive products that will meet modern and evolving customer needs and demands.
Navigating this complex environment effectively is driven by the ability to position the brand’s best-loved products so that they stay relevant as people transition through different life stages.
It also means introducing the established brand to the next generation – who will not necessarily have the same affinity with the brand. In this way, brands will need to innovate and offer the best possible consumer experience, as well as real and measurable value to appeal to consumers with a differing set of needs and perspectives.
Today, those values revolve predominantly around purpose. A study of 8,000 consumers and 75 companies globally showed that 94 percent of people find it critical that the companies and brands they engage with have a strong purpose. They simply won’t buy from, trust, champion, and or defend these companies and their respective brands if they don’t.
“For us, today, this purpose translates into contributing towards raising the level of literacy in South Africa: Cadbury Dairy Milk has partnered with NGO Nali’bali on a journey to help create, print, distribute and inspire our nation with relevant stories in all 11 South African languages,” says Sinclair. “Facilitating mother tongue reading has the potential to encourage an entire generation to embrace their respective culture and established whilst falling in love with learning.”
This purpose in South Africa is matched by broader efforts across the rest of Africa and globally to create shared sustainability through the company’s Cocoa Life programme. Cocoa is one of the key ingredients at the heart of the chocolate that’s loved by millions of people around the world. For Mondelēz, the farmers in its value chain, and their communities, cocoa is life. The Cocoa Life program holistically tackles the root causes of complex challenges which cocoa farmers and their communities face, such as climate change, deforestation, gender inequality and poverty.
Brands no matter how old or new need to demonstrate that there is a deeper meaning behind what they do. This is the key to not only surviving, but thriving, in a constantly changing world.
“The world has changed significantly, and will continue to shift and advance more rapidly, so brands – especially established brands – need to continuously and deliberately evolve, leveraging their historic, proven strengths whilst simultaneously embracing innovation, not deviating from quality, staying true to their purpose and essence and delivering on their value proposition. Brands loved and trusted are brands people choose to buy,” says Sinclair.