Healthy Food Marketing: Reviving Legacy Brands

Can you feel it? Consumers are pulling away from legacy brands. They’re following the lure of newer, sexier brands. The ones that seem to really “get” them,  and make them feel seen and heard. In this crazy, fast-changing environment, the love consumers have for legacy brands just isn’t not enough. Because in I-Factor^® study after study, one thing keeps coming through: This relationship may just be a result of longstanding habit, not a conscious purchasing decision.Although it’s a very common mistake,we marketers can’t assume consumers will love our brand just because they always have.  It’s time to create some excitement, feed the knowledge funnel. If this is sounding like relationship advice, it is. A brand’s relationship with a  consumer needs as much attention as our personal ones. Here’s how to reignite the spark.Start with a solid brand foundationAmong our I-Factor^® studies, the brands consumers “love” the most are all legacy brands: Nutella, Snapple, Baskin Robbins, Goldfish, Gerber, and Smucker’s. And while we now know that love isn’t enough, it is a solid foundation to build on.While some of the newer, more health-conscious brands like Happy Baby, Plum Organics, CHOPT, and Sweetgreen win when it comes to bringing consumers more joy, legacy brands have withstood the test of time and don’t need to panic, but they do need to pay more attention.Build energy by giving consumers something to feel good aboutThis should be easy for marketers of healthy food. Today health conscious, shoppers want to feel good about what they are purchasing.  And really understanding this can help consumers feel that way about brands . Most of the  brands that score the highest around connection to  the essence of today’s consumers are better-for-you, non-legacy brands. Brands like Happy Baby, Amy's, and Alexia. Consumers demand transparency and these brands are delivering. If you’re marketing a Legacy brands, consider what part of the brand story hasn’t been revealed? Consumers are dying to know everything. Delivering this could win big in both consumer love and in dollars. But these brands have to be prepared to come clean. Consumers want it all: the story, the sourcing, the people, and the causes you stand behind.Become so irresistible that consumers start sharingConsumers know a ton about newer brands. But they still  want  more. They actively seek out even more information online. But, this knowledge doesn’t always = love. They still have a much deeper love for legacy brands.  So if a legacy brand really can connect with them through a compelling story, they could really get to True Irresistibility. And that means your consumers will start wearing the brand like a badge, and sharing your brand with everyone they know. And in turn, those relationships becomes your  relationships, too. And as the brand following grows and grows so does the consumer base. Exciting stuff, right?Bottom line: legacy brands, you’ll always have the advantage of your relationship history.But like any relationship, it’s fragile and it needs attention.Legacy brands don’t  let consumers be wooed away. I-Factor can uncover tons of actionable insights and data-driven opportunities for brand reinvention and platforms  to reignite relationships withConsumers. I’d LOVE to get to work on this with you. Let’s talk.