Repositioning a Budget Brand from Placeholder to Powerhouse

A multi-phase mixed methods research study was conducted to understand how current customers shop, what factors might encourage prospective customers to shop the brand and how general consumers perceive the brand. The research methodology included:

• A series of in-person “shop-along” interviews with customers as they made purchasing decisions in real time.
• A series of virtual interviews with non-customers about their perceptions of the brand.
• An online survey consisting of two distinct audiences:
  • 1,000 customers who had purchased the brand within the past month
  • 1,600 non-customers who shopped with competitor brands
• Shopping habits, brand awareness and real-time decision- making, using a pricing simulation.

Our research uncovered clear guidance for how our client’s budget tier brand could better compete. Our team was able to:

• Show how modest price fluctuations could significantly shift shopper choices.
• Reveal that loyalty and retention messaging was far more effective than value messaging alone.
• Highlight strong brand health metrics to show how well-positioned the brand was to capitalize on shoppers seeking generic budget brands.