832: Brand Strategy 101: Market and Product Research, Product Design, and Brand Awareness with Michael Keplinger

How do well-known products become well-known? Did they succeed ‘coincidentally’ and became viral or have they employed a brand strategy to make things happen? A LOT of things goes into the process of creating a product. From conducting market research, designing and formulating the product, to its packaging, time and effort are heavily invested to craft such “art.”

Michael Keplinger is the founder of SmashBrand, an agile brand strategy agency that specializes in market research, product design, and testing for consumer-packaged goods. Today, Michael shares his expertise in building successful CPG brands, highlighting the importance of leveraging partnerships, conducting thorough consumer research, and taking a strategic approach to branding and packaging to differentiate products in crowded marketplaces.

Quotes

“Usually, when you do well and serve an underserved need, other people will come and do the same thing.” - Michael Keplinger

“The hard part, which will be difficult to find anyone to do well for you, is the other pieces: the branding and the consumer perception.” - Michael Keplinger

“The key is to be reactive and quick in trying to correct things. Of course, trying to avoid them in the first place is also quite important.” - Michael Keplinger

Takeaways

06:31 Testing and validating brand concepts and packaging designs with consumers is an essential step to reduce risk and ensure the final product resonates in the market.

07:21 Leveraging partnerships and expertise can help startups streamline product development and focus on the critical branding and marketing elements to drive success.

09:27 Launching a new product on Amazon comes with unique challenges and being proactive and responsive to the platform's rules and regulations is crucial to avoid costly mistakes.

13:40 Crafting a successful CPG brand requires a deep understanding of the target consumer and strategically differentiating the product through branding and packaging.

21:29 Established mid-range CPG brands need to make bold changes to stay relevant and fend off competition from nimble challenger brands.

Resources

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 23:28 — 21.7MB) | Embed

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Filed in: Archive 4: 2020-2023 • Interview • Podcast

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