Marketing students create an organic lemonade that is sustainably produced and supports organic farmers.
Project
The goal of the project was to design a brand and suitable marketing strategy for a sustainable beverage that fits the theme of "Better World." Besides product development, the students dealt with market research and the marketing and advertising strategies for the next 24 months.
Students of the german IBWL - Marketing program: Anna Kapps, Celine-Sophie Liersch, Niko Rose
The product
- Crown cap with twist closure for resealing
- Glass bottle: Returnable system
- Present on the bottle neck: Seeds or seed bomb; people should be motivated to do something good
- The lemonade is made organically and sustainably from seasonal and regional fruits
- Flavors: Cherry/Gooseberry; Raspberry/Strawberry/Currant; Maribelle/Apricot; Apple/Pear
- Farmers should be helped (even the small ones), which is why they are fairly compensated and financially supported with a part of the proceeds.
Branding and Design
- Design Basic Idea: Rural, traditional, and natural appearance, which extends from the name to the logo and color scheme
- Brand Name: Not yet present in the German brand registry
- Logo: Lotte - old German name; Circle - Earth, environment, fruits, and ingredients
- Color Scheme: Muted, subdued, and darker colors; should convey something rustic, old, and traditional
- Flavor Varieties: Old German product names - combination of first name and fruit contained in the beverage
Market Research and Value Proposition
- There were 3 previously developed Value Propositions (the brand's promise to the target audience) that were presented to 10 test subjects.
- Subjects marked in green and red what they liked and what they didn't, and chose a preference; they were then asked 7 questions over the phone.
- Value Proposition 2 won with a one-vote lead, however, the students decided on VP 3 as it was a combination of VP 1 and VP 2.
- Revised Value Proposition and thus the guideline for later marketing and advertising strategies: The perfect organic lemonade.
Customer: I would like to contribute to improving the financial situation of organic farmers, as good work should be fairly compensated. At the same time, it would be nice to counteract environmental pollution a bit. Benefit: By purchasing our sustainable organic lemonade, you are supporting regional farmers along with us and at the same time doing something good for the environment. Reasons Why: Organic (among others, without pesticides) and sustainable production; collaboration with regional farmers (without imports) and a portion of the proceeds goes to the farmers; only available in glass bottles.
Objective
Realistic, timed, and measurable
“We aim to be listed in 70% of organic stores in Berlin, 13% of organic sections in supermarkets, and 5% of organic sections in drugstores like DM and Rossmann within 24 months, as well as achieve a 25% awareness among Berliners.”
How and what should be communicated?
- High quality of the product
- Close to the customer
- We stand for sustainability and regionality, and support farmers
- Not aloof
- Advertising kept simple: minimalist logo and muted colors
- Overall image: rural, traditional, natural and down-to-earth
- "Lotte" of the "LotteLimo" should become a recognition feature
Advertising Measures and Calculation
- Large Presence: 7 different advertising opportunities in Berlin - the focus for the first two years should be on Berlin.
- Budget for 24 months (without budget specification)
- Hang 25 posters all over Berlin for 10 months = €227,180.45 Set up
- 300 cardboard displays in Berlin supermarkets (especially organic stores) = €23,204.73
- Operate test stands in Berlin shopping arcades = €4,990.00
- Have a booth at the Berlin organic fairs within the next 24 months = €14,145.00
- Run a max. 30 sec TV spot on television (for max. 2 months) = €616,000.00
- Run advertising on YouTube (also the spot) = €7,300.00
- Have someone manage a dedicated Instagram account and run advertisements that are paid per like = €32,160.00
- Buffer = €25,019.82 Total
- budget = approx. €950,000.00€
Operational calender
- The operational calendar aids in having a glance at cost planning: How much is financially calculated for each year? Which season is the focus on?
- LotteLimo: Focus on the months from April to July and in the 2nd year additionally on December due to a winter special.
Monitoring of Objectives
The two main objectives should be regularly reviewed through analyses and market research:
The social objective, reaching 25% awareness among Berliners, should be continuously checked through surveys (among others in e.g. shopping arcades).
The economic objective should be monitored by checking the availability of our product and the customer stoppers in every listed branch.