Global Pantry | The Future of Food | Brand Strategy

Portfolio Strategy | First Case Study

October 19, 2016

GLOBAL PANTRY

Case Study | Brand Strategy A brand is more than a product. A brand is more than a service. A brand is more than what the packaging and the advertisements symbolize. In fact, a brand represents the value that companies create for customers through the process of making them experience the product or service and making them perceive value for their money in terms of the utility they derive from the given product or service. Indeed, branding is all about telling stories to the customers in the context of the unique and satisfying experiences they will

Wanting Yu

Yu. "For those of YOU who are SICK of Chain Restaurants."

Brand Strategy.

1

Portfolio Strategy | First Case Study

October 19, 2016

have upon buying and using the product or service.

Neumeier (2016) has defined a brand as “the premium that consumers pay for the product or service”. Such premium can be said to be the added price that consumers are willing to pay for the particular good or service when compared to the products or services of competing brands. Thus, it would be pertinent to say that branding is about effectively dealing with the perceptional aspects that firms want to activate in consumers. In addition, it also pertains to strategies that marketers use in highlighting the qualities of the product or service in order to motivate consumers to take purchase decisions in favor of the brand.

My brand and brand strategy is reflective of the kind of experiences that I want consumers to have when they avail of my services. I use the term service intentionally because my brand is not a product even though I do deliver food to customers. In explaining my branding strategy, I attempt to elaborate on what my brand Global Pantry is all about, in addition to describing how it will function in creating its own niche market. In fact, my brand is unique because it strives to alter consumers’ perceptions about what it means to consume food. My objective is to ensure that the overall substance of the gourmet experience is much better in comparison to what consumers expect, which in turn will result in greater customer delight and satisfaction.

The Global Pantry is a unique concept and one of a kind service that aims to transform the gourmet experience in ways that are similar to the strategies that are adopted by emerging and winning brands such as Uber and AirBnB, which have already succeeded in establishing their own unique niches. I do not own “The mission is to any restaurants nor do I operate any takeaway joints, bring forgotten but with Global Pantry I Global Pantry is going intend to redefine what it means to consume to make every meal food to life.” into adventures. food.

-WANTING YU My objective is to introduce innovative ideas in the food business by creating contact between gourmet connoisseurs and chefs, which I will do by becoming a meaningful link between them. In other words, the Global Pantry is somewhat like an aggregator, which is why I believe I should be creative, transformative, and should express my ideas and strategies through this initiative. I also aim to host events throughout the year during important Wanting Yu

2

Portfolio Strategy | First Case Study

October 19, 2016

festivals of all religions. I will get dishes prepared in keeping with the spirit of the ongoing festival at any given time and will partner with several chefs in fostering the Yuletide spirit on all festival days, irrespective of the religion for which the festival is being celebrated. In order to make such achievements a reality, Global Pantry will follow a unique promotional model wherein I will depend on multiple channels to convey the branding story. However, since my firm is small, I would start slow and small initially and would gradually expand on the basis of the response I get from consumers. I wish to assert in this regard that this kind of strategy is reflected in all elements of the Marketing Mix and is part of each component of the branding strategy that I aim to follow in promoting Global Pantry.

While advertising my services, my branding strategy will involve an advertisement campaign in which I will put up the profiles of all my chefs in order to highlight the areas of their expertise and the major achievements they have made in their respective fields.

Thereafter, I will invite residents from nearby neighborhoods to have a taste of my food. In addition, I will set up stalls during festivals and carnivals in which target consumers will get opportunities to directly connect with my chefs. Further, I plan to publicize and spread the message about Global Pantry through word of mouth as well because it is known theoretically that word of mouth marketing is an important component of the overall marketing strategy.

I have also taken varied elements from the case studies of socially and environmentally responsible organizations such as the WWF (World Wildlife Fund) and global institutions such as the United Nations in order to draw consumers’ attention to the ethical and responsible aspects of Global Pantry’s working and to send the message that I am much inspired by such organizations in making my business successful. Throughout this process, I aim to be creative in my recipes (which I will willingly share with my consumers as well) and will introduce original ideas in my menu in the context of my food offerings, which will serve as a concrete measure in expressing the universal nature of food and as a mechanism for bonding with my consumers on account of my excellent service. I have drawn inspiration from leading brands in creating my branding strategy for Global Pantry. I have studied the literature thoroughly in getting the best possible clues on the most effective strategies of launching a food brand.

Wanting Yu

3

Portfolio Strategy | First Case Study

October 19, 2016

“We help forgotten food find the recognition and interest support they need to bring them back to the modern day.�

-WANTING YU

In fact, through my Global Pantry, I want my consumers to think of me and my workers as global citizens who use food as the instrument of choice to bring people of different cultures and ethnicities to come together, in addition to ensuring that people of all countries feel at home in foreign lands. Indeed, I think of myself and my consumers as belonging to a Global Village where food is the uniting factor between people from disparate cultures and different culinary habits and experiences. I have learnt to apply the concepts that were discussed in class, particularly in regard to the practical aspects of the branding process. I have also drawn from a wide variety of online sources as also from my personal experience of being a gourmet fan myself. In the presentation, logos of globally successful brands have been depicted after making extensive online research and applying theoretical concepts to the real world.

In addition, I have also spoken to my peers and friends in the university as well as outside in order to understand what they as consumers search for and expect while ordering food. I also got their feedback on what they expect from a food service in the context of getting a holistic gourmet experience. In doing this exercise I realized that branding is a holistic and comprehensive approach to marketing and promoting a product or service and that it is successful if it creates aspirations in consumers to want more of the food item, which in turn will make them return repeatedly and to thus become loyal customers.

My endeavors in adopting the best possible brand strategy for Global Pantry created the desire in me to take concrete measures in ensuring that the taste lingers in the mouth much after the food has been consumed. In addition, I aimed at making consumer experiences so fulfilling that they would automatically associate Global Pantry with the words awesome, delightful, fulfilling, and sharing which is exactly what I want them to experience through my branding strategy. Indeed, the fact that a brand tells a story is very much the case here as I aim to etch a sketch of what stories I want to tell. It is therefore fair to say that not only have I learnt the elements of branding, I have also learnt how to create a compelling story Wanting Yu

4

Portfolio Strategy | First Case Study

line for my brand in terms of describing the experience, instead of just describing the food service. I have drawn extensively from the course material and have conducted exhaustive research on the internet. As can be seen from the presentation, the project has used many graphic images and reviews of existing brands that are successful and can be taken as inspirations for my project.

Moreover, I have also applied some of the knowledge that I have gained from the course in terms of how promotions should be done. For example, my presentation describes how the Global Pantry would advertise itself by highlighting the USP or Unique Selling Proposition on which it is based. The USP of Global Pantry is that it appeals to all the five senses and is aimed at transforming the experience of consuming food, while also changing the ways in which consumers experience gourmet delights. The twin aspects of creating experiences and the unique feelings of experiencing are at the core of the branding philosophy of Global Pantry. With a unique and one of a kind business model based on bringing international food delights to local palates while ensuring that all categories of consumers are targeted irrespective of age, gender, race, class, or ethnicity, Global Pantry aims to create a success story in which all are invited and none are turned away in the process of creating, “More Joy and consuming, and sharing food and exchanging meaningful in stories in the process.

I have made it a point to draw from the every bit of literature about how to distinguish oneself from competition and how to learn from food.” exceptionally successful branding case studies, -WANTING YU some of which I have used in the presentation to illustrate what I am; how I intend to do the things I say; and above all, my raison d’être of existence. In effect, I can say with confidence that the heart of each brand is what makes it tick and what ensures that it lives in the consumers’ minds and hearts. Indeed, my knowledge of branding strategies attained from the course materials and from Wanting Yu

October 19, 2016

Global Pantry is going make every meal educated and insightful.

5

Portfolio Strategy | First Case Study

October 19, 2016

Global Pantry is going to make every meal meaningful.

online research is that a central theme exists for each brand and much like the soul that animates us, this heart of the branding strategy is the essence of what the branding story conveys. The essence of branding for a company is to ensure that consumers value its goods and services more than the goods and services of its competitors. It is in this context that Global Pantry aims to create a dedicated and loyal customer base that would keep coming back for its product offerings.

I can confirm that all these aspects are reflected in the branding of Global Pantry, wherein I have tried to get across the message that eating its food is not only associated with good taste and good quality (though these are highly important), but also with creating experiences and actualizing the process of experiencing for each person who consumes the Global Pantry food. Indeed, I wish to ensure that such unique and compelling aspects of my customers’ experiences would result in my continued success through the provision of culinary delights and gourmet foods.

As I have mentioned earlier, the aim of Global Pantry is to become the brand of choice for those who want to feel that they are at home away from home and to eat food in the same way in which their Grandma would have prepared. Therefore, by making them relive their domestic/native food experience and by helping them in tiding over the nostalgia associated with eating food items they would have otherwise consumed back home, I want to create a feeling of satisfaction and fulfillment for them through offerings of Global Pantry.

In conclusion, I would like to say that I have used the three elements of consistency, consideration, and coherence in attempts to make an elaborate explanation of the key themes of my branding strategy, the methods that I would use to create a compelling story and the common theme or the essence that characterizes the Branding Strategy of Global Pantry.

Wanting Yu

6