Tracking the health of brands
For SEB group, around the world
The SEB group is a global leader in domestic appliances, and market leader in numerous small household and culinary appliances markets. Brands include Tefal, Moulinex, All-Clad, Lagostina, Rowenta and Krups, to mention only global brands.
In this arena, where products are often perceived as commodities, brands represent a way for the consumer to navigate a plethora of choice. These brands must be strong, desirable, and meet market expectations.
The challenge: Measure the performance and dynamics of its brands, worldwide
Strategic Research was selected to put in place a global brand barometer and help teams at Group and country level understand, monitor and measure the performance of their brands. The approach had to be standardized to ensure results would be relevant and reliable at both a local and global level.
The system also had to be sufficiently flexible to be applied to contrasting scenarii:
- Global brands and regional brands
- Well-known mainstream brands and upmarket brands for those in the know
- Brands with a presence across several categories (cookery equipment but also culinary & non culinary small household appliances) and single category brands.
A tailored approach
We built a customized platform that enabled SEB to measure the performance of Group brands against a wide competitive backdrop, and across several categories.
Our indicator tool combined the benefits of real time analysis with the ability to track information over time:
- Real-time: assessment of brand performance in terms of power, image and expertise
- Over time: the impact of marketing initiatives, or changes to brand strategy.
The work brought an additional benefit to SEB: it enabled the Group to better understand its markets, and generated important questions. Which factors are key in terms of image to succeed in cookware? Are these factors the same in France, the US and Japan?
The key findings enabled the Group to manage its brands globally, and make the decision to switch brand or take a brand beyond its comfort zone into new territories (brand migration).
The solution proposed by Strategic Research was well thought out and demonstrated a real understanding of our needs. The impact has been wide ranging and strategic: not just in terms of helping us measure and monitor the performance of our brands, but in providing the understanding to help us exploit new market opportunities. As a result of this work, brand portfolio management and resource allocation have moved center-stage.
Valérie Satre, Global Consumer Insight & Market Intelligence, Groupe SEB
