Posts Tagged Bran

Are brand names still as important to consumers as they were five years ago? Previously, large retailers, like Walmart, did not think so. The assumption was that name brands were not as significant to the consumer in tough times, especially when saving more money really matters. What would you do if your favorite brand of shampoo that you buy without ever considering another was no longer on the shelf at your local store?

 Over the years, more generic and store brands have flooded the shelves trying to compete with the name brands that have been pushed on consumers for as long as they can remember. These successful brand strategies are not easily forgotten. People have established a certain loyalty to these brands and when they are no longer available, customers can become very disheartened, as Walmart found out this past year.

 Walmart believed they could improve margins by reducing the number of name brands they carried, but when traffic and sales fell for the first time in the retailer’s history, they realized the power that brands still hold. They are now in the process of returning about 300 previously eliminated items and are even returning branded point-of-purchase displays that were removed in their tougher clean-store policy. Walmart may still cut back on some products, but they have to tread carefully, as people except to find their favorite brands at lower prices at Walmart.

 Remember, brands still matter.

 If your brand disappeared, would your customers be upset? The Marion Group’s brand building services can help keep your brand strong among the masses. Check out our brand building strategy.

Need help? Call Marion at 713-623-6444.