The HoC's June Chronicles: The Best Brands Awards! #6

Serviceplan and GfK share a common dedication: Building Best Brands. During the Best Brands Awards ceremony on March 21st, 2024, we proudly revealed the 21 winners of the 2024 edition, meticulously selected through a survey of 4,500 Belgian consumers. In our latest installment of House of Communication Chronicles, delve into the profound insights offered by these winners, highlighting their remarkable accomplishments! This edition features exclusive interviews with Sanne Wessels, Brand Director at Martini (Best Liquors & Spirits Brand), Caroline Baume, Marketing Director at Mondelez (Côte d'Or) (Best Sweet Snacks Brand), Jo Willemyns, Director at Colruyt Group (Best Retail FMCG Brand), and Hubo (Best Retail DIY & Garden Brand).

#1 Martini is Best Liquors & Spirits Brand 2024!

Learn how Martini maintains its status as one of Belgium's cherished brands as Sanne Wessels, Brand Director Martini, shares insights.

MARTINI wins first place in Best Alcoholic Drinks brand category, once again! How do you feel about this win?

We are very, very proud of this award for the third year in a row!

We have a great team passionately working to bring the MARTINI heritage alive and constantly surprise our consumers with innovations, experiences, and perfect execution in a very active and competitive environment. The Best Alcoholic Drinks Brand award is fantastic recognition by our Belgian consumers and drives us to keep up the pace and go the extra mile every day.

What are the main challenges you have faced in terms of marketing and communication to remain/become one of the favorite brands among Belgians this year?

MARTINI has a special relationship with consumers in Belgium. In our marketing and communications we have found the right balance between maintaining a consistent global image and adapting to local preferences. We believe that MARTINI reflects a deep understanding of the unique cultural context in Belgium.

The key to our success has been to combine global brand consistency with localized campaigns.

The increasing fragmentation of media channels and the demand for diverse content formats means reaching and engaging a target audience effectively, takes some focus. We have developed a dynamic marketing strategy adapted to various platforms and formats. Investing in a robust omnichannel approach, creating diverse content assets, and optimizing campaigns for different platforms has helped to address media fragmentation.

How do you incorporate local values and concerns into your marketing strategy to better align with the expectations of Belgians?

Incorporating local values and concerns into the MARTINI marketing strategy for the Belgian market has helped us establish a meaningful connection with our target audience. Over the years, we have cultivated our understanding of the diverse cultural nuances between regions, acknowledging the importance of regional differences within the country.

Our approach is anchored in a distinctive attitude—one that prioritizes staying close to the consumer and their evolving needs. In recent years, we have strengthened our commitment to infuse deeper meaning into the MARTINI brand by listening attentively to our consumers. Our aspiration is for MARTINI to serve as a wellspring of inspiration and connection for our audience, with the consumer consistently at the core of all our endeavors. Remaining locally relevant is testament to our close partnerships with local media and active participation in events such as "WECANDANCE”, providing a direct avenue for consumer engagement. Our dedication to local innovation is evident in the creation of products like the Belgian Limited Edition MARTINI Spritzante and new flavored ready-to-serve cocktails such as MARTINI Limoni.

In our pursuit of continuous improvement and relevance, we actively seek feedback from our Belgian customers. This valuable input serves as a cornerstone for adapting and enhancing our marketing strategy. Our enduring focus on the consumer and adaptability remains pivotal in steering the success of MARTINI in the Belgian market.

How do you plan to continue evolving as a brand while remaining emotionally connected to your consumers?

The 160 years of MARTINI heritage is a testament to the brand’s enduring legacy and commitment to excellence in the world of beverages. Throughout its rich history, MARTINI has consistently demonstrated an ability to capture the hearts and palates of consumers, staying relevant and connected with its audience for generations. The longevity of MARTINI is not just a number; it represents a heritage deeply rooted in craftsmanship, tradition, and a relentless pursuit of quality. Over the years, the brand has become synonymous with sophistication, setting the standard for aperitifs and timeless cocktails. From the charisma of movie stars to innovative campaigns like “aperitivo in the sky,” MARTINI has employed creative marketing initiatives to captivate consumers. The brand’s drink strategy reflects the desire of today’s consumers for light and refreshing beverages. By crafting drinks that embody these qualities, the brand meets the evolving taste preferences of its audience. MARTINI has also expanded its portfolio to include non-alcoholic options, meeting the growing demand for mindful drinking experiences.

Can you share examples of strategic partnerships or collaborations that have had a positive impact on your brand's perception in Belgium?

In the last year, we have launched a full 360° partnership in Belgium with our ‘aperitivo in the sky’ activation. We have connected all the dots of our campaign with an exclusive Flair partnership, a strong presence at the WECANDANCE event,  in store visibility and on-trade activations. Thanks to this full collaboration we have kept improving the perception and “brand love” for MARTINI.

For the 160th anniversary, we developed local partnerships with Sergio Herman with strong on-trade collaborations.

Thanks to these local activities, we are staying relevant to our Belgian consumer and we hope to continue being their Best Brand for years to come as we continue to cultivate relevance and strengthen our bond with the Belgian audience.

Want to know more about how to become or remain a Best Brand? Then get in touch with the Best Brands team at info@bestbrands.be

#2 Côte d’Or is Best Sweet Snacks Brand 2024!

What are your priorities in marketing and communication to maintain your status as a favorite brand in Belgium in the long term?

Cote d’Or is the taste of the nation when it comes to chocolate. So far, it’s been 5 generations of Belgium who grew up with Cote d’Or, to the point that 73% of Belgiums can recognize the unique taste of Cote d’Or blind !  Yet we are on a very competitive category, with constant competition, lots of innovations and many strong brands trying to steal share and brand love from us. Therefore, our main priority is to continue to deliver distinctive and superior product taste, while building a stronger brand purpose and communicate it simply and effectively. Our motto: encourage strength of character in everyone, like we do encourage strength of taste in our chocolate.  

What communication tactics have proven to be the most effective in building a lasting relationship with your consumers?

We have started a few years ago a ‘brand ambassador program’ on cote dOr which enables micro conversations with our consumers. 

Our ambassadors have all been selected very carefully, in accordance to our brand image (authentic, genuine, with strength of character) and also have this amazing ability to foster the necessary connection that create long term relationship with our brand. 

Can you share examples of strategic partnerships or collaborations that have had a positive impact on your brand's perception in Belgium?

Without hesitation our partnership with the RBFA that we started in 2020 and that we renewed last year for 4 more years. It is very hard to tell you precisely how much of our equity scores are driven by this partnership. And anyway this partnership is a long term play more than a short term-ROIst strategy. Yet, we have very encouraging KPIS: our engagement and view rates are twice higher when lifted by a Flame of a Devil, propension to buy the brand is also significantly higher after specific tournament campaigns. But more than everything, this partnership enables Cote d’Or to continue to build on its legacy in Belgium: a brand that has always been therein the heart of Belgiums, in good and bad times, in victory or in defeats. 

How do you manage environmental and social sustainability?

Our ESG program is at the heart of our company and Cote d’Or is our best ambassador for this. 

1st, our Cocoa Life Global program is of paramount importance, and cote dór was the 1st Mondelez brand to be 100% COCOA LIFE certified in 2019. COCOA LIFE program works on many dimensions: helping to grow a more profitable cocoa business for farmers, help to lift cocoa communities, help to protect and restore forests. For more info go to CocoaLife.org

2nd, we also have many DE&I initiatives: we were proud partners of the Special Olympics in 2023, we have several volunteering and DE&I sessions for our BENELUX employees, and we also make sure we have diverse casting and stories in our marketing campaigns. 

Last on the sustainability side, we also have very big strong commitment (net zero carbon emissions by 2050 being the biggest one). Cote d’Or will be a key contributor to this ambition with for instance already 98% of our packs being designed to be recycled, and several programs in place within our Herental plant in Belgium.

Want to know more about how to become or remain a Best Brand? Then get in touch with the Best Brands team at info@bestbrands.be

#3 Colruyt is Best Retail FMCG Brand 2024!

Discover how Colruyt sustains its position as one of Belgium's beloved brands with insights from Jo Willemyns, Director at Colruyt Group.

What are the main challenges you have faced in terms of marketing and communication to remain/become one of the favorite brands among Belgians this year?

The main challenge has been to continuously adapt ourselves to keep up with ever-shifting consumer needs and values. And at the same time, by staying true to who we are. We believe that brand consistency is key. Our promise of offering the lowest prices for every product at every moment has been the foundation of our identity for decades. Maintaining this promise in the face of increasing competition requires careful management of pricing strategies, supply chain efficiency, and cost optimization while still delivering quality products and services. With our ‘zo maken we ‘t verschil’ campaign we have taken the consumers along in this journey and provided them a peek behind the scenes of that it takes to keep our brand promise.

Another challenge is empowering our store employees to act as brand ambassadors. Keeping more than 15.000 people informed and involved so they can deliver exceptional customer experiences, isn’t easy. But we take great pride in the fact that customers recognize us for the friendliness of our employees and regard this as a crucial factor in reinforcing our position as a trusted and beloved brand among Belgians.

‘How do you incorporate local values and concerns into your marketing strategy to better align with the expectations of Belgians?’

By listening and reaching out to consumers and customers alike. As a Belgian food retailer we are at the heart of society and interact with local governments, food, agricultural & social organizations, suppliers, and other stakeholders, but also with individual consumers through focus groups and other forms of qualitative research. Asking people’s opinions can get you far.

One example of how we interact with local businesses and communities, is our direct collaboration with no less than 600 small and large farms. What we can buy in Belgium, from the Belgian agricultural sector, we buy in Belgium. That goes for vegetables, fruit, meat, milk, …  Our milk sold under house brands Everyday and Boni Selection is 100% Belgian. All our pork, beef and veal is 99% Belgian meat. Colruyt Group is one of the main customers of Belgian farmers. In total, our shelves feature products from nearly 6.000 Belgian farms. 

Another example is our “Dinner is served at 1-2-3 euros” (Aan tafel in 1, 2, 3 euro) initiative for which we cooperated with social organizations such as public centers for social welfare (OCMW) to support households with a lower socioeconomic status to prepare healthy family meals. This initiative was launched in 2016 and has been growing ever since. By now we work together with more than 350 social organizations and local authorities, reaching almost 10.000 vulnerable families. In short the goal of this initiative is to support these families in preparing fresh, tasty and balanced meals. Families who are a member of a social organization can be informed and can enrol through this organization. When a family is registered, they receive two-weekly recipe booklets at home. The booklets consist of six easy-to-prepare, child-friendly recipes with accompanying shopping lists. Each recipe is guaranteed (by Colruyt) to cost no more than one, two or three euros per portion. For this initiative we won the “ik ben meer dan mijn kassaticket” award in 2020. 

How do you manage environmental and social sustainability within your industry, and how does this influence the preference of Belgians for your brand?

Our mission is: ‘Together, we create sustainable added value through value-driven craftmanship in retail’. In everything we do, we want to generate an effective positive impact. This is how we make the difference, also for future generations. Caring for the environment is deeply rooted in Colruyt Group’s DNA. Traditionally, we have always been committed to seeking out and investing in initiatives that have a beneficial impact on our environment, because we are well aware that, as a retailer, we have an impact on the environment and the climate. That is why we are working towards reducing that impact, step by step. This includes initiatives to reduce food waste, optimize packaging and reduce waste. For instance, in 2022 we sold 96,8% of our fresh goods. For the goods that weren’t sold we found useful destinations, by donating them for example to social organizations like Voedselbanken, Foodsavers, Les Restos du Coeur and others. We also invest heavily in energy-saving measures in stores and distribution centers and in energy-efficient technologies and renewable energy sources such as wind and solar-power. By 2030 60% of our total energy consumption will come from non-fossil energy sources.

Over the past decade, corporate social responsibility has become more and more in vogue, but for us it has always been part and parcel of who we are. Our customers see this too and respond positively to this, which contributes to them preferring our brand over others.

Want to know more about how to become or remain a Best Brand? Then get in touch with the Best Brands team at info@bestbrands.be

#4 HUBO IS BEST RETAIL DIY & GARDEN 2024!

Hubo is a 100% Belgian organisation with more than 150 stores across the country. It has become a household name over the years, focusing on the DIY market with an extensive and high-quality selection of brand-name products for both the occasional hobbyist and the driven intensive DIY handyman. The consumers valued Hubo as Best Retail DIY & Garden brand.

Highest scores on many aspects

Hubo takes the first place by having the highest Share of Soul and Share of Wallet. Diving deeper into the underlying parameters, we see that Hubo outperforms the competition in all areas. Notably, the DIY brand enjoys a substantial lead in areas like cross-selling potential and recent brand experiences.

When evaluating brand image, Hubo stands out in various parameters compared to its competitors, more specifically: make life more pleasant, good price quality, digital and analogue experience and brand I trust. These diverse indicators underscore Hubo’s exceptional performance across multiple domains.

 Other acknowledgements

This award should come as no surprise. Hubo has consistently garnered recognition over the years, showcasing its continuous commitment to turn customers into fans. For instance, Hubo won the title '‘Beste Winkelketen in de categorie Doe-het-zelf’ for the 16th time, highlighting its enduring excellence in this field. Additionally, the Hubo webshop has been voted best webshop in the 'Do-it-yourself' category for the eleventh time, further affirming its top-notch service both in-store and online. Both awards are an initiative of Q&A Insights BV.

Want to know more about how to become or remain a Best Brand? Then get in touch with the Best Brands team at info@bestbrands.be