Kentucky Legend
In the tricky practice of line extension, not even a category leader can take success for granted.
Line extension is always a finesse game—finding the narrow passage to leveraging an established brand without watering it down.
Make a play into a category as competitive as bacon, and the challenge is that much greater.
True, as America’s #1-selling ham, the Kentucky Legend® brand was coming in with some serious momentum, knowing 87% of its surveyed fans preemptively expressed purchase intent.
But that kind of status can be as much a distraction as an advantage. So, to get it right, executives partnered with NewPoint to develop the “perfect cut” on packaging.
The brand team assumed it knew nothing, and invested in consumer research to win bacon fans in a way that included, rather than patronized, existing loyalists.
The goal? Identify and hold true to the success markers of the Kentucky Legend brand, while gaining and leveraging insights to create distinction among a sea of competitors and point-of-sale appeal among bacon lovers with no brand loyalty at all.
With a research-validated packaging ‘winner’ in hand, the launch strategy went to Phase II.
First, NewPoint collaborated with retailers to align with and optimize their shopper marketing programs. Then, circled back with internal sales & marketing teams to get them up to speed on the plan and identify opportunities for promotion and proactive sales engagement.
Altogether, the launch strategy impressed channel buyers and immediately earned placement at multiple retailers, including such majors as Kroger, Publix, Meijer and Food Lion.
“Dig in” further on our blog post!
Project Components:
• Consumer Market Research • Competitive Research • F&B Consumer Packaging Design
• Shopper Marketing Strategy • Sales-Support Collateral