What the Client says...

In conversation with Brian McGurk about the effectiveness of brand building

Brand Name: Living Flavour
Brand Owner: Mark Long, Managing Director, Highfield Nurseries

Does Branding Work?

“Branding works whether you’re in a recession or not as it puts product in front of the public. Living Flavour has gone from being just a herb to being a product that the customer wants to know how to care for. The brand enables the process of giving information back to the public. In addition, Living Flavour is changing people’s perceptions and preferences by offering a fresh, potted, living product that is all about enjoying flavour, as a new alternative to traditional cut herbs.”

Is Branding for Everyone?

“Branding is not for everyone. It depends on the product and what you want to do to it. Branding enables you to add value to the product through information.”

Why did you Decide to Create a Herb Brand?

“I have been growing and selling fresh herbs in large volumes for 2 years – since 2007. I decided to create a herb brand because there was no herb brand on the market, and I wanted to differentiate our product from the rest. Living Flavour is now the only herb brand on the market. Everything else is own-brand. And whilst herbs are a relatively small category, retailers are now taking this category much more seriously than before.”

What Competitor Activity is there in the Market?

“There’s more competitor activity on the smaller pot herbs as, traditionally, these were imported, by which I mean that the full range wasn’t grown here in Ireland. Today, my company, Highfield Nurseries, grows everything – the full range of 12 varieties of herbs.”

What Consumer Trends are Impacting Today?

“The consumer is changing in two main ways: firstly, due to the recession, people are staying at home, and are cooking more; secondly, consumers are trying to recreate celebrity chefs’ dishes. So, consumers are more interested and demanding these days, and are returning to traditional home values as, classically, represented by the cooking of the family meal.”

What Impact has The Brand had on Sales Growth?

“Since the Easter launch (13th June 2009), our sales have trebled across all retail sectors: including multiples such as Dunnes Stores, as well as in the Garden Centres. In comparison, in that period, sales of our range of Superquinn own-label product has remained the same although the Living Flavour ‘Lettuce Trio’ range is steadily growing in Superquinn. The reason for our sales growth has been the branding! Branding drives volume through the retail store by giving the shopper a strong visual presence. This gives the retailer more reason to keep the brand on their shelves, as it drives sales for them in the category.

In Dunnes Stores at Cornelscourt, for example, sales went from 40 cases per week pre-launch to 360 cases at launch – which was dramatically helped, of course, by an effective Easter promotion. Post-launch, Living Flavour sales in Dunnes Cornelscourt then settled at 50 cases per week but this has steadily grown to the current level of 120 cases per week (with each case holding six individual potted herb plants). This means that product sales have trebled because of the introduction of the brand, and proves that the Living Flavour is strongly connecting with today’s discerning and value-driven shopper.

Even without a product-stand, the smaller stores such as Dunnes Stores in Enniscorthy, have grown from one or two cases per week to 15 cases. Retailers are saying that sales are up 500% and that there’s also much less product wastage!”

What Impact has The Brand had on Margin Growth?

“The brand took the price-pressure off, as you’re increasing sales for the multiple, and buyers can see that it’s a premium product, so they’re happy to pay a premium for the brand. Since launching Living Flavour, we got a price increase and are holding it in today’s discount-driven climate. That’s down to the brand!”

What is The Key to Creating a Successful Brand?

“The vision! But also making sure to ask the right people for help. Both Bord Bia and Bradley McGurk really helped us along this brand-building journey. In the early 2000s, for example, we tried to go it alone and by creating our own ‘Celtic Plants’ brand, based on promoting Irish product to the Garden Centres, but we did that one in-house and it didn’t work for us.”

What are your Brand Hopes for the Future?

“My hope is that Living Flavour will drive more consumer knowledge, including on the uses of herbs, and also that we will successfully link new products onto the Living Flavour brand.”