Client description: Tier one automotive supplier

Practice area: Market Research and Analysis

Geographic scope: US, UK, Germany

Industries involved: Automotive

Services applied: Competitive Intelligence, Multi Country Study

Business challenge: Automotive supplier focused on OEMs wanted to engage in a new ingredient branding campaign to target consumers. To do so, client needed business intelligence on competitor marketing, value proposition, media coverage, and promotional & targeting strategies to develop a benchmark that could justify marketing tactics and spending.

Methodologies: Exhaustive secondary research on industry advertising and targeting supported by telephone in-depth interviews (IDIs) with thought leaders, competitors, OEMs, and automotive ad/marketing agencies. Further insights were obtained through media spend data and attendance to technological symposiums and the 2016 North American International Auto Show.

The result: Client received a full report with detailed information of where and when ingredient branding occurs and which are the most likely ingredient branding scenarios. Report included a full profile and SWOT analysis per competitor, assessing strategies used in positioning, messaging, marketing, segmentation, spending and potential opportunities.

Research revealed that there were limited examples of ingredient marketing in the automotive space and there was no evidence of how successful it was for suppliers and OEMs. Based on findings, client was advised to proceed with caution if they were to pursue an ingredient marketing strategy with OEMs. Recommendations were made to build on their brand equity first, pick segments of greatest potential, partner with the OEM offering to share advertising and tell a great story.