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to market outside of your niche , in the bigger picture it makes perfect sense : if you want your product to reach a bigger audience , you need to cast a wider marketing net .
One brand that Organic Monitor cites as a particularly successful example of this concept in Europe has been the organic chocolate brand Green & Black ’ s . Guided by parent company Mondelez International , the brand launched a $ 3 million television campaign to promote its organic and fair trade-certified chocolates in an effort to build a more mainstream market following . The payoff has been significant : “ sales of the green brand have increased over tenfold from USD 7 million in 2002 .”
Meanwhile Annie ’ s Homegrown stands out as a notable success story in the United States . By moving beyond specialty store shelves into mainstream supermarket shelves , then positioning itself as the more ethical and healthful choice compared to other supermarket options , the brand managed to parlay its niche status from $ 7 million revenue in the 1990s into $ 170 million annual revenue , a successful IPO , and a lucrative General Mills acquisition .
“... in terms of organic foods , a brand may not want to consider low-end retailers where the price premium is significantly
larger ”
- Amarjit Sahota
Of course , it ’ s not always as easy as it looks to break into the mainstream market . There are both institutional and mental challenges that can preclude a brand from reaching a widespread audience . According to Organic Monitor , one major challenge that a brand can face when deciding on a mass marketing strategy is channel selection .
“ The price premium of green products makes this an issue — in terms of organic foods , a brand may not want to consider low-end retailers where the price premium is significantly larger ,” says Organic Monitor founder Amarjit Sahota . “ In this respect , many organic
16 June 2015