Background
We are a challenger brand agency and Brady Family Ham is the ultimate challenger brand. When we first started working together in 2012 they were 7th in the pre-cooked sliced ham market place behind other established brands such as Denny, Shaws, Galtee and Carrolls, They had lots of ambition.
Strategy
To succeed as a challenger brand we have four simple rules
- Be yourself – don’t try to be your competitor. You will only end up promoting them and they won’t thank you for it.
- Shake up the market – introduce points of difference or measures that will change the change the way the consumer considers the brands in the category. We had three such measures
- 100% Irish
- No added water
- One pork joint
- Focus, focus, focus – You can’t be all things to all men.
- Use your communications to stand out – see creative below
Creative
Most sectors tend to speak with one voice. Ham brands liked to show happy family consumption scenes or recount historical foundation stories. This gave Brady Family, the challenger brand, a real opportunity to stand out. So we made sure that our campaign communicated with a uniquely Brady Family tone of voice. One that would not be confused with the competition.
Media
Focus, focus, focus. Challenger brands focus their media and their message on that part of the market most likely to achieve results. We used TV, radio, online and outdoor.
Results
After 2 brand and several supporting tactical campaigns over a 5 year period Brady Family Ham is now the 2nd most popular ham in the market. It is now an established favourite of Irish families. The brand also entered the Checkout Top 100 brands where it continues to climb towards the top spot.