Here at Grapevine we’re big fans of Byron Sharp’s work and wanted to share how we integrate his work into our strategy for FMCG brands across the social media and PR disciplines..
Rule #1. Reach More People, Not Just Loyalists
According to Sharp, real brand growth comes from light and non-buyers, which is why our campaigns prioritise broad awareness over hyper-targeting. Fame drives penetration and we are all about the numbers to maximise reach and stretch ad spends as far as we can. In order to drive real growth brands need to be thinking reach-first, not loyalty-only, and frankly our Cost Per Reach is crazy good – we’ve refined it over the years and are now averaging between to $0.001 to $0.008 – yep that’s not a typo.
Rule #2. Be Easy to Buy — and Easy to Think Of
Our campaigns drive the best value when they’re supporting a national supermarket listing where shoppers can effortlessly buy the product, but this needs to be paired with brand salience which we drive through memorable campaigns delivered across socials. Mental availability is everything in FMCG and the only way to drive it quickly is through storytelling. There’s a reason tribes across the world used storytelling to pass information on through generations – as humans we’re wired to learn and remember stories, and no-one can deliver this like an agency with PR roots – we’ve been storytellers for the past two decades.
Rule #3. Distinctiveness Beats Differentiation
Let’s be honest most consumers shop with their eyes closed and easily confuse brands, which is why everything we do needs to be uber distinct. But what they do remember is consistent colours, assets, and tone. Ask anyone which product they buy and you’ll often be told ‘the yellow one’ or ‘the one with the flower on the front’ and as brand architects we really lean into these distinctions.
Rule #4. Emotion and Simplicity Win
Shoppers are looking to connect with brands on an emotional level more than ever before, which is why as brands we need to show up as human as possible on socials – open up the doors and let your customer in, show your vulnerabilities, and bring meaning to everything you do – because this is what shoppers connect with, and remember.
Rule #5. Usage Contexts Drive Penetration
Brands grow when they’re bought in more situations by more people. The beauty of social media is that every single post can drive a different usage occasion with a different target audience – this is the magic of the algorithm. We know we can post about Aussie walnuts as a banana bread ingredient to reach a baking audience, then talk about adding walnuts to a grazing platter to reach wine girlie, then show the walnuts tossed through a pear and rocket salad to reach a health nut. Brands can no longer afford to stand for just one thing that’s amplified to the masses – this is a dangerously outdated approach. What we do is help brands to create different meaning to different customers. For example what an organic yoghurt means to an older consumer worried about osteoporosis vs a young mum feeding her baby first foods vs a gym junkie in her 20’s looking to eat clean and hit her protein goals are all very different – but drilling down to these usage occasions is exactly what builds mental availability in the minds of a range of very different consumers.
Interested in learning how we would apply Sharp’s research to your brand? Give us a call on 02 9252 6284 or email thegrape@grapevinepr.com.au we’re always up for a chat…
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