The contemporary global market is showing rapid transformation with the influence of digital technology impacting consumer behaviour and extensive globalization. According to Vredenburg et al. (2020), addressing the changes in consumer attitudes and service sectors, business organizations are focusing on developing effective marketing strategies that can incorporate these changes to create higher degrees of customer attraction and retention. However, one of the leading global ice cream manufacturing and retailing companies Ben and Jerry’s also emphasizes creating value through effective branding approaches in the European market. With the incorporation of new marketing strategies by identifying the service developments and customer preferences, the company needs to focus on a wide range of factors that can enhance its brand awareness of the company.

Part A

Ben and Jerry’s Brand Analysis

Brand portfolio

Formed in 1978, in Burlington, USA, Ben and Jerry’s has created a significant market positioning through the quality products of ice cream, sorbet, and frozen yogurt. The company significantly focuses on innovations in product design and quality by offering organic frozen food products in the global market. However, the branding of the company signifies a wide range of messages through its different product lines focusing on quality products with social and environmental engagement. The company operates as an independent subsidiary of the leading global conglomerate brand Unilever (Craven-Matthews et al. 2021). Apart from that, the brand portfolio of the company refers to the diverse product lines in the ice cream and yogurt segment through innovative approaches to product design.

Critical analysis of brand elements

Figure 1: Brand symbol of Ben and Jerry’s

(Source: Sofiebartels-BJs. 2022)

Brand name: The brand name of the company signifies the company with a mild tone of friendship and collective efforts conveyed to the audience.

Brand symbol: The brand symbol of Ben and Jerry’s is one of the crucial brand elements which symbolizes simplicity and authenticity in the food processing market to attract people throughout the world.

Brand logo: The logo of the company shows a friendly approach through the fonts written ‘Ben and Jerry’s on a black background. This logo expresses the products and matches the branding messages to attract potential customers (Sofiebartels-BJs. 2022).

Brand packaging and colors: Colourful product packaging is another strong branding approach for frozen products. Packaging through environmentally sustainable materials is important for the brand to create value for the customers in the competitive market.

Part B

Market Identification

Identification of current trends in the sector

With the emergence of extensive health consciousness and environmental sustainability, the food processing sector is focusing on designing new products by incorporating innovations. However, Ben and Jerry’s branding significantly follows these trends based on the market dynamics and demand for the products. Apart from that, the current market is also showing a significant shift towards e-commerce retailing as this approach has the potential to create a higher degree of customer convenience. However, the market in Germany is showing the emergence of demand for dairy-free ice creams with the rising trends of veganism. According to Landikhovskaya and Tvorogova, (2021), this factor is a crucial element for branding the company to create diversity in the product lines and attract a wider range of customer base in the competitive market. Compared to that, the Italian market is currently showing the avoidance of rich protein and other additives in ice cream. However, changing customer attitudes and preferences are playing a crucial role in marketing and product development in the global ice cream market.

Identification of future opportunities in the European market

Europe is currently holding an ice cream market valuation of $21.7 which is projected to grow by a CAGR of 4.8% on average within 2030 (Renub.com. 2022). Extensive innovation in product design and enhancement in services through e-commerce retailing is influencing the market significantly. However, the market trends show that there is a huge opportunity to develop dairy-free products in the European market as the region is showing a rapid growth in veganism. Focusing on this fact and the rising health consciousness among a large population, products focusing on natural ingredients are important. On the other hand, the recent developments in the food retail sector show there is a significant opportunity in the omnichannel distribution of products which can attract a wide range of customers in the business.

Part C

Recommended brand extension outline

The current market analysis shows the importance of new branding approaches for dairy-free products which can gain enormous attention in this rising trend of veganism in different countries. Countries like Germany, Spain, France, Norway, and Sweden have shown significant growth in the trend of veganism which needs to be addressed by the branding strategies of Ben and Jerry’s. However, the brand extension of the company signifies the incorporation of dairy-free products like Chocolate Fudge Brownie, Americone Dream, or other product innovations to enhance the acceptance among potential customers.

Identification of the value generation approaches for the target consumers

The brand extension of Ben and Jerry’s needs to focus on the current trends in the market and future opportunities which signify the incorporation of a vegan customer base in the global ice cream business. Evaluating consumer preferences and attitudes toward dairy products need to be assessed and offer them better products with quality that have no dairy ingredients (Morse, 2021). Identifying the target consumer group of vegans and elderly who have health or digestive issues needs to be incorporated into future branding approaches.

4Ps of marketing of the company

Figure 2: 4Ps of marketing of Ben and Jerry’s

(Source: Mizik and Hanssens, 2018)

Product

The products need to meet the preferences of a wide range of customers. In the case of Ben and Jerry’s needs to focus on product innovation by evaluating the demand of vegans to create value and brand extension (Mizik and Hanssens, 2018).

Price

Ben and Jerry’s has the potential to create a competitive pricing strategy due to its effective brand positioning in the market. On the other hand, a flexible pricing approach through credit periods or discounts with larger quantities is another effective approach for attracting diverse customers.

Place

Omnichannel distribution and e-commerce retailing have the potential to create a brand extension for the company. On the other hand, the implementation of effective inventory management and logistics systems through enhanced digital communication can enhance service efficiency leading to creating value for the target customers.

Promotion

Social media marketing and direct marketing are playing a vital role in dairy-free products (Adeola and Olaniyi, 2022). It can significantly enhance the branding capacity of Ben and Jerry’s by communicating with a wide range of customers directly.

Part D

Ben and Jerry’s Brand Equity

Identification of current brand equity of Ben and Jerry by Keller’s CBBE model

Figure 3: Keller’s CBBE model for identifying brand equity

(Source: Stukalina and Pavlyuk, 2021)

Keller’s Customer-based Brand Equity model signifies a wide range of perspectives on the current brand equity of Ben and Jerry’s.

Level one as brand Identity: The current European market of ice cream shows that Ben and Jerry’s has a strong brand presence in the market (Stukalina and Pavlyuk, 2021). The legacy of the business and its organic food products with premium quality is playing a vital role.

Level two is Brand Meaning: The consistent quality and reliability of the customers across the world show the effective brand performance of the company. Apart from that, the imagery signifies that the company is effective in achieving individual needs through the products.

Level three as Brand Response: Though Ben and Jerry’s has a risk of being judged by the customers due to its comparatively higher price than the general ice cream brands, the brand has been able to attract positive feelings from a wide range of customers.

Level four is Brand Resonance: Ben and Jerry’s shows a significant superior positioning through a large number of loyal customers in the European market. This factor signifies a strong relationship between the customers with the brand which refers to the empowerment of a diverse range of customers by creating value in the market.

Critical discussion on the impact of the proposed brand extension approach on enhancing the brand equity of the company

Keller’s CBBE model shows that Ben and Jerry’s has the potential to create a positive impact through brand extension by ough dairy-free products and innovations in product development. According to Boaro, (2021), focusing on customer experience and satisfaction, business organizations Ben and Jerry’s marketing approach effectively forecast the market demand by analyzing customer profiles and trends on social media. On the other hand, the d equity of shows that it can be able to enhance the diversity of the business through the sustainability approach by the products and attract a diverse range of customers to the business in the future market.

Conclusion

It is to be concluded that the current market of ice cream in Europe is showing a significant inclination toward low-calorie options and organic ingredients and processing. The brand equity of Ben and Jerry’s is focusing on attracting new customers and retaining valuable customers by providing new products according to the customers’ preferences to create value in the market.

Report

Introduction

As the current global market is rapidly changing due to changing consumer behavior and the extensive degree of globalization, the incorporation of new branding strategies is important to evaluate the business. According to Nunan et al. (2020), developments in digital technology are influencing different business sectors significantly which signifies the new marketing approaches to create a positive response in the competitive market. Identifying the current trends is crucially important for businesses to create value in the future market. Leading ice cream business organizations like Ben and Jerry’s is going through significant pressure in the global market which signifies an effective approach towards branding is needed for the company to create growth and sustainability. However, the business legacy of the company shows significant superior positioning in the European market which needs to create an effective brand extension to attract and retain a diverse range of customers to the business. This report focuses on critically analyzing the European market to create new product developments and marketing approaches that can create value for the consumers as well as for the business.

Part A

Brand Analysis of Ben and Jerry’s

The brand portfolio of the company

The American company Ben and Jerry’s has created a significant leading position in the global market through their premium quality ice cream that can create value for a large and diverse range of customers. Since its establishment in Burlington, Vermont, in 1978, Ben and Jerry’s has established a commanding market position thanks to its premium ice cream, sorbet, and frozen yogurt offerings. By providing organic frozen food products on the international market, the company places a substantial emphasis on advancements in product design and quality (Ben and Jerry’s- Values. 2022). However, the company’s branding conveys a variety of messages through its various product lines, with a focus on high-quality goods with social and environmental participation. The company’s brand portfolio refers to the many product lines in the ice cream and yogurt category through creative product design strategies. The business organization also works as an independent subsidiary for the leading foods and FMCG business organization Unilever. However, the business operations through different subbrands for different product lines ensure a higher degree of diversity in the business.

Critical analysis of brand elements of Ben and Herry’s

Figure 1: Products and logo of Ben and Jerry’s

(Source: van Doorn et al. 2020)

The brand elements of Ben and Jerry’s signify the effective communication for the organic ice cream products with a variety of ranges that can create value for a wide range of customers. The marketing approaches of the company emphasize effective communication to build trust and well-being for the customers to influence them positively.

Brand name: The brand name of the company signifies a friendly attitude with communicating the value of collective effort throughout the business. As the business deals with luxury food products of premium quality ice cream, this factor plays a vital role in word-of-mouth promotion and brand awareness (van Doorn et al. 2020).

Brand logo: The brand logo of Ben and Jerry’s constitutes positivity through friendly fonts with a black background. The classic fonts of the company convey happiness and engage a large number of people with the brand.

Brand symbol: The brand symbol of the company refers to conveying organic products with a higher degree of quality with a value of quality foods like ice cream (Sofiebartels-BJs. 2022). Apart from that, the incorporation of the values of sustainable ingredients and overall product design allows for creating a positive impression among a diverse range of audiences.

Packaging and colors: Ben and Jerry’s effectively focuses on environmental sustainability in its products and packaging. Utilizing environmentally sustainable materials for food processing and packaging is creating a positive impact among consumers all across the world.

Part B

Market Identification for Ben and Jerry

Identification of current trends in the European ice cream business sector

The recent trends in the ice cream business sector show a significant level of consciousness in health and environmental sustainability. These factors are significantly playing a crucial role in the development of the products and service design. However, identifying the inclination of a large number of customers, and evaluating their preferences is important for effective branding (Bavyko and Bondarchuk, 2019). The European market is showing a significant inclination towards dairy-free ice cream products due to the emergence of veganism. In addition, there is a noticeable change in the market today toward e-commerce selling because it can increase customer convenience. But as veganism becomes more popular, the German market is exhibiting an increase in demand for dairy-free ice cream. This aspect is effectively transforming the products and marketing strategies and driving advancements in the industry. However, the incorporation of the market demand and consumers’ attitudes is playing a crucial role in the recent developments. For example, the Italian market is currently exhibiting an avoidance of ice cream that contains added sugar and other high-protein ingredients (Michalak, 2019). But in the worldwide ice cream business, marketing, and product development are becoming increasingly important due to shifting consumer attitudes and tastes. However, Ben and Jerry’s is now focusing on integrating these changes in consumer behavior and needs to develop new product lines that can create value for a wide range of consumers in the European market.

Identification of future opportunities in the European market for the ice cream business

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Figure 2: Market share of dairy-free ice cream in the different regional markets

(Source: Grandviewresearch.com. 2022)

The recent trends show that the demand for dairy-free ice cream is rapidly rising in the global market. The European ice cream market is currently holding around 23% of dairy-free ice cream products in the overall ice cream market (Grandviewresearch.com. 2022). On the other hand, Europe is considered one of the fastest-growing dairy-free ice cream markets ensuring a CAGR growth rate of around 10.7%. However, Europe’s ice cream market is currently valued at $21.7 and is expected to expand by a CAGR of 4.8 percent on average by 2030. (Renub.com. 2022). In contrast, market trends indicate that there is a significant opportunity to create dairy-free goods for the European market, where veganism is expanding quickly. The market is being greatly impacted by significant innovation in product development and enhancement in services through e-commerce shopping due to the implementation of digital technology.

Part C

Recommended Brand Extension for Ben and Jerry’s

In light of the growing veganism trend in many nations, the present market analysis highlights the significance of innovative branding strategies for dairy-free products. A tendency toward dairy-free products is evident in some nations where consumer attitudes are changing quickly. According to Papenfuss, (2019), Ben and Jerry’s branding tactics need to take into account the huge development in the vegan movement in nations including Spain, Germany, France, Turkey, Sweden, and the Netherlands. To increase acceptance among potential customers, the company’s brand extension needs to focus on dairy-free product innovation which can fulfill the needs of a large number of potential customers.

Recommended brand extension outline of the company

Ben and Jerry’s needs to create value through new products and marketing approaches that value the dairy-free approaches and the vegans to expand the customer base in Europe. Focusing on dairy-free products like Chocolate Fudge Brownies or other product developments with quality will enhance the value of the brand and create a positive response among a large number of customers. To incorporate this customer segment, the company is required to implement effective pricing and distribution strategy which can enhance consumer convenience and attract potential customers (Morse, 2021). The market evaluation shows that the target consumers of dairy-free products are inclined toward quality of life which needs to be focused on marketing messages and branding approaches in the competitive market.

Identification of the value generation approaches by identifying target consumers

4Ps of marketing of Ben and Jerry’s

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Figure 2: 4Ps of marketing of Ben and Jerry’s

(Source: Mizik and Hanssens, 2018)

The marketing mix of Ben and Jerry’s signifies the incorporation of a wide range of organizational approaches that can create value for a wide range of customers. Focusing on the customer-centric approaches, this factor is playing a vital role in creating superior brand positioning and profitability for the company.

Product

Emphasizing quality and diversity in product lines is a crucial factor for Ben and Jerry’s. The company has the potential to provide premium quality products to its diverse range of customers which can effectively create value for them.

Price

Ben and Jerry’s focuses on the competitive pricing structure for its wide range of products in the market (Mizik and Hanssens, 2018). Apart from that, flexible pricing with discounts and loyalty programs is another strong approach in the competitive market.

Place

The popularity of e-commerce is influencing the distribution approaches of products in a significant way. Apart from that, developing an omnichannel approach for distributing a wide range of products is an effective marketing approach (Young, 2020).

Promotion

Ben and Jerry’s is significantly focusing on social media promotion to create a higher degree of engagement with potential customers. Apart from that promotional campaigns through digital media platforms and word-of-mouth play a vital role in the branding of Ben and Jerry’s.

Part D

Brand Equity of Ben and Jerry’s

Keller’s CBBE model for understanding the current Brand Equity of the company

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/MC5gatKGd6Ruj7fbKMO9FIk0xOILoA5eZ-ybEsQN70YlO0oqXOdEFPlBP1C589PmRxS7UwHIFPJ8oadbNmchkXpCq07e1e_lLNW7zNrE7h3OG5ALHBLPzfAcvW6Ot4fuTb6Lms_bD9FkVt9mltepqAI

Figure 3: Keller’s CBBE model focuses on the brand equity of Ben and Jerry’s

(Source: Brand audit blog. 2022)

Brand identity

In the present ice cream market in Europe, Ben and Jerry’s is a well-known brand. However, the current transforming market shows significant momentum for organic ice cream products by creating significant demand in the market. According to Mussel et al. (2019), the company’s position and its high-quality organic food products are crucial factors.

Brand meaning

Customers’ worldwide consistency and dependability demonstrate the company’s successful brand performance. Ben and Jerry’s brand, on the other hand, stands for the significance of goods that can add value for consumers (Brand audit blog. 2022). In addition, the brand image shows how well the business can meet customers’ demands with its products.

Brand response

In the worldwide ice cream market, Ben & Jerry’s has a large corporate legacy that is crucial to the positioning of the brand. Even though Ben and Jerry’s is more expensive than other ice cream companies and so runs the danger of being judged by consumers, the brand has been successful in eliciting favorable reactions from a variety of consumers.

Brand resonance

Through a sizable number of devoted clients in the European market, Ben & Jerry’s has a significantly higher position in the competitive market through brand relationships. Opined by Omar and Jørgensen, (2020), the large customer base of the company denotes a strong relationship between the brand’s consumers and its target market, which alludes to the empowerment of a broad spectrum of customers by adding value to the market.

Critical discussion on the proposed brand extension approach for enhancing the brand equity of Ben and Jerry’s

The integration of current market positioning and Ben and Jerry’s brand image demonstrates a firm hold in the European market. According to Keller’s CBBE model, Ben and Jerry’s can have a positive influence by extending its brand with dairy-free items and product development advances (Key et al. 2021). Business organizations like Ben and Jerry’s marketing strategy effectively forecast market demand by analyzing customer profiles and trends on social media, with a big focus on customer experience and happiness. Opined by Craven-Matthews et al. (2021), brand equity demonstrates that it is capable of enhancing the diversity of the business through the products and luring a wide variety of clients to the firm in the future market.

Conclusion

It is to be concluded that Ben and Jerry’s has a significant business opportunity by addressing the trends of dairy-free ice cream and organic products. Critically analyzing the opportunities and brand equity of the company, this report has the potential to create strategic decision-making for the company that can expand the business growth in the target market of the business.

References

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Report:

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