What’s in a reputation?
Lots, truly, when you’re Chris Symmes and your job title is director of dressings for Unilever North America.
Unilever owns Hellmann’s – a reputation that may be acquainted to anybody from the East Coast – however maybe much less so to individuals from the western US, the place the identical merchandise go by the “Finest Meals” moniker.
Rising up in Florida, Symmes, who oversees Hellmann’s and two different Unilever-owned dressings manufacturers, Sir Kensington’s and Maille, had by no means heard of Finest Meals.
And there’s a motive for that.
Manner again in 1927, Postum Meals, as Finest Meals was then recognized, acquired Hellmann’s. Since Finest Meals had robust model fairness on the West Coast and Hellmann’s had a stronghold within the east, Postum Meals preserved each model names. Postum Meals additionally modified the Finest Meals emblem to match the blue ribbon of the Hellmann’s model.
Though there are two completely different model names, it’s the identical formulation. Nonetheless, “there are some Finest Meals diehards and a few Hellmann’s diehards,” Symmes mentioned.
By the point Unilever acquired Finest Meals in 2000, this geographical divide had been firmly entrenched for years, and Unilever determined to not mess with dressing success.
Symmes spoke with AdExchanger.
AdExchanger: How do you geotarget your advertising and marketing campaigns for Hellmann’s versus Finest Meals?
CHRIS SYMMES: We work very carefully with our inventive and media groups. The client stays constant all through the US. However for any channels the place we’re trafficking inventive belongings west of the Rockies, we’ve a model that features Finest Meals. For any channels the place there’s a presence east of the Rockies, the whole lot stays the identical aside from the Hellmann’s branding.
It’s much less of a media query and extra of a inventive rotation query.
How do you measure model carry?
We measure model carry nationally. Relying on the company with whom we’re working, we might have a sure side of that analysis for Finest Meals customers and one other side for Hellmann’s customers, so we’re nonetheless getting the identical knowledge. In that analysis, we wouldn’t wish to put Hellmann’s in entrance of a purchaser, say, in California who will not be as accustomed to the model.
Who’re your goal audiences?
We now have a broad goal as a result of we’re in so many households. As we transfer down the funnel nearer to level of buy, we could be extra hyper-focused on sure targets.
General, a lot of our messages stay constant throughout the board as a result of we all know one of many primary triggers of meaningfulness within the dressings class is style.
How would possibly you market the style in another way based mostly on the viewers?
The style is fairly common. The place we could be differentiated is what kind of dishes we maybe function, based mostly off of various demographics. As an illustration, within the South, coleslaw is a giant aspect dish for summer time tailgating moments, so we might have interaction with sure influencers or create content material to dwell within the decrease funnel with a key recipe or dish.
Are you able to share an instance of how you utilize knowledge to help your advertising and marketing efforts?
We work with fairly a number of firms that present knowledge, one in all which is [market intelligence firm] Numerator. A wedding of some completely different knowledge factors and insights from Numerator helped inform our tactical strategy to partnering with groups within the SEC [Southeastern Conference].
As an illustration, customers within the southeast have a a lot increased affinity for faculty soccer than the remainder of the market. Additionally, for tailgating actions, outside occasions or picnicking, our squeeze format is used at a a lot increased fee. With our marketing campaign exercise and SEC crew partnerships, we’re attempting to drive our squeeze format via related messaging for tailgating.
What do you do as a marketer if one in all your manufacturers will get discontinued – as an illustration, Sir Kensington’s?
It’s very uncommon for a complete model to get discontinued. We did make some selections earlier this yr on Sir Kensington’s to exit sure elements of the enterprise. We’re now not producing ketchup as one in all our main choices.
What went into the choice to discontinue the ketchup line?
We function way more within the dressing area. That’s actually the place we needed our focus to be, which is why we determined to exit that individual condiment.
What separates ketchup from mayonnaise?
The makes use of are completely different, however you need to suppose behind the scenes, too. The provision-chain capabilities could also be completely different. That’s one other enter we contemplate. Maille’s [mustard] may be very completely different to supply than ketchup.
This interview has been edited and condensed.
