Program Name:EMBA Batch:49

Campus: DUBAI, PROGAM: ELO Exam Type: GROUP ASSIGNMENT

Subject: MARKETING Faculty Name: Prof. Umesh Kothari
MANAGEMENT
To be submitted by: Group 2

Group 2

1. Mr. Akhil Vinayak Sasidharan

2. Mr. Ananda Prakash Rajkumar

3. Ms. Labika Maqsood Khan

4.Ms. Misbah Zamani

5. Mr. Venkateswara Rao Tanga

Case Study 1 – Understanding the Brand Equity of Nestlé Crunch Bar: A Market Research Case.

Q1. Based on your own reading of the interview data what might the brand constructs be? How does
the data support your choices? Would these be similar to the research team identified constructs that
emerged from consumer interviews?

The brand constructs according to our Group 2 perception from interview data are Nestle Crunch Bar’s
are rejuvenation, excitement, and exploration.

Sensory inferences from the interview complement our observation. The interviewers during their
interview share a common consensus of expression unconsciously during their different sensory
experiences. Refer to table 1 for Brand Constructs
Brand Constructs

Brand Color Sound Taste Touch Emotions

Constructs
Rejuvenation- Purple warm and soft Waterfall its A good cup of A soft Emotions like
------------> color soothing tea, Ginger blanket, euphoria,
The experience of sound Ale, and rubbing satisfaction,
purple as a warm and experience Orange. cocoa pleasurable all
soft color evokes brings powder the symbolize
rejuvenation in an rejuvenation constructs of
individual to individual Rejuvenation
Excitement Gold- Exciting Laughter, fun Clams- Evokes a Bliss, ecstasy,
-------------> The experience of times without Different tender touch ambrosia
Gold incites stress experience- or feeling symbolizes
excitement experiences Surprise excitement
brings
excitement

Exploration Blue Azure is like sky Sound of Experiencing Mile Nestle crunch
--------------> blue and pleasant crunching something not unevenness bar is
The experience of sky bites- thick, too tart and something to
blue reverberates with muddy sound semi and treat you as an
exploration in a park and mashed adult. As an
hard to chew potatoes adult, you
evokes explore the
exploration crunch bar.
construct

 In Vignette 1, rewarding Nestle Crunch bar after a tennis match to the opponent for relaxation
equates to a rejuvenation experience.
 In Vignette 6, a young couple in a sports car after driving peninsulas in Maine after their energy
level has slowed down looking for Nestle Crunch Bar refers to the construct of both rejuvenation
and exploration.
 In Vignette 4 a boy going for merry rounds getting Nestle Crunch bar every time he thinks
symbolizes excitement and exploration.
 Likewise Vignette 2-memories taking you somewhere and Vignette 5- after pool moment
occasions symbolize excitement.

We presume that the research would have arrived at a similar construct after the interviews

Q2. What are the common metaphors that consumers use to describe the Nestlé Crunch Bar? What do
they tell you about the brand’s meaning to consumers?

The common metaphors we could infer from the experiences of the interviewers in the case study to
describe the experience of Nestle Crunch Bar are
  The cherishing feeling of evoking your memories of your common Childhood like the Pepsi ad
experience, enhancing or reminding you of an emotional state and equates to receiving a happy
gift.
 The feeling of relating it to like love substitute, a good cup of tea, and fresh air makes the
experience of Nestle Crunch bar unique from the rest of candy bars which is usually for
occasions such as celebrations
 The classic symbol- it has been equated to time-tested classic like Volkswagen bug and the
sound of the forest in autumn and clock. Nestle Crunch bar is like any classic symbol of living
American and time tested.
 Tasting Nestle Crunch bar is viewed as a normal activity, which is like a kid playing in the snow,
offering your opponent in Tennis with Crunch bar
 Color : Azure- bright blue in color, Gold - exiciting
 Smell: Fresh Air, tobacco, coffee, baked bread, vinegar, Pizza
 Sound: Waterfall, Sound of the mud pots at yellow stone national park, laughter, cars honking in
traffic, glass breaking,
 Taste: real mashed potato because of chunks and salt in it, lima beans, mushrooms, ciggerates,
sand
 Touch: sandpaper, cocoa butter foot cream,soft puppy, soft blankets, protecting cushion, velvet

All the metaphors symbolize Nestle Crunch Bar as a crunch bar which can be tasted for different
experiences like when you are exploring, or you are in excitement or when you have relaxed after a
tiring day. If you must get distracted from the commotion of your life or you want to remember a happy
experience from your memories.

Furthermore, all these experiences tend to prove Nestle Crunch Bar is a long-lasting symbol of an
average American and it is a product tested and stood for time and it is to continue.

Q3. Assess ZMET as a consumer research methodology. What are its strengths and weaknesses?
Under which conditions is it most/least useful to marketing managers? What insights did you learn
about the methodology by conducting your own ZMET?

ZMET seems to be explorative and more of a qualitative research methodology. It provides a descriptive
analysis of consumer choices which not only depend on direct experiences like sensory and vignettes
and it employs a strong technique to decipher their subconscious choices by a structured model of
tapping their minds using digital images and common metaphors across the experiences.

While many of the brand equity techniques are measuring consumer choices based on verbal and
written feedback, ZMET employs a novel method of extending the feedback on a sensory and emotional
level which uncovers the hidden consumer choices that helps the product to grow on the consumers.

ZMET technique seems to be more useful to understand the secret of the success of the brand
performance and the core identity of the brand. When we are to implement a major change to the
product or launch a version of the product this technique will help you to understand the core strengths
of the consumer choices and Nestle as a mother brand identity is preserved.

This technique does not demonstrate any prescriptive or predictive analysis which may influence can
help us to understand the consumer needs behind a choice rather it experiments its investigation on the
aftereffects of the choice is done. Hence when a state or country is having an increase in immigrant
population or people who might not have experienced this product enough this technique will be least
effective.

Insights which we learned from ZMET are consumer choices and brand equity can not only be directly
observed from statistical data but qualitative observations by connecting hidden subconscious mind can
add more insights to their choices and brand equity. The technique seems to be very structured and
sample population is not complex enough to perform this study. This technique can be employed to any
product which consumer has direct repeated experiences.

Strengths
Powerful Qualitative technique which is helping
marketing managers to elicit a common pattern
of consumer choices through metaphors
expressed by consumers through their sensory
experience and emotions.
Images are a direct representation of feelings and
unfiltered experience. Words can be
manipulated.
Personal engagement of the participant
Weaknesses
Attributes of the crunch bar are not discussed
directly like size of the bar, degree of sweetness
and health parameters. Many consumer choices
are still influenced by these basic parameters
Recruitment being a tedious process verifying the
candidature of interviewer, participating able to
understand their participation sincerely and their
psychology to be analyzed
Information is available in a distorted format.
Generalizing behavior from 10 participants across
an ethnically diverse America can be misleading.
Expert analysis and group research required to
analyze the data

Q4. How would you evaluate the health of the Nestlé Crunch Bar brand at the time of Professor
Zaltman’s study? What strengths and weaknesses in its brand equity do you uncover? What do you
note about its pattern of brand associations?

Health Of Nestle Crunch Bar Brand at time of study

Brand is built and consists of following attributes- Identity, awareness, image, promise, experience,
loyalty and equity. In all the parameters specified, Nestle Crunch Bar scores excellent as any common
American would recollect their experience of uniqueness in identity, promise of delivering the old and
continuous experience and loyal consumers who are aware of the differentiated experiences of Nestle
Crunch Bar.

Nestle Candy business was on the verge of getting acquired by Ferrero SPA while this case study was
being conducted.

Nestle Crunch bar was one of the products of Nestle Candy business. The Nestle Crunch Bar is still
viewed as a common American brand along with many classics like Coco-Cola, Pepsi, Ford...etc. Hence
any change in brand association with a new organization may influence negatively the classic status
symbol and can endanger the brand loyalty, image and promise.
Pattern of Brand Association

 Crunchiness.
 Classic.
 Childhood.
 Candy Bar for all ages.
 Smooth and Relaxing.
 American identity.
 Any time brands.
 Refreshing.

Table 2

Strengths and Weakness of Brand Equity

Strengths
Signature brand Value- Crunchiness, sound of
chewing and American symbol
Classic status to evoke nostalgia - Present for long
time with little or no changes
Brand which can be associated integral to
American household and party to all occasions-
Relaxation,
Weakness
Time tested along with association of mother
Brand Nestle
Challenge to introduce new changes to compete
with the possible dynamic market changes in
terms of taste and preferences
Strongly seen as a traditional fashion. Passing on
the importance to the next generation against
the emerging new brands and candy bars will be
a continuous uphill task for brand managers.

Q5. If you were hired as a marketing consultant to Ferrero SpA, what advice would you provide to
their brand managers about Nestlé Crunch Bar? What insights would you suggest developing brand
loyalty and customer attraction strategies - Discuss brand strength related insights?

Group 2 as Marketing Consultant

Advise and insight to Brand managers of Ferro SPA

 Viewed as an American identity, Crunchiness and package type in blue, red and white are the
core elements of the brand because these are associating factors with the crunch bar. We
wouldn’t recommend making any changes to these core elements of the brand with the crunch
bear with respect to visual senses. Brand managers ensure that advertising campaigns
emphasize that these core elements of the brands are retained and there shall be no transition
effects felt by consumers.
  The next year will be a crucial period with respect to the identity of the brand as the crunch bar
must let go of its iconic Nestle Crunch Bar and transform itself to a brand identity and still be
relatable to the consumers.
 We infer this as a gender independent brand.
 The first activity of rebranding the product is to segment, target and position the brand.
 Segmentation- Segmentation will be based on age groups- a) kids and teenagers b) young
college& office going adults 19-30 years old and d) for older adults (> 30 years old).
 Kids and Adults will perceive Nestle Crunch Bar from the product brand rather from the mother
brand Nestle. Hence brand value and loyalty are more perceived in adults than in kids and
teenagers. Hence Target b) segments with novel strategies emphasizing the health of having
crunch bar and specifying the nutritional values.
 Retain the positioning of the core brand associations and ensure the transformation happens
through segment markets b) without losing and endangering the product brand identity.

Brand loyalty and customer attraction strategies - Discuss brand strength related insights?

 Create strategies for customer attraction in environment where we have our targeted segment
b) like coffee shops, gyms, movie theatres work places, hospitals, airports, metros, bus station
and restaurants. Marketing slogans like Coffee with Crunches can be advertised for this
transformation. Ensure the sales team reaches out and places Crunch bar in the vending
machines of colleges, gyms and mall outlets.
 Brand elements like Jingle which is currently “that’s why I love Nestle Crunch” in ads may be
replaced with new jingles like “it is the crunch I love” to retain Brand loyalty.
 Fun competition signifying the crunchiness of the brand in common gatherings like mall and
picnic locations.
 Scratch and win programs on wrapper for a free coffee and jackpot like free vacation or gym
membership discounts can be offered to create brand awareness and loyalty.