2012

Farm House Cookies

Submitted by:
Ammar Hameed Asif Ali Malik Bilal Imtiaz Ahmed Kiyani Mohammad Uzair Muqtadir Kazi Sultan Yousaf

Zain Malik
Zohaib H. Shah

Contents
Introduction ................................................................................................................................................... 3 Company History .......................................................................................................................................... 3 Product Mix .................................................................................................................................................. 4 Key Challenges ............................................................................................................................................. 6 Brand Elements ......................................................................................................................................... 7 Brand Marketing Mix ................................................................................................................................... 9 Product ...................................................................................................................................................... 9 Price ........................................................................................................................................................ 10 Place ........................................................................................................................................................ 10 Promotion................................................................................................................................................ 11 Competitor Analysis ............................................................................................................................... 11 Leader ................................................................................................................................................. 11 Challenger........................................................................................................................................... 11 Followers: ........................................................................................................................................... 12 Niche ................................................................................................................................................... 12 Company View ....................................................................................................................................... 12 Brand Exploratory Analysis ........................................................................................................................ 13 CBBE Model........................................................................................................................................... 14 Brand Salience .................................................................................................................................... 14 Brand Performance ............................................................................................................................. 15 Brand Imagery .................................................................................................................................... 15 Brand Judgments ................................................................................................................................ 16 Brand Feelings .................................................................................................................................... 16 Brand Resonance ................................................................................................................................ 17 Positioning .............................................................................................................................................. 18 Analyzing failure through the Immutable Laws ......................................................................................... 19 Law of Quality ........................................................................................................................................ 19 Law of the Generic.................................................................................................................................. 19 Final Word on current analysis .............................................................................................................. 20

Module II: Rebranding Strategy ................................................................................................................. 21 Brand Inventory Analysis ........................................................................................................................... 22 Brand Architecture ...................................................................................................................................... 22 Hierarchy................................................................................................................................................. 22 Brand Product Matrix ............................................................................................................................. 23 Roles of brands in portfolio .................................................................................................................... 24 Redesigning................................................................................................................................................. 28 Brand Elements ........................................................................................................................................... 29 Brand Name ............................................................................................................................................ 29 URL ........................................................................................................................................................ 30 Logo ........................................................................................................................................................ 30 Character ................................................................................................................................................. 31 Slogan ..................................................................................................................................................... 31 Jingle ....................................................................................................................................................... 32 Packaging ................................................................................................................................................ 32 Product Strategy .......................................................................................................................................... 32 Pricing Strategy........................................................................................................................................... 33 Channels of distribution .............................................................................................................................. 34 Effective and Feasible Communication Plan .............................................................................................. 35 Conclusion .................................................................................................................................................. 39 Bibliography ............................................................................................................................................... 40 Appendix ..................................................................................................................................................... 41 Focus Group Discussion Guideline......................................................................................................... 41 Focus group summary ............................................................................................................................. 43 Interviews (Summary) ............................................................................................................................ 44 Rebranding Focus Group Results Summary ........................................................................................... 45

Introduction English Biscuit Manufacturers (Private) Limited or (EBM), are the pioneers of packaged biscuit manufacturing in Pakistan and the country's leading manufacturer of biscuits and cookies since 1967. For more than four decades, EBM continues to remain in the hearts, minds, and souls of the people through the variety and excellent quality of biscuits manufactured under its umbrella. Our philosophy has been to produce biscuits which meet international standards of quality and hygiene in terms of Food Safety and wholesomeness. Every member of EBM is committed to owning this philosophy and has the mind-set to produce the best of products under the trademark of "Peek Freans". The Company has an annual sales volume and production capacity in excess of Rs. 16 billion and 100,000 tons respectively. The Company takes pride in the leadership position it enjoys with a market share of over 40% of the branded biscuit market. EBM is the only biscuit company in Pakistan to have achieved International Certifications pertaining to Quality Control and Human Resources. The Peek Freans brand has recently been given the recognition of the internationally acclaimed Super brands status. In the field of R&D, EBM has established its very own Centre of Excellence, a state-of-the-art research facility, to facilitate international level of researches. The Centre of Excellence also helps in developing students of food technology, nutrition, bio-chemistry and other related scientific disciplines with the objective of attaining lead in ground-breaking studies pertaining to food grains and other related topics.

Company History English Biscuit Manufacturers (Private) Limited was established as a joint venture company in 1965 with the name of PEEK FREANS PAKISTAN LIMITED. In 1966, the UK sponsor company was renamed as Associated Biscuits International Limited (ABIL), while the venture was renamed to English Biscuit Manufacturers (Private) Limited, which stands to date.

EBM has led the biscuit industry in Pakistan for over 40 years by providing innovative and high quality biscuits. It started manufacturing and marketing world famous Peek Freans range in order to provide Pakistani consumers with good quality, healthy, nutritious, wholesome and hygienically packed biscuits. Ever since the trademark "Pied Piper" made its mark about 35 years ago, it has been recognized as a symbol of 'trust & confidence' for consumers and is true to its corporate claim, 'The Legend Leads'. With the help of their strategic vision and direction, EBM has successfully transformed the biscuit eating habits of Pakistani consumers by making biscuits more of an everyday necessity and less of a luxury item to be consumed only at tea-time; as they were once considered to be.

Product Mix Sooper is a Danish style cookie with a rich homemade appeal .It is the single largest selling cookie brand in Pakistan Gluco is a rectangular, light golden brown appearance biscuit which has been in EBM portfolio for the past 40 years.

Rio is the largest selling sandwich cream biscuit in Pakistan. It is distinctive & unique owning to its flavours and smooth rich cream.

Market leaders in the Nuts Segment Peanut Pik and Peanut Pista were launched in 1983 and 1990 respectively.

Market leaders in the Nuts Segment Peanut Pik and Peanut Pista were launched in 1983 and 1990 respectively.

Party is the only biscuit in the industry that carries a unique combination of imported raisins and imported peanuts. It is a sweet biscuit with soft crispy bite.

The 1st cumin seed biscuit launched in Pakistan - Click is round in shape, sweet and salty in taste. Marie is the "Queen of Biscuits" - a premium quality offering from the house of Peek Freans since 1968

Whole Wheat Slices is a rectangular, high fiber content biscuit that keeps consumer active and healthy throughout the day

Launched in 1974, Butter Puff is a light crispy cracker with a superb buttery taste.It has very superb buttery taste with natural ingredient giving high melting mouth feel, with very crunchy bite.

Saltish is one of the oldest and most recognized brands offered by Peek Freans since 1972.It is also popularly used in preparing light snack between meals.

One of the finest cookies ever to be launched by a local manufacturer, Farm House Cookies are one of the richest and wholesome cookies with quality, taste and packaging at par with any international gourmet brand

Lemon and Chocolate sandwiches were launched in 1971 and 1973 respectively.The biscuits are of square shape with exquisite embossed design

Key Challenges They key challenge faced by Peek Freans Farmhouse Cookies is to prove to be a worthy component of the Peek Freans family; in terms of its position within the brand architectural framework (specifically in the hierarchy) and the fact that at the moment, its target market lacks brand knowledge, specifically identity and as such one of the major challenges is for Farmhouse to carve a specific identity for itself in an intensely competitive industry. The purpose of this study is to understand the reasons of failure for Peak Freans Farmhouse Cookies; however it is important to first define the scope of the word failure: Failure in this context simply means that the product failed to live up to the expectations of its target market and the company itself. Although the brand is still in business and doing reasonably, it is important to note that it is well below par in terms of the expectations of the company and as such is considered a failure.

Brand Elements Brand Elements are also called as brand identities and help to identify and differentiate the brand. Brand equity is the result of a process which leads to a creation of a unique and distinct brand identity. The main ones are brand names, logos, symbols, characters, spokespersons, slogans, jingles, packages and signage. Brand elements facilitate the process of consumer brain mapping and play a key role in building brand equity. Consumers over period of time are able to identify the brand through brand elements. The idea is to develop brand elements, which can properly communicate about brand and its point of difference from competing brands. Starting with brand name, Farm House Cookies is new to the market and reflects the positioning English Biscuit Manufacturers have crafted. It is based on the concept of wholesome, fresh and pure ingredients used in cookies manufacturers. Along this the brand name clearly mentions the limitations of being in cookies category and not what the company or competitors existing product category that is biscuits. It is easy to pronounce and remembered but still is kind of generic name then the other brand names the company has adopted like Sooper. There is no specific logo for this brand. The company has used the parent brand logo on top. They have used the same Pied Piper logo/figure on top of the packaging. The trademark "Pied Piper" made its mark about 35 years ago, it has been recognized as a symbol of 'trust & confidence' for consumers and is true to its corporate claim, 'The Legend Leads'. It is familiar in the biscuit industry and has high equity being a generation brand logo. Thus Farm House Cookies also uses it for greater and quicker associations. It was used as a character initially but has now been limited to the logo thus the character element of branding has been eroded leaving just a logo than the character with some links in the mind map. The parent brand that is Peek Freans has been stapled with the logo so it helps in recognition of the brand for those who cannot easily associate or identify the logo. The brand Farm House Cookies under audit reveals that there is no slogan for the brand. This element is missing. The parent brand had used a slogan of The legend leads but from past few years it has not been used for branding and/or advertising purposes. It would be better for individual brands like Farm House Cookies to have a slogan that is remembered and is identity of the brand itself. The company EBM has used jingles effectively with some of their brands like Sooper, which is start product in its category. However for a premium positioned brand like

Farm House Cookies there is no jingle. This also reflects week choice of brand elements. There is no specified URL for the brand. It just has a section of product description under the corporate website. Packaging is different for Farm House Cookies. It reflects the use of premium materials and style compared to the regular offerings of the company. It is a vertical box compared to the regular horizontal box. This gives an elevated look and tall face has been used to present the logo, brand name and the flavor of it. Along this packaging houses individual cookies layered on top of each other in a neat and clean way compared to the local biscuits packaging. A tea cup picture is in the background of the cookies and ingredients shown on the packaging. This is use of subliminal direction of the usage of product and is rated high on brand element. The packaging is good in identifying the brand and parent company. Along this it conveys the description of the product by showing the cookies themselves and the key ingredient indicating the flavor type. Along this the premium style of packaging helps in home-storage of cookies but the package has limited numbers of cookies and consumption is perceived to be on spot and not for long term storage. The elements available for branding that eventually lead to brand equity have not been employed as to achieve the branding purposes. Farm House Cookies brand audit shows that few elements have been used including company logo, a brand name and packaging. There is no logo for the brand itself but the company logo has been pasted on top of the brand name. It has not been incorporated well enough. The brand name itself feels generic and limited in scope with cookies only. Cookies are not famous as the category of biscuits is. However the class being targeted is familiar with the product category so can be acceptable but still limited. Packaging is different and stands out. It has used mature colors and pictures depict what the product will look like and are good representation of the inside content of the package. Another effective measure used is to place the ingredients cue like chocolate chips on the packaging to indicate the ingredients and quality via the picture. Missing elements include a spate URL from the company corporate website. There is no slogan and jingle for the brand used in advertisements. There is no character directly associated with the brand but the Peek Freans character has been used. This leads to low brand equity based on brand elements and thus awareness in general.

Brand Marketing Mix Marketing mix in the evaluation of any brand proves to be very beneficial in every regard. By doing the marketing mix analysis of the company one can understand each and every detail of the company including the areas where they are performing well and the areas where the company may be lagging. The marketing mix basically includes the analysis of the 4ps which actually include Product, Price, Place and Promotion. Product English Biscuit Manufacturer (pvt) ltd is the manufacturer of the Farm House Cookies. As far as the product is concerned then EBM has positioned the product as of very superior product in the market as compare to other competitors. It is true that the quality which EBM offers through Farm House Cookies to their customers is way too high as compare to the quality which other competitors in the market offers. It is a general perception that this Farm House Cookies is actually mainly for the elite class because of the price which is charged by the company. So in short we can say that the product is expensive as compare to other competitors. Consumers at the same time also believe that the product is of very high quality and this offering of high quality is satisfied by the price which is charged by the company. As EBM is a very strong and pretty old company so consumers rank the company to high level as far as the credibility of the company is concerned. So in return basically the consumers think of every product offered by the company to be of high quality and of good value for the money. Farm House Cookies are one of the richest and wholesome cookies with quality, taste and packaging at par with any international gourmet brand. The brand is available in 3 delicious, irresistible flavors namely:

Chocolate Chip - Indulgent cookies full of rich chocolate chips Short Bread - Freshly baked crumbly cookies with creamy butter delight Coconut Crunch - A hard to resist cookies filled with the crunchiness of coconut

Price As far as the price of Farm House Cookies is concerned then there is no doubt that they are way too expensive then the product of their competitors. The reason which is given by the companys official regarding higher prices is higher quality. The company which is EBM is of the view that the quality which they are offering to their customers through Farm House Cookies is way too high then the quality which is offered by the competitors. The company believes that no other local player has the potential to match the quality of our product which is Farm House Cookies. So by looking at the price which is charged by the company one can easily say that the people which the company is trying to target belongs to the elite class of the society. The company is targeting that segment of the society which require those product which offers high quality and at the same who are willing to pay high price also for high quality product. Place Place in the marketing mix is basically concerned with the places where the companys product is easily available. Place in marketing mix basically means that what is distribution strategy which opted by the company and at which places the product is available to the consumers of the company. When initially EBM launches their Farm House Cookies then for quite long the product was only available to very limited areas of the market. Initially the company only made their product available to the posh areas of the society. Then after once the company starts getting positive response regarding their product only then they made their product available to other areas of the market. One thing which is important and which needs to be highlighted here is this that company does not went for intensive distribution of the product as far as Farm House Cookies are concerned. Farm House Cookies is not a product which requires intensive distribution. So in a similar fashion the company opted for selective distribution for their product. So the product is available only to limited areas because the company uses selective distribution for their product.

Promotion As EBM is a local company so as far as promotion is concerned then it is observed that consumers do not get to see the advertisement very often. When the company first launches its Farm House Cookies then company at that time spend a handsome amount of money on the advertisement. At that time the main purpose of the advertisement was to increase the awareness of the public regarding their product. So initially company spends heavily on promotion, but as time passes then EBM reduces the amount which was dedicated to the promotional activities regarding the product. So cutting the promotional budget is the main reason why the consumers do not get a chance to see the advertisement of Farm House Cookies. Competitor Analysis The Pakistani biscuit industry consists of twelve manufacturers, five of which are considered major players in terms of market share. These are: English Biscuit Manufacturers (26,7%), Continental Biscuits (23.6%), Ismail Industries (14,7%), KS Sulemanji Esmailji & Sons (11%) and Coronet Foods (9.8%). EBM and continental biscuits dominate the industry as they account for half of the market share combined and although numerous other small competitors exist, they have failed to make a considerable impact. Leader EBM is the market leader and has been in business since 1967. It is the leader as it offers the widest variety of products which are known for their quality and taste. These include brands such as Peanut Pista and Sooper, Cornonet Foods is also an EBM subsidiary which primarily makes Rio and Butter Puff. EBM is at an advantage due to the fact that its large operations result in economies of scale and has a wide distribution network however it is difficult for them to respond to changing consumer demands quickly. Challenger Continental Biscuits fall within this category and have been in operation since 1985. They have gained a lot of market share from the leader and continue to try and be innovative in their approach. They too benefit from economies of scale and a vast distribution network; however it is relatively easier for them to change to consumer demands.

Followers: Ismail Industries and KS Sulemanji Esmailji & Sons fall within this category. These companies have introduced products on the basis of success of leaders product. Their products are an imitation of the leading brand is sold for a lower price so that they can attract price sensitive customers. Their main advantage is that there is little need for research. The disadvantages include: weak distribution network, small market, low awareness among consumers, low quality. Niche Farmhouse cookies by EBM fall within this category. Although produced by EB, these cater to a specific small segment of the market, namely those looking for high quality products, regardless of price. Their advantages include the fact that they provide a need which others do not and as such can charge higher prices. However the consumer might not prefer such a differentiated product or competition may increase, resulting in reduction in profits from an already small segment. Company View [The company view is based on two interviews conducted with company personnel to find out more about the brand that is Farmhouse Cookies and the overall EBM organization] EBM is one of the largest biscuit manufacturing companies in Pakistan not only in terms of production but also in sales as well. It has the biggest market share in biscuit industry and lies at the top with much higher than industry average. EBM has a very diverse portfolio and its users are from all age groups. Consumers consume biscuits at all the times depending upon their preference, some take it as a source of energy, some think it to be a healthy tea time snack, some consume it as dessert and last but not the least some people believe it to be the best treat for guests. As a brand EBM conveys an image of wholesome snacks for the entire family to be consumed at different occasions and as such that is what they want consumers to remember as the companys defining trait. In terms of Farmhouse Cookies, EBM has created a snack that is nutritious as well as tasty and is made from fresh ingredients that may be enjoyed by the entire family and comes in different

flavors to accommodate different tastes. The key focus of the company is on freshness, hence the tagline, Irresistibly Fresh.

Brand Exploratory Analysis The brand exploratory is research activity conducted to understand what consumers think and feel about the brand and its corresponding product category to identify sources of brand equity. A brand exploratory analysis helps to identify the extent of brand knowledge (both awareness and identity) that consumers have of the brand and as such the areas where the band can improve in terms of better catering to the needs of its target market.

Consumer Brand Knowledge Structure [The knowledge structure is based on the results of two focus groups conducted as preliminary research into consumers mindsets; a more detailed brand knowledge structure would be formed in the second phase of this report] The focus group findings suggested that people do not associate freshness with the packaged products. They are of the opinion that whatever is packaged isnt fresh. Same is for cookies. According to our participants packaged cookies cant be fresh. This is why they do not place high priority to cookies being fresh. The name Farmhouse Cookies has no significance to people. Their perception about the name is that it means fresh from the farm. Beyond this, Farmhouse Cookie name does not hold any meaning like symbol of quality or freshness etc. in response to a question related to farmhouse cookies logo, the participants were blank. They had no idea about the logo. The reason for this response was that actually no logo of farmhouse cookies exists. People cannot identify or recall any slogan or logo specific to the brand. The brand has failed to occupy any spot in the mind of consumers. Consumers are unable to relate with characteristics like taste, texture, freshness, quality, its image and deliciousness etc. The quality is associated with the taste of the cookies, the texture, its packaging, price and amount of advertising one does. If a brand has an excellent packaging, is priced a bit on the high side, has recognizable logo or slogan and does considerable advertising,

then it is considered as high in quality. Farmhouse cookies are not advertised sufficiently, have a mediocre branding and packaging, lacks personality and is priced high compared to other local biscuits. People consider it not worth buying. They can get better imported cookies like Oreo for a little more money. CBBE Model According to Kevin Lane Keller, the term brand equity may be defined as customers subjective and intangible assessment of a brand above and beyond its objectively perceived value. In simple words brand equity refers to the value of a product due to its specific, recognizable name as compared to other competing branded and generic products. Customer Based brand equity is the differential effect of a particular brand on consumers response. This difference is due to the brand knowledge that consumers have regarding a brand. The brand knowledge is a function of the awareness and image of a brand which is primarily accumulated through the various marketing and promotional campaigns carried out by the brand. Thus the CBBE model approaches the concept of brand equity from the viewpoint of consumers. The CBB model is divided into various building blocks composed of a rational route and an emotional route to achieve the desired end state i.e. brand resonance. The rational route starts off from brand salience, then performance, leading to judgments and finally brand resonance. The emotional route starts from brand salience, then imagery, leading to feelings and finally brand resonance. Successful brands tend to achieve resonance by focusing upon both routes. Brand Salience Farm House Cookies is a brand which represents an exquisite line of cookies under the parent brand of Peek Freans which is essentially a UK based brand whose rights are owned by English Biscuits Manufacturers (Pvt.) Limited, in Pakistan. In terms of brand salience which is in fact the identity of a brand, Peek Freans already enjoys a reputable position in the market. Consumers are aware of the brand and the quality products launched under the brand. The latest venture of Farm House cookies under the parent brand of Peak Freans are well recognized among the target population. In order to gauge the level of awareness of Farm House cookies the focus group discussion was directed towards the number

of times consumers were able to remember the brand (depth of a brand) and the range of situations during which the brand came to mind (breadth of a brand). The results revealed that Farm House brand enjoys considerable depth however in terms of breadth the brand is lacking. The depth is primarily because of the unique ad campaigns and promotional programs carried out under the Farm House brand. However in terms of circumstances during which the Farm House brand came to mind the target market generally recalled foreign competing brands. Brand Performance Brand performance and Brand Imagery highlight the meaning of a brand. These dimensions explore the points of parity and points of difference. Brand performance highlights how well a particular product meets customers functional needs. Thus brand performance transcends the products ingredients and features to include the differentiating aspects of a brand. The primary ingredients and features of the brand depict a healthy and hygienic indulgence to appeal to consumers gustatory senses. In terms of performance attributes Farm House ranks high in terms of reliability, quality and taste. Quality and premium taste is the strongest and highly positive association which consumers have with the Farm House brand. The style represents the features of sophistication and exclusivity. In terms of price consumers regard the Farm House brand as expensive in comparison to the alternatives available in the market. Brand Imagery Brand imagery represents the way people think about a brand abstractly rather than what the brand actually does. Thus brand imagery represents the more intangible aspects of the brand. The associations towards a brand may be formed directly through consumers own experiences or indirectly through advertising and promotional campaigns. The intangibles linked to the Farm House brand in terms of user profiles are family/shared experiences. In terms of purchase and usage situations the Farm House brand represents associations of occasions/celebrations. This may be regarding as a negative association as it limits the usage of the brand. In terms of personality and values the brand depicts competence/uniqueness/sophistication/reliability. As far as history, heritage and experiences are concerned the brand represents modernity with a rich heritage and enriching experiences due to

the high quality offered by the brand. The rich heritage is a strongly positive association primarily due to the link with the parent brand. i.e. Peek Freans. Brand Judgments Brand Judgments and Brand Feelings are supposed to invoke positive consumer response which ultimately leads to the formation of a close relationship with customers through brand resonance. Brand Judgments reflect customers personal opinions formed through the perceptions and experiences in terms of performance and imagery. Four types of judgments are typically important namely quality, credibility, consideration and superiority. In terms of quality the Farm House brand induces positive attitudes among the target audience. As revealed through the focus group discussions consumers believe that the brand offers high quality products. Credibility is judged on the basis of perceived expertise, trustworthiness and likability. The brand enjoys a leadership position in the market and thus is ranked high in terms of perceived expertise and trustworthiness. On a similar footing likability is also high as the product ranks high in terms of quality and it spurs interest as it is a unique offering. Brand consideration depends upon how the consumers find the brand in terms of personal relevance. Peek Freans Farm House cookies rank low in terms of personal relevance. Although the brand induces positive attitudes however these does not translate into the actual purchase preferences. On a similar footing this particular brand is evaluated in comparison to competing brands from foreign countries and thus ranks low in terms of superiority. Brand Feelings Feelings towards a brand are emotional responses and reactions towards a brand. These feelings are evoked through personal experiences and various marketing tactics employed by a brand the Farm House brand evokes strong feelings of warmth. This feeling is induced through the advertisement of the brand which depicts an environment characterized by serenity and freshness. A small family setting is shown which is enjoying the rich taste of Farm House cookies in a serene environment. In the case of Pakistan the brand also represents the feelings of social approval as the cookies are premium priced and thus ensure exclusivity.

Brand Resonance Brand Resonance describes the nature of relationship and the extent to which consumers feel they are in sync with the brand. Resonance is described in terms of the intensity of the psychological bonding that consumers have with a brand as well as the level of activity induced through this psychological bonding. Resonance requires strong personal attachment which means that consumers should go beyond having a positive attitude towards a brand and rather view it as something special or even as an integral component of their daily life. The Farm house brand has failed to induce positive response in terms of measurable actions. Thus brand resonance has not been achieved. Consumers have positive attitudes towards the brand yet this positivity does not translate into ultimate actions, a sense of community or even behavioral loyalty. In contrast competing foreign brands have been successful in achieving brand resonance as they represent the benefits and features which are actually valued by the target market. Consumers opt for these foreign brands to gain social approval and primarily because of negative associations towards products manufactured in Pakistan.

Positioning

Positioning is the process by which marketers try to create an image or identity in the minds of their target market for its product, brand or organization. The two variables used in positioning are price and perceived quality. Price is the quantity of payment given by consumers in return for goods. Perceived quality is defined by customers as the richness of taste, packaging, thickness of cookies. Farmhouse cookies lie in the second quadrant which is high perceived quality and high price but as compared to its competitors (both direct and indirect) it has the lowest perceived quality. Farmhouse cookies are not positioned in a manner as to be perceived by any particular segment as ideal.

Analyzing failure through the Immutable Laws Law of Quality Law of quality states that Quality is important, but brands are not built by quality alone. The main reason of the Farm house cookies for not becoming a successful brand or product is the same. Peak freans does emphasis on quality and charges a high price but quality alone does not matter. Years of observations have led us to the conclusion that there is almost no correlation between success in the market place and success in comparative testing of brands. Whether it be taste tests, accuracy tests, reliability tests, durability tests or any other test. Quality or quality perception resides in the mind of buyer. Being of the top quality does not mean consumer will adopt it unless people believe in it. This is the main problem as Farm House targets the upper class and the upper class usually believes imported brands to be top in quality. Law of the Generic Law of the generic states that One of the fastest routes to failure is giving a brand generic name. Another reason for the low sale of Farm House is due to law of the generic. Farm House is a very generic name although there are many companies who succeeded with generic names but the reasons for their success are something else. Vast majority of brand communication takes place verbally, not visually and according to some statistics an average person spend nine times less time for reading newspaper or magazines than with listening radio or television. Giving a generic name will never help a brand. Brand name should be like to convey some meaning; a printed name is secondary to the sound that it generates in the readers mind as it is very difficult for consumer to differentiate a generic word. Farm House just by its name does not convey any meaning no one can guess what the brand really is nor does it give any uniqueness or elegancy. People cannot perceive the real quality of brand by a generic name.

Final Word on current analysis If we analyze the stance of the company on building brand awareness and brand image then we see a major difference between the time when the product was launched and the current time. Initially when Farm House Cookies was launched what company was doing is this that they dedicated heavy amount for the promotional activities and this was the time when Farm House Cookies advertisement was played on majority of the TV channels. And also at this point in time one thing which needs to be pointed out is this that at this time the frequency of the ads was also very high. At this time the main focus of the company was on building awareness of the product, because as this product was expensive so there was a need on the end of the company to convey and make the public understand that what is so special about the product for which the company is asking for such high prices. At this point company was somehow able to build the image in the minds of consumer regarding high quality product. At this time consumers were able to link the companys product with other premium or imported product which were available in the market. While on the other hand if we analyze the current situation then we can say that now companys is not spending anything as far promotion or the awareness or brand image building is concerned. One reason for this no promotion for their product can be this that may be the company is of the view that they are successful in building the required image and now at this point they have sufficient awareness in the market and there is no need to waste more resources on the promotional activities.

Module II: Rebranding Strategy

Brand Inventory Analysis Brand inventories provides a comprehensive profile of how all the products and services sold by a company are marketed and branded. A brand inventory analysis is useful in identifying reasons as to the failure of Peek Freans Farmhouse Cookies.

Brand Architecture The brand architecture for a firm tells the marketers which brand names, logos, symbols and so forth to apply to which new and existing products. It also defines both the brand boundaries and brand complexity. Hierarchy A brand hierarchy is a useful means of graphically portraying a firms branding strategy by displaying the number and nature of common and distinctive brand elements across the firms products and revealing the ordering of brand elements. The hierarchy below shows the no. of products and brands sold by EBM under the license of Peek Freans which include Farmhouse cookies, Sooper, Marie, Gluco, Butter puff and so forth. The simplest representation of brand elements and levels of a brand hierarchy is from top to bottom. 1. Corporate brand : English Biscuit Manufacturer 2. Family brand : Peek Freans 3. Individual Brand : Farmhouse cookies 4. Modifier: Chocolate chip , Butter , Coconut cookies

Brand Product Matrix

Products Chocolate Cream Butter Sooper Gluco Rio B R A N D S Peanut Pik PeanutPista Party Click Marie Wheat Butter puff Saltish Farmhouse x x x x x x x x x x x x x x chip Coconut Milk Nuts Salty Whole wheat Others

The rows of the matrix represent the brand-product relationships and capture the brand extension strategy of the firm in terms of the number and nature of products sold under the firms different brands. Whereas the column of the matrix represent product-brand relationships and capture the brand portfolio strategy in terms of number of brands marketed in each category. For example in the Nuts category EBM has three brands which are peanut pik, peanut Pista and party biscuits. The brand portfolio is the set of all brands and brands lines that EBM offers for sale to buyers in a particular category. Brand portfolio is one particular column of the matrix like the category of Nuts or Salty in the above table.

Roles of brands in portfolio Flankers Fighter brands These products are in the market to help the flagship product to maintain its sales .For peak Freans the fighter brands are party biscuits and butter puff which create points of parity with the competitor so that the sales of flagship brand are not hurt. 1. Party 2. Butter puff Cash Cows- help in capitalizing existing brand equity The brands are usually the old and famous brands which are milked and their cash flows are used for the growth of other brands. For peak Freans these cash cow brands are Rio and Marie. They are also the flagship brands and are in a mature stage. 1. Rio 2. Marie Low- End Entry level Attracts customers to outlet These brands only exist to attract customers to the retail outlet and once the customer walks into the store, they are targeted with other high end brands. For peak Freans these low end Entry level are Click and Gluco .These two are cheap products and are only there to attract customers. 1. Click 2. Gluco High- End Entry level- Add prestige and credibility entire product portfolio The purpose of these products is to add prestige and credibility in the entire product portfolio. For Peak Freans this high end Entry level brand is Farmhouse cookies. This is a high-end brand which is there to add prestige and value in the brand portfolio of Peak Freans

Point of Parity Point of Parity associations are not necessarily unique to the brand but may in fact share with other brands. In case of Ozel, POP will be texture of the biscuits and the different flavors. Point of Differentiation Point of Differentiation are strong attributes that consumers strongly associate with the brand and believe that it would not be find in competitive brand. Point of differentiation for Ozel cookies is their ingredient that is Butter and also their value for money. Core brand associations Core brand associations are those abstracts associations that characterize few most important aspect or dimensions of a brand. For Ozel cookies, the core brand associations will be healthy, high price, excellent perceived quality, tasty, unique, and convenient. Brand Mantra The brand mantra for Ozel cookies will be world class butter cookies

Positioning Process Identify relevant sets of competitive product: In this step we have identified the substitute products which satisfy the same basic needs of consumers. The products which we identify as a substitute for our product are cakes, chips, chocolates etc. These products directly compete with our product in the market and consumers have a clear choice to pick any of the mentioned products whenever he or she feels to have a healthy snack. All of these mentioned products can be consumed in the place of biscuits. The general perception about the biscuits is that it is relatively healthier snack and can be taken at any

time. Consumers believe that it is a very convenient product that can be consumed whenever you feel hungry. Identify Determinant attributes We have done our positioning on the basis of following attributes. Ingredients: Ozel cookies are the only cookies in Pakistan that are made with butter. The three flavors of Ozel cookies that are short bread, coconut and chocolate are made with the butter thus giving them the ultimate taste. Perceived Quality: Ozel cookies are positioned on the basis of quality associated with the product. It is considered as a high quality product. Consumers associate Ozel cookies with the premium brands in the category. Benefits Ozel cookies emphasize on the health. The cookies are perceived as a healthy snack providing consumers with the best alternative for their hunger.

Positioning map

Positioning is the process by which marketers try to create an image or identity in the minds of their target market for its product, brand or organization. The two variables used in positioning are value for money and perceived quality. Value for money is A utility derived from every purchase or every sum of money spent. Perceived quality is defined by consumers as the richness of taste, packaging, thickness of cookies. Ozel cookies lie in the second quadrant which is high perceived quality and high value for money. As compare to its local competitors the value for money and the perceived quality is way ahead and it is competing with the international brands. Ozel cookies are now positioned in a manner as to be perceived by a particular segment SEC A as ideal.

Redesigning The overall brand strategy for Ozel is to bring the sub-brand as a brand in consumer minds, which is dominant over the original or parent brand. The strategy to be followed is Furtive Brands. Furtive literally means secretive, and in the branding sense of application it is regarding the nature of being a brand with silence on the parent brand. In this case single brand name is used and corporate identity is undisclosed. So applying to our product, Ozel will replace Farm House and the Peek Freans brand will be removed from the packaging and might be used subliminally in marketing the product, but still hidden and silent on the parent brand. This helps develop the new brand according to the positioning decided and separate from the other subbrands the company has. The Principle of Differentiation is being applied in terms of branding and the nature of product. Ozel being a high end positioned product along with the fact that it distinguishes itself as a cookie and not as a biscuit, makes itself different. It helps the company place the product at the channel members which are to some extent brand ambassadors when the new brand has to be endorsed at the shop level. It helps distinguish the brand at same levels as the other competing high end brands in the market. This principle is important for the individual brands as in the case of Ozel. This element is important for leveraging the brand and lead to a best fortifying of the position adopted making it successful. Adopting this strategy also contributes to the brand dominance strategy mentioned above and not directly pegging with the corporate brand as it currently exists. The strategic decision is not to relate the brand and corporate names. Here with the integration of brand elements especially the new brand name and its logo help create brand dominance. This dominance is on other brands in the market and also detaches it from the company it belongs to. To give the royal and expensive feel the corporate brand name that is English Biscuit House is kept separate. The consumer based brand equity model had revealed in the brand audit that the Farm House fails to charge and establish the position it is trying to by predominantly linking it to the Peek Freans name causing a clash of branding and positioning. However with Ozel the new brand, the new logo and the new slogan contribute to the brand development. Furthermore there is no link either with English Biscuits or Peek Freans and help position and brand the product as an individual identity.

Brand Elements According to Kevin Lane Keller Brand Elements sometimes called brand identities, are those trademark able devices that serve to identify and differentiate the brand. Moreover the CBBE model suggests that marketers should choose brand elements to enhance brand awareness; facilitate the formation of strong, favorable and unique brand associations; or elicit positive brand judgments or feelings. Thus Brand elements facilitate the process of consumer brain mapping and play a key role in building brand equity. The main brand elements include brand names, logos, symbols, characters, spokespersons, slogans, jingles, packages and signage. The current brand elements of Farm House cookies have remained unsuccessful in developing resonance with the target customers. Thereby this section focuses upon the concept of Rebranding. Rebranding may be defined as the creation of a new name, term, symbol, design, or a combination of them for an established brand with the intention of developing a differentiated position in the mind of stakeholders. Rebranding would help to revamp the current image of Farm House cookies which is characterized by confusion and help the brand to stand out among competing brands. Brand Name The brand name is of fundamental importance because it often captures the central theme or key associations of a product in a compact and economical fashion. The existing brand name of Farm House cookies is too generic to generate consumer interest. Individuals in the focus group highlighted the fact that they dont seem to be attracted to the current name and only consider this name to be merely a descriptor for the product. i.e. Fresh cookies. Therefore in line with the feedback given by the focus group respondents the new name which we have suggested for these cookies is Ozel (pronounced Aw-zel) Cookies. The word Ozel is a Turkish word and it means unique, special or extraordinary. This name is based upon a morpheme which is basically, a small linguistic unit having meaning. This particular name reflects the elements of sophistication and elegance which is in line with our positioning strategy. Moreover this is a short crisp name which will facilitate recall as it would be easy for consumers to remember it. Furthermore this name stands out from the other brand names for biscuits and cookies. Thus all in all, this particular name is memorable, meaningful and distinctive.

URL URLs (Uniform Resource Locators) specify locations of pages on the web and are also commonly referred to as domain names. English Biscuits Manufacturers owns the rights of the Peek Freans brand in Pakistan. Currently the organization operates a website which provides information regarding various aspects of the company. However the website does not provide wholesome information about the companys products and Farm House cookies are not even mentioned. Therefore realizing the importance of internet presence in this technological era we propose that a dedicated website should be developed for this exquisite line of cookies. The website should provide a detailed account about the brand, meaning of the brand name, ingredients used in the production of these fine cookies, the current SKUs, flavors and even a comments section for individuals visiting the web page. This would allow widespread awareness and ultimately acceptability of the brand. Logo Currently the organization is not using any particular logo for Farm House Cookies. Rather no logo is assigned to any line of biscuits produced by English Biscuits Manufacturers. The organization should realize that logos indicate origin, ownership and associations. Moreover logos are often easily recognized and can be a valuable way for product identification. Another advantage of logos is their versatility because they are often non-verbal and thus can be extended beyond borders. Considering these factors we have designed a new logo for Ozel Cookies. The logo consists of tri-color wavy stripes with the top one colored red, the middle one is colored orange, while the third one is colored blue. The three colored stripes represent passion (red), elegance (orange) and sophistication (blue). The idea behind this new image is that these new personality characteristics will help the target audience to develop positive associations.

Character Characters represent a special type of brand symbol one that takes on human or real life characteristics. Brand characters tend to be attention getting and quite useful for creating brand awareness. Peek Freans has been using the Pied Piper as the main character for its products. This character made its mark about 35 years ago, it has been recognized as a symbol of 'trust & confidence' for consumers and is true to its corporate claim, 'The Legend Leads'. It is widely recognized in the biscuits industry and commands a high equity. Therefore we do not intend to change the character associated with Ozel Cookies because the sub-brand can leverage upon the equity commanded by the parent Peek Freans brand and its signature character. Slogan Slogans are short phrases that communicate descriptive or persuasive information about the brand. Slogans tend to highlight the brands value or the meaning behind the brand. The parent brand Peek Freans does have a tag-line/slogan which is The Legend Leads. The sub-brand Farm House Cookies does not have a proper tagline; however the words Irresistibly Fresh are used in the brands advertisement. Thus we intend to differentiate the Ozel Cookies brand from the other biscuits produced under the banner of English Biscuits and Peek Freans. This is primarily because we believe that this particular brand should symbolize class which can only be ensured by focusing upon some form of exclusivity. Therefore in line with this particular purpose we intend to use the slogan Food from the Heavens. This particular phrase encompasses numerous qualities, generates a certain degree of exclusivity and would also be in sync with our positioning strategy.

Jingle Jingles are musical messages used in a brands advertisement. A well known jingle can serve as an advertising foundation for years. The company English Biscuits Manufacturer has used jingles effectively with some of their brands like Sooper, which is a star product in its category. However for a premium priced brand like Farm House Cookies there is no jingle. The current advertisement for Farm House cookies uses a simple musical theme with a light music. We propose that the company should opt for a more memorable jingle that is easily recognized and resonates in the minds of consumers even after the advertisement ends. Packaging Packaging entails the activities of designing and producing containers or wrappers for a product. Currently the packaging for Farm House Cookies is quite unique and different from other biscuits manufactured by EBM. Premium material and style has been used as compared to the regular offerings of the company. The packaging comprises of a vertical box compared to the regular horizontal box. This gives an elevated look to the product. Along with this the packaging houses individual cookies layered on top of each other in a neat way which is different from stacking methods employed for other biscuits. The packaging is good in identifying the brand and parent company. Along with this it conveys the description of the product by displaying the cookies themselves and the key ingredient indicating the flavor. The current packaging highlights class, sophistication and elegance and it stands out from competing products therefore except for minor modification we believe that there is no need for developing a completely new packaging for Ozel Cookies.

Product Strategy The current scenario reveals that Farm House Cookies, are manufactured using the best quality of materials and this fact needs to be highlighted in order to improve the perception of the consumers that these biscuits are of high quality. The greater focus should be upon emphasizing the values of luxury, elegance and class which are in sync with our current positioning strategy. This overall product strategy would be applied to the three different flavors of cookies that fall under the Farmhouse Cookies umbrella; these are: Chocolate Chip Cookies, Shortbread Cookies and Coconut Cookies.

It is the packaging that plays a key role in presenting the brand values of the product and for a luxury brand, which differentiates itself on quality and image, the importance of the packaging is intensified. Luxury brands rely on packaging to cultivate an image of high quality, elegance and sophistication for their products. Amongst many different packaging types used in the luxury world, high quality cardboard boxes have gained prominence in recent years. Farm House Cookies should be packaged in a high quality cardboard box with special decorative finish, which demonstrates value through sophisticated printing and luxury shaping. Color is the best way to reflect and enhance a unified image and branding of a product, as it is such a visual medium. The packaging colors should relate to the logo and reflect the image being sent to the market place to attract buyers. Farm House Cookies should be packaged in white as white packaging implies elegance and sophistication and white combines well with most other colors. A combination of white, blue, red, orange and gold would be used in the packaging with the logo prominently displayed. A visual representation of each flavor would be shown on the packaging for easier identification and greater appeal.

Pricing Strategy There are lots of factors that need be to taken into account when pricing a product and after thoroughly going through those factors, one needs to select the pricing strategy most suitable for the product and market conditions. The company needs to set pricing objectives, determine demand, estimate costs, analyze competitors costs and pricing, select a pricing method and then come up with a final price. In an environment with multiple competitors, it is important to look at the products value in the eyes of the customer, its perceived value, and what is deemed to be a fair price for such a product. The competition and their prices also have to be kept in mind and how one wants to position the product in terms of the competition. Keeping in mind these factors, premium pricing strategy will be used which involves setting the price of the product higher than similar products. The reason for selecting this pricing strategy is that currently consumers perceive Farmhouse cookies as of average quality. This perceived quality can be defined as the consumers judgment about the products superiority. High price of

Farmhouse cookies would change the perception of the consumers and would signal the consumers that the product is high in quality. The reason for doing this is that generally people equate high prices with high quality therefore it would be easy to change consumers perception by artificially increasing the price of Farmhouse cookies. The benefits of using premium pricing strategy are that it could easily cover high costs of the new packaging. Premium pricing would also result in high profit margins. Moreover premium pricing is the selected strategy primarily because of the fact that this particular cookies line is being positioned as a high-end offering, suited for the elite class. The primary competition for Farmhouse cookies includes imported cookies which are generally priced highly. Therefore in order to differentiate from current biscuit products in the market, to depict a high quality image and to give a sense of exclusivity Farmhouse cookies would be priced high.

Channels of distribution A selective channel distribution strategy will be used as these are high quality cookies and as such would be available only at supermarkets and hyper markets to help with the perception that these are high quality cookies and as such arent available at small stores. The current distribution channel has too many intermediaries and thus isnt efficient; the following distribution channel is proposed: Manufacturing plant -> Company Ware House -> Regional Ware House ->Distributor -> Retailer All cookies manufactured at the plant will be shifted to the company warehouse for storage purposes. Once stock is accumulated it will be shifted to the regional warehouses according to the demand for further distribution to local distributors and then to the selected retailers. The five-step easy distribution will help in the following ways: Centralized approach, which will enhance efficiency Less cost will be incurred in transporting the cookies since selective distribution would require lesser number of distribution channels Record maintenance at fewer areas allowing easy reconciliation

Optimal number of employees engaged to do the task The Right Way Availability at selected retailers will improve perception about the quality of the cookies. More cookies at a particular location will increase bulk sales Exhibit: Current Distribution Channel

Effective and Feasible Communication Plan

Overview Communication planning is basically the art and science of reaching target audiences

using marketing communication channels which includes advertising, social media,public relations, experiences for example. It is concerned with deciding who to target, when, with what message and how. We have choose middle upper and higher upper class as the target market of Farm House Cookies (Ozel), In this communication plan we will discuss how we will convey our message to our target audience using the right type of message, from the right communicator to the right audience through the right channel, at the right time. We will address the six basic elements of communication plan i.e. communicator, message, communication channel, feedback mechanism, receiver/audience, and time frame.

Objectives Our objective for the farm house cookies is to create awareness in the mind of consumers so that they associate our brand with foreign brands because of high quality, taste and freshness. The fact that at the moment, its target market lacks brand knowledge, specifically identity and as such one of the major challenges is for Farmhouse to make a specific identity for itself in an intensely competitive industry We are also trying to change our consumer mindset that they think of farm House as one of the finest cookies ever to be launched by a local manufacturer, Farm House Cookies are one of the richest and wholesome cookies with quality, taste and packaging at par with any international gourmet brand. Target Audience The target market on which we will be focusing would be relatively young people belong to middle upper or higher upper class. Because in our opinion we believe that the quality which farm fresh cookies is offering to their customers is perceived more favorably by the young people as compare to the old people which are prevailing in the market. It is commonly observed that young are more receptive in accepting the new product as compare to the old people in the society. So these are all the reasons because of which we are selecting the people who are relatively young. The main target which we will be targeting will be from the age bracket of 20 to 40 mainly. In our opinion we think that people from this age group will be the main users of our product. Approach In the current scenario there is a serious need that proper selection of communication medium should be conducted. Because currently there is a serious need that to change and improve the perception of the farm house cookies in the minds of the consumers. Currently the need of the hour is this that we should use effective communication medium to create a positive image in the minds of the consumers. Mainly communication medium are very strong way to reach the target audience and to leave an everlasting impact. So the main communication medium on which our main focus would be is as follows:

Television Billboards Social Media

The most powerful medium according to us which is present in the current scenario for Farm House Cookies is without any doubt is the television medium. There is a wide reach of this medium. It is actually pretty much true that majority of the households do have a television in their houses. So in the current situation there is a serious need to focus and divert major resources of the company to the television medium. Considering the target market in mind we can say that it will be more beneficial if the company place their ad in the music and sports channel. Because in our opinion our major target market would be watching these channels most of the time, so the best way to target these individuals is to basically place maximum ads in these channels. Billboards will also be used to reach the target market. Billboards are a good medium to reach the target audience but there is a serious need to choose the location of the billboards with much due care. If we place the billboards in the wrong direction then there will be a devastating effect on the company. The location which will be on our target will mainly be the posh areas of the society, the reason behind in choosing the posh areas for the billboards is this that the majority of our target market basically reside in these areas of the society. The areas in which our main focus should be basically include Defence, Gulberg and Shadman mainly. So majority of our billboards will be restricted to these 3 areas mainly. The last communication medium on which we will be focusing on will be the social media. If we analyze and study our target market then we can say with much confidence that social media would be a feasible option to reach the target audience. The reason behind saying this is this that large amount of our target market is the youth and the youth is pretty much active on the social media and if we want to reach to these people then we have to advertise on the social media. The main thing in the social media in which we will be focusing will be the facebook. It is a known fact that almost majority of the people are enrolled on facebook and in order to reach these people there is a serious need to advertise their. Advertisement on twitter is also another option which can provide fruitful results to the company.

Key Message Our key message for this project is to inform our target audience so we will use Informative advertising, in informative advertising a detailed informative advertising about Peak Freans and Farm House Cookies regarding its superior quality, taste and freshness. Tactics The three main components of advertising, also known as the three big M's, are: the message, the media and the market, the message consists of the words used in the advertising; the media is the type of advertising; and the market is the targeted group the advertising is meant to reach. This phase is also divided in two parts in the first phase a hype is created in the mind of consumers without actually telling them what is the brand actually is by just advertising the word Ozel this will create a feeling to discover the product. Then in the second phase Peak Freans will give detailed information about Ozel A variety of advertising media is available. Effectively mixing of these media is an important part of designing advertising campaign.

Electronic Media: The electronic media will be Television only. Peak Freans should advertise in Ads that will be aired on Geo Television, Hum television and at ARY Digital. Advertisement will be shown twice in peak time i.e. 7pm to 10pm and thrice in off-peak time.

Print Media: The print media used will be Newspapers i.e. The News, Dawn, and Magazines (Quarter page) i.e. Mag fashion magazine, Pakistan fashion magazine and She magazine. She magazine is Pakistans best selling fashion magazine. It contains latest Pakistani fashion trends, showbiz news, health tips, latest Pakistani models, Pakistani fashion dresses and many more.

Billboards:

Peak Freans should decide to advertise Ozel on at particular (main) locations covering the only the porch areas i.e. Model Town, Defence and Gulberg.

Conclusion
High value for money , High perceived quality key PODs for brand Move beyond features and benefits Focus on brand values and association with consumer mindset Periodic measurement, deliverance of mantra, key to sustaining brand

Bibliography

Keller, K. L. (1997). Strategic Brand Management. Pearson Publishing. Tan, Donald (2010). Success Factors In Establishing Your Brand. Franchising and Licensing Association. Matt Heig (2009). Brand Royalty: How the World's Top 100 Brands Thrive and Survive. Tom Peters (August 1997). The Brand Called You. Fast Company (Mansueto Ventures LLC.) Trout, J., (1969). Positioning is a game people play in todays me-too market place. Industrial Marketing, Vol.54, No.6. Levi, K. (2007). Differentiate or Diminish. Journal of Marketing. Moore et. al (2006). Branding and the EMBA. MBA dissertation, University of Virginia Joseph Gladden (2002). The Role of Advertising in Branding. University of Massachusetts

Appendix Focus Group Discussion Guideline

INTRODUCTION/ WARM UP (5 Minutes) Introduce yourself Highlight the purpose of focus group Introduction of respondents Ask about their hobbies Try to be friendly and build rapport Rules of Focus Group

LIST OF PREFERENCES (5 Minutes) Perception about biscuits Difference between biscuits and cookies Ask respondents regarding different brands of biscuits Ask them to list them as per preferences Basis choosing one brand (biscuit) over another

PERCEPTION OF FARM HOUSE COOKIES (5 MINUTES) Perception about Farm house cookies

When do they like to eat Farm house cookies How they perceive Farm house cookies when they see advertisements Ask them about taste of Farm house cookies Quality of Farm house cookies Flavors of Farm house cookies

PACKAGING (10 Minutes) Ask them about packing of Farm house cookies Ask them about color of packaging Is the packaging convenient? What do they suggest regarding any change in packaging and color

PRICE SENSITIVITY (10 Minutes) What do they think about price of Farm house cookies? Is it fair or over priced or under priced? Will they pay more for improved Farm house cookies?

Branding (5 minutes) How do they see farmhouse cookies brand? What is its image?

CLOSING (5 Minutes) Summarize Feedback

Closing remarks Gifts

Focus group summary There were two focus groups conducted. Each focus group had 8 members. All the eight participants were university students. The focus group was conducted by following the guideline that has been given here. Two focus groups will be conducted with participants belonging to different demographics. The first group will consist of people belonging to the age bracket of 18 to 26 years both male and female with the household income of Rs.50, 000 and above. These are primarily the students. The reason for choosing such participants is to find out their perceptions about farmhouse cookies. After the introduction session, the participants were asked to differentiate between cookies and biscuits. Most of them answered that cookies are made of butter while biscuits are made of milk and flour. Next, the participants were required to list their choices in order of their preferences. The set included both local and international biscuits. In international biscuits Oreo was the favorite among the participants while in local biscuits people had a mix choice. The most favorite were Sooper cookies and chocolate chip cookies. The bases of choosing these brands of biscuits were the quality, taste, advertising impact and strong branding. Also these brands were successful in making a relationship with tea time or drinking milk etc. Then the participants were asked to identify the different flavors of the brand which almost everyone successfully did. Next they were asked about the taste, quality and freshness. The common perception of the participants was that the cookies taste good, the quality is ok and are considerably fresh. The perception of the brand however was not positive. People failed to see it as high quality and high end cookies brand. They associated it with local products and hence found it expensive too. The participants were also not aware of the advertisement of the cookies and recall was really weak. Lack of advertisement was identified by one participant as major weakness of the brand. In the next phase, we discussed the packaging and other elements of the marketing mix. The participants thought that the packaging was not good for the product. It did not reflect the high end quality cookies. It seemed weak and dull. People were not able to recall exact color and

packaging details. They wanted it to be livelier and elegant so it can portray the message of quality and exclusiveness. The distribution was also weak according to some participants as the cookies were not easily available. According to one suggestion, farmhouse cookies should be branded separately from peak freans and should have its own logo and slogan and theme. the last thing discussed was the price. Participants thought that price was high as compared to local biscuits. The product did not offer enough value and should be lower in price. People think that they can buy much better imported cookies by paying a little more. Interviews (Summary) Operations Manager Mr. Ahmed Islam who is working for EBM for over twelve years now had provided us with the following information during his interview with us. EBM is one of the largest biscuit manufacturing companies in Pakistan not only in terms of production but also in sales as well. It has the biggest market share in biscuit industry and lies at the top with much higher than industry average. EBM has a very diverse portfolio and its users are from all age groups. Consumers consume biscuits at all the times depending upon their preference, some take it as a source of energy, some think it to be a healthy tea time snack, some consume it as dessert and last but not the least some people believe it to be the best treat for guests. Target audience of EBM includes kids, youngsters, office employees and families within the age bracket of 4 to 70. The biggest competitor of EBM is continental biscuits who are giving them a good tough time. EBM being oldest in the market enjoys first mover advantage and also it has gained good market share which is also growing with the years. Mr. Faisal Kaleem who is sales executive gave us the following information. He is working with the company for three years. EBM is giant in biscuit industry with its huge market share. Pakistan where the population is growing on a very high rate has huge opportunity for biscuit industry. Biscuits are consumed by everyone so literally you can say that every one living in Pakistan is our potential consumer within the age bracket of 4-70. We just need to convert those potential consumers to our

consumer profile and for that all the supported activities like distribution, packaging and advertisements are mandatory. EBM is very strong in terms of finance so these activities are well integrated and coordinated by the company thus we are doing the best in the business.

Rebranding Focus Group Results Summary

In the earlier part of our report, we have found various reasons for lack of success of farmhouse cookies as a brand. The brand has failed to impress the target market. It could not create the desired impression/perception in the consumers mind. Though the product isnt bad but still its finding hard to sell. Here are some suggestions that might be helpful to revitalize the farmhouse cookies First and foremost, farmhouse cookies need to reposition their brand altogether. They have to find the certain USP of their brand that will allow them to get this perception. The USP for farmhouse cookies is that among the local brands they are the only authentic cookies which conform to the international standards. The product has good quality and taste. Farmhouse cookies need to take this point and build around it the whole program. They need to portray their product as best quality and best tasting local cookies which are as good as any international cookies. Once they get this perception in consumers mind, the brand will start to have positive results. To achieve these farmhouse cookies need to completely overhaul their brand. For this purpose they need to change their brand name. Currently Farmhouse cookies name is very generic name which we do not want. The cookies would be launched under new name which we propose as Ozel. Ozel is a Turkish word meaning extraordinary or special. The next we do is change the packaging. The packaging should be created keeping in mind the packaging of bestselling cookies in the market. The new packaging should be made more lively, more meaningful and elegant at the same time. The package should spell out the brand promise which is simplicity and elegance. Second thing Ozel cookies can do is making a new logo for the product. The company needs to separate their product from peak freans brand as the two brands have totally different market. Peak freans on one hand is quality affordable biscuits whereas Ozel cookies are high quality luxury cookies. The new logo should again conform to the brand message and should

give a strong image to the brand. The placement of farmhouse cookies is also weak. To get positive results, the new Ozel cookies need to get the best shelf space right next to quality cookies. They also need to give their product exclusivity by making it available in only the big stores. To support all these efforts, Ozel cookies should advertise heavily. They need to make ads which build the desired perception in the mind of consumers. Through advertising people should be made to think that this is the best quality brand of cookies available in the market. Last but not the least the pricing should be revised and made to match the best cookies so to attract the high end consumers. Focus group result for brand name and positioning To select a new name for the brand and reposition it, we conducted another focus group. The focus group consisted of 8 people from the target segment who are consumers of cookies. During the focus group we gave them several names and asked them about their perception of each of them. The participants were told that these names are already of existing cookies but actually they werent. This was done deliberately done to get the response more precise to cookies name rather than to the word itself. Among the names we suggested, people gave more favourable responses to the following three names: Ozel, Affinity and Amedeus cookies. These are ranked according to the most favourable to least favourable responses. When the participants were asked about the name Ozel, none of them knew the meaning but still said that it looks more classy and elegant. It was the first choice name for most of the participants and second choice for the rest. Participants responded positively to the names Affinity and Amedeus but they were second and third choice name for most of the participants. As one of the participants said though I dont know what Ozel means, but still to me it sounds more classic and elegant. The criteria that we set for the participants were to select the name of the brand which gave them most classy, simple and elegant image. In the second phase of the focus group, we asked the participants about the desired perception of this brand of cookies. This desired perception will then allow us to reposition the brand. The participants wanted the image of the brand to be stronger, separated from Peak frenas. The perception they wanted to have about the cookies was that it should be perceived as high quality, exclusive cookies which are at par with any international cookies. A couple of the participants

indicated that through sophisticated packaging and good advertising, the brand can gain the desired position in the mind of consumers. Another participant in the group highlighted the fact that the price should be kept high so it will justify the quality and create an exclusive product image in the mind of consumers.

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