Repositioning from meat brand to food brand

The key question: how to transform?

The meat sector is in transition: a growing number of consumers are switching to hybrid or vegetarian diets. Imperial saw this changing consumer behaviour as a challenge and wanted to guide its customers/butchers through this transformation. This implied that the brand had to reinvent itself just as much. iO to the rescue!

Together with Imperial and research partner Herman Toch of Flrisch, iO first took a closer look at the challenges and opportunities for both the brand and the sector.

The key question quickly emerged: how can a meat brand transform itself into a future-proof player that can also respond to the growing demand for healthy, sustainable and tasty meat alternatives?

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Challenge

Repositioning and rebranding of a meat brand into a broader food brand, with a particular focus on butchers as the primary target group.

Solution

Online and offline, we developed a sophisticated strategy and creative campaign to strengthen their various foodservice market segments and support butchers.

Imperial and iO: solid partners in a rapidly changing world

Food company Imperial Meat Products is known for its quality salamis, hams, salted meats, chicken products and vegetarian products. The company has 800 employees across five sites in Belgium and the Netherlands. IMP is part of international food company Sigma Alimentos.

Imperial Meat Product and iO have been working closely together on the Imperial brand for a few years. iO's permanent core team - an account manager and a strategist - brings in the appropriate experts for each project.

To always offer the best customer experience in a rapidly changing world, both companies are constantly evolving. Yet there is one constant: by listening carefully to each other, together we always find the right solutions.

A strategic delicacy

Our strategists developed a sharpened brand identity for Imperial that fits nicely with the contemporary view of meat consumption and the corresponding food habits of a new generation of consumers.

In the new mission, vision and values, we focus on taste experiences and a sustainable partnership with butchers. We also described how consumers can enjoy tasty meat without guilt while paying sufficient attention to health and animal welfare.

The new messages are consistent, impactful and future-proof. In addition to high-quality meat, Imperial and its partners/butchers now offer tasty meat alternatives. This allows consumers to make a choice at the butcher's every day that they can support themselves.

Partner for Taste Makers

We refreshed the brand logo and came up with 'Partner for Taste Makers', a baseline that reflects Imperial's new identity in Belgium and the Netherlands and highlights its distinguished partnership with the butcher. We documented the corresponding new visual identity in a clear and comprehensive brand guide.

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Hans Van Eemeren - Strategy director - iO

An overall online and offline customer experience

A multidisciplinary iO team of creatives and digital marketers ensured that Imperial's new brand experience is conveyed optimally both online and offline.

Among other things, we developed a content management system with attractive and relevant content as well as a customer zone for butchers, an advertising strategy for social media and POS material for butchers (including product videos).

Especially for the launch of the new branding on the Imperial stand at the Tavola trade fair in Kortrijk, our creative designers designed a large, lifelike 3D animation that jumps out of the screen and catches the eye. We also created specific product campaigns in line with the new branding.

Hubspot platform on the way

Our job is not finished yet. In collaboration with MyB'Eats, iO is going to set up an innovative and interactive HubSpot platform that we will link to a loyalty program. This will soon allow Imperial to easily inform its butchers about the latest products, services and promotions.

A successful transformation

With our help, Imperial was able to implement a successful repositioning and rebranding. With a focus on the customer experiences and an eye on new opportunities, Imperial is ready for the future!