Essay on Branding
The contemporary business environment stimulate companies to conduct more aggressive business strategies oriented on the creation of the attractive brand, while branding has become a part of the marketing strategy of many companies. In actuality, companies cannot ignore their branding policy, if they want to maintain a successful competitive position because customers often view brand as the determinant factor that influences their decisions. As a result, the brand popularity can determine the overall success of the company in the market. At this point, it is possible to refer to the case of Natural Kitchen, the company operating in restaurant and food industry. At the moment, the company considers the possibility of the accelerated brand development to enhance its competitive position and attract new customers. The shift toward the intensive implementation of the new branding strategy has become the result of tightening competition in the industry and increased demands from the part of customers, who look for reputable and reliable brands. In such a situation, the creation of the popular and attractive brand by Natural Kitchen can put the company in an advantageous position compared to its rivals. This is why Natural Kitchen should focus on the further development of its branding strategy and create a popular and attractive brand to maintain its competitive position through the attraction of customers and developing their loyalty to the brand.
Background and industry context
Natural Kitchen is the company operating in the food and restaurant industry. Natural Kitchen has the main shop in Marylebone High Street, with a further two in Holborn & Tower Hill. In addition, the company has its café and restaurant business. The company focuses on the development of its food “to go” or “eat in” which offer a large selection of seasonal salads, quiches, soups, sandwiches, cakes and sweets, etc. These are complemented by freshly made juices, smoothies, milkshakes, teas & coffees. The company also offers catering which provides full catering and events services as well as personal catering. Moreover, the company has its own chef and butchers which sell a wide range of high quality free range & organic meats.
In such a way, the company focuses on the diversification of its products offering a variety of food products that are attractive for customers. The current situation in the market is quite challenging for the business development of Natural Kitchen but still the company has good opportunities for the further business development on the condition of keeping customers interested in the brand of the company and its products (Mohrman, 2008). Today, customers are interested in healthy food products and Natural Kitchen can offer them such products. However, supplying healthy products means that they have to be seasonal wherever possible. Moreover, they should be organic that means that they should be supplied by farmers, who implement the organic farming which does not admit the use of chemicals and other elements which may be dangerous for the environment or human health. Instead, they use natural elements only that makes their products organic and, therefore, healthy, safe, and environment friendly.
Another trend in the food industry is the free range of products. The elimination of fiscal barriers stimulates the fast development of free trade internationally. As a result, new products enter the UK food market and customers have virtually no limits on purchasing any product which they want and can buy in the food market today. At the same time, the quality of food products becomes prior to their quantity because customers grow more and more concerned about their health that means that the food they eat should be healthy too. In such a situation, the food industry faces back to basics trends, when the industry returns back towards simpler food. Alternatively, some companies introduce “new” superfoods which are supposed to be safe and healthy.
Competitors
At the moment, the competition in the food industry of the UK grows tighter because customers grow more and more concerned about their health, while food is crucial for the health of customers. As a result, they prefer healthy food to conventional food supplied by the industrial farming and companies selling those products. In such a situation, Natural Kitchen and its rivals take a very prospective and attractive niche in the food market. To meet the growing demand, many companies enter the healthy food market that tightens the competition in the industry. In actuality, Daylesford Organic is one of the major rivals of Natural Kitchen. The company operates successfully and holds a strong position in the UK market being of the major powers that threaten to the position of Natural Kitchen as the leader of the organic, healthy food industry. At the same time, other healthy take-away places also create a strong rivalry which Natural Kitchen has to deal with to maintain its successful marketing performance.
Rationale for the brand’s evolution
In the time of the tightening competition and new business opportunities, the company has to develop its brand and implement its aggressive, new branding policy to realize its full potential and take a stronger position in the highly competitive market. In such a situation, the brand evolution is essential to maintain the successful business development of Natural Kitchen. Otherwise, the company will steadily lose its position in the market and eventually the company may become unable to compete successfully, if it fails to enhance its brand over and over again.
At the moment the company faces a number of threats, among which the emergence of many healthy alternatives is one of the main challenges to the current position of Natural Kitchen that requires the evolution of its brand and enhancement of its position in the market. In addition, the company faces internal problems. For instance, the Café & Restaurant is very noisy from the “kitchen”. Therefore, customers feel uncomfortable because the noise from the kitchen interferes into the communication and makes them feel tired soon, when they enter the Café & Restaurant. Furthermore, the Café & Restaurant should be at the same floor to create a better atmosphere. The creation of a warm, family-like atmosphere can help the company to attract more customers and develop the customer loyalty, if the company creates the image of the café & restaurant that is oriented on families. Therefore, children will develop the tradition of attending the café and restaurant and may continue attending it in their adult life. Another problem the company faces at the moment is no hot food to takeaway. In such a way, customers, who may be willing to buy hot food to takeaway, may feel disappointed because the company cannot offer such products at the moment. In fact, the company has to stand out and differentiate its products and services from those of rivals and branding can help the company to create the new public image of the company that may attract more customers.
In actuality, the company has a number of opportunities, which the new brand strategy can help to implement and give the company a strategic competitive advantage. At the moment, the company can expand in the UK nationwide to become one of the leaders in the industry. In a long-run perspective, the company can expand to other countries and operate internationally. In this regard, the popularity of healthy food grows stronger and the company can take advantage and expand its business internationally. In addition, the company can complete the transition from sell groceries to luxury supermarket, take a new niche of the market and entering the premium segment of the market. The company can develop the daily meal delivery to attract more customers and increase the customer satisfaction. However, to conduct the branding evolution more successfully, the company should develop more advertisement and use advertisement to promote the new brand. The advertisement will attract more customers and help the company to enhance its position in the market. Moreover, the advertisement will help Natural Kitchen to create a recognizable brand.
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