In a digital-heavy and data-driven marketplace, many brands have put themselves in a better position by undertaking large-scale digital transformation projects aimed at better understanding who is buying their products and more fully utilising all the data they have at their disposal.
Hill’s Pet, for example, is a brand that puts the consumer at the centre of all strategy and activity, meeting their increased demand for authenticity and personalisation. The famous pet food company sells products in more than 40 countries and generates roughly £1.91 billion in revenue annually. Successfully focusing on its two primary audiences — pet parents and pet professionals — has helped Hill’s tailor its messaging and engagement strategies to build meaningful customer relationships.
“We’re obsessed with this idea of the gravity of a notion where we’re pulling customers closer to us. And in doing so, we understand the messages that really resonate with them and the mechanics and the life journeys that they’re going through. So, we’re really super obsessed with the data, but also our intellectual or emotional intelligence on what message will work the best, and what are people really wanting out of a brand? I think those are the distinct areas that we’re looking at on a day-to-day basis that make up the overall strategy,” says Keith Lehman, Global Digital Strategy Lead, Hill’s Pet (Colgate-Palmolive).
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Customer-obsessed for success
So what is Hill’s Pet’s secret for success? Let’s take a look at some key takeaways from their overarching strategy.
- Understanding your consumers is the most important thing: Today’s landscape is markedly different than it was even ten years ago. Cookies are dying. People are flocking to the internet at historic levels, which isn’t going to slow down any time soon. And they’re expecting brands to stand out from each other. So, what option do CPG brands have?We cannot rely on Facebook and Google anymore for the large, third-party data. We have to establish a more creative way, utilising our emotional intelligence to get in front of people. We have to really flex our muscles in the areas we excel in. For Hill’s, the brand lives and breathes pet culture, and they love what their audience loves. And, to a degree, you can use data, and you can use this information to understand all of the who, where and whys. But the color of the walls or the emotional, the way that you portray your brand, those are going to come from the hearts and minds of marketers to audiences.You can only go so far with your data and understanding who is resonating well with it, but you can use data to directionally steer your marketing strategy. And then, you use your data to determine if the strategy worked or not.
You have to be in tune with the calls that are coming in, the posts that people are saying about how happy or how mad they are with your product or your service. It’s data sure, but even more important, are the people behind the data.
- Lock down a loyalty program: If you don’t have a loyalty program, you’re probably going to be left in the dust. It’s table stakes at this point. Loyalty programs help you create a sticking point that’s a little bit different than your competitor down the road. In this saturated CPG space, you have to stand out. Having a consumer message that’s going to resonate is one thing, but having value in the relationship is going to be another.The loyalty program that can tangibly describe how lucrative a relationship is with a brand is vitally important. People are looking for that. At the end of the day, they’re looking for something to hold onto. And for brands, that emotional connection can only go so far. Having a loyalty program from a brand level not only helps a brand take inventory of all the important elements, but it also helps them look to redefine their brand a little bit more, rather than pushing out messaging and spraying and praying.The consumer is looking for value, consistent value that keeps them coming back. They want to be rewarded for their loyalty. Loyalty is an invaluable metric. We have social listening, insights built out of search and more, but the next iteration is figuring out how to really categorise and measure loyalty.
- Get social: Using social media is a great way to connect with consumers in the CPG/MFCG space where we aren’t always directly selling to the consumer; sometimes they’re buying off the store shelf. The Hill’s Pet audience, in particular, is very vocal on social media. Pet culture goes alongside meme culture, and it is all about the cat and dog videos. It’s just utterly easy to share all of the great stories. Whether it’s the transformation story of a dog who was diagnosed with some type of cancer or some type of kidney issues, and some of the nutrition that helped bring them and revive them back – those are the stories that the brand focuses on.The brand utilises social data to help understand what the consumer is looking for. But for the most part, having those day-to-day conversations with people – not only consumers – but vet partners, retailers and e-commerce giants, having lucrative and very meaningful conversations with them is what the brand is about.
Conclusion
Building meaningful relationships is not about creating additional sales channels. The overarching goal is to put the consumer at the centre of the strategy, truly delivering on their demand for authenticity, convenience and personalised experiences from the brands they do business with.
Download Cheetah Digital’s guide to unlocking direct-to-consumer relationships in FMCG here.
