It is impossible to talk about 2020 without referring to changes. Changes to how we spent our time, changes to how we shopped, changes to how we selected which brands were for us. However, when we look at our biggest and best-performing brands, what is more striking is how much hasn’t changed at all.
Warburtons retains its crown as Britain’s most chosen brand, the same brands make up our top 10 as in 2019 and there is only one brand in our top 20 which wasn’t there two years ago. This speaks to the enduring power of our most-loved brands, something that was only enhanced by the disruption that has engulfed our lives since early 2020. It may sound like a cliché that in a crisis we reach for what we know and trust, but it was certainly true in March 2020 when seven out of ten number one brands grew share within their categories.
The characteristics of a winning brand have also remained consistent. It is simply that the importance of some of those characteristics was amplified in 2020.
Firstly, the agility to react to a shift in demand was crucial in the early days of the pandemic. Initially this minimised the number of potential buyers who were faced with an empty shelf. And later it allowed brands to capitalise on the burgeoning opportunity in e-commerce; 60% of growth in take-home grocery in the last year has been online.
Secondly, having the key attributes which make your brand the natural choice for consumers less inclined to dwell at fixtures. The hygiene credentials of Carex and Dettol (with Consumer Reach Points growing 85% and 20% year on year respectively) are prime examples of this.
Finally, the intangible but fundamental power of mental availability, however you achieve it. This is was one of the factors behind Corona beer growing CRPs by 61% over the course of the year.
