台灣嬰幼兒奶粉產業的品牌發展策略研究： C品牌個案研究

Abstract

回顧台灣嬰幼兒奶粉市場目前因整體出生率屢創新低、母乳哺育率大幅提升、國際大廠從被蠶食的經驗中學習到新的商業模式和競爭優勢、各品牌大量投資行銷預算等眾多因素下，嬰幼兒奶粉市場變成了一個正面臨衰退且極度競爭的產業環境。企業在面對各項競爭的同時，應要更注意品牌力和品牌資產的維護。因為品牌對於公司和消費者都有著很重要的價值。品牌代表著一種身份，一種承諾。品牌對企業價值有決定性的影響，它能為公司帶來聲譽和利潤，面對品牌策略的調整，同樣存在不可忽視的風險代價和陷阱。 本研究選擇之品牌是台灣自創的品牌，建立至今已逾二十餘年，在追求成長和考量投資效率的考量下，該品牌採用了品類定位、聚焦策略、和差異化的營運模式，成功建立品牌知名度和品牌資產。同時該品牌也在亞太區個國家成功上市推廣。本研究以二個質化研究探討和檢視個案品牌在台灣消費者心目中的品牌認知、態度、行為，並設計了相關產品進行概念測試，以了解該品牌目前的策略成果和未來規劃品牌定位和延伸策略時的考量方向．提供品牌策略調整的方針。 本研究發現個案品牌雖然面對嚴峻的產業競爭環境，仍然有其成長的潛力和契機。該品牌目前居嬰幼兒羊奶粉領導品牌和牛奶粉前五名的市場地位，定位以羊奶粉類別為主的形象非常清晰，是非常好的利基點和資產。面對持續成長的壓力，需要再深入探索消費者對羊奶的態度、接受度和看法，找出持續擴大羊奶市場的機會點，以領導品牌之姿持續擴大整體羊奶粉市場，以注入新的成長動能。面對該品牌既有的成功典範和品牌資產，個案公司應積極思考提高品牌的行銷投資額而非刪減投資額，以提供足夠的資源面對國際大廠的競爭和蠶食態勢。 本研究建議未來個案品牌可以朝五個構面調整策略： 1. 強化羊奶粉對消費者的溝通和教育，利用品牌已在消費者腦海中建立的羊奶品類形象，深入探討消費者對羊奶的想法和態度，找出更有說服力的溝通點，增加溝通的管道，例：醫生、網路社群、名人口碑等打動更多的消費者願意使用羊奶粉。同時應堅持紐西蘭純淨乳源的利基點，持續乳源差異化策略。也可以朝減低消費者對羊奶味道的排斥感提升羊奶口味喜好度。當品牌面臨成熟期時，運用既有的品牌資源潛能並延續其生命周期便成為企業的一項重大的戰略決策。深化品牌定位策略有利於實現了品牌資產的擴大，也能延續品牌壽命。 2. 採取市場發展和市場滲透策略以吸引更多新的使用者，提高消費者對品牌的忠誠度。持續專注焦點投資於羊奶粉的品類，規劃和羊奶粉主題相關的差異化的促銷策略，快速建立媽媽社群和口碑行銷網絡以強化品牌偏好度和忠誠度。面對資源稀少性的問題，個案品牌更需謹守”聚焦行銷法則”，勿過度多角化，分散掉整體的品牌和行銷資源。 3. 面對通路擴張的限制和惡性競爭，在兼顧目前通路客戶的觀感下，評估引進副品牌的策略，提供個案C品牌的副品牌給不同的市場區隔。而身為通路的領導品牌，該品牌應要能確實掌握市場的脈動和趨勢，調整營運模式提高客戶訂單服務和顧客價值，建立新的差異化商業模式以提升競爭優勢，確保品牌價值。 4. 面對產業的法規和成長限制，該品牌應積極響應政府推廣母乳的政策，與政府部門合作，共同提倡母乳哺育，一來可和政府建立良好的關係，二來亦可增加企業和品牌形象。亦應盡速推出豐沛母乳的產品，建立品牌的先期優勢。 5. 在產品開發的構面上，要採取Niche利基策略，在現有的產業環境中，找出衰退低於整體產業且能從現有品牌利基得到槓桿作用的市場區隔，設計出滿足利基市場的羊奶相關產品和營銷策略。

A review of Taiwan’s infant/baby milk formula market indicates that, in totality, not only is current birth rate at its lowest point, breastfeeding rate also increases significantly. International companies learn from the aforementioned eroding experience, new business models and competitive advantage. Having said that, all the brands are investing heavily in their marketing budget and so forth; and as such, the Infant/baby milk formula market is currently faced with a declining market and extremely competitive industry environment. The brand selected for this research is a local brand that is established more than 20 years ago. In order to pursue growth and take into consideration the investment efficiency, the brand adopts category positioning, focus strategy and differentiated business model. The adoption of the aforementioned strategies successfully establishes the brand’s awareness and brand equity. Meanwhile, the brand is also successful in listing and promoting itself in some Asian countries. In this research, two qualitative studies are used to explore and understand Taiwanese consumers’ mindset towards each individual brand’s brand perception, attitude and behavior. Additionally, related products are designed so that concept testing can be conducted to understand the brand's future strategy in terms of brand positioning and brand extension. Notwithstanding the aforementioned, the study can also provide the brand with a guideline that can be used to adjust its brand strategy. This research found that though the brand faces tough and severe competition in the industry environment, yet, it still has growth potential and opportunity. The brand is the leading brand in infant goat milk category and top five brands in infant cow milk category. The positioning for this brand is primarily the goat milk category and its imagery is clean and clear which owns a very good brand equity. In order to create sustained growth momentum, there is a need to explore more about consumers’ unknown needs, altitude and opinion toward goat milk. The brand needs to enhance the leadership positioning of the brand and to lead the expansion on goat milk market size. Thus, this company should aggressively ponder to increase the value of its marketing investment for the brand and not to reduce it, so that it has sufficient and adequate resources to compete with international companies and cease the eroding situation. We believe that with the company’s capabilities and combative strengths, it can continuously generate abundant profit for the company in the mid-term. This research suggests that, in the future, the brand can approach below five dimensions to adjust its strategies: 1. To strengthen goat milk brand positioning so that the brand’s perceptions and imageries can benefit to the expansion of total goat milk market. The brand needs to explore more about consumers’ mindset in order to execute good communication strategy to attract more new goat milk users. When the brand reached maturity, uses the potential of existing brand resources to extend the life cycle become an important strategic decision. It is beneficial to realizing the migration of brand value and strengthening its positioning strategy to help extend the life of a brand. 2. To adopt new market development strategy to develop more new users of goat milk. Simultaneously, the brand needs to adopt market penetration strategy to launch creative and differentiated promotional strategy to gain more user base and maintain consumers’ loyalty. This brand needs to recat quickly and create mother’s social community in order to create buzz and provide better customer service to strengthen brand preference and loyalty. The brand needs to adhere to the “rules of focus marketing” when resources are limited. Do not overly diversify and disperse limited brand and marketing resources. 3. When faced with limitations to channel expansion and vicious competition, and at the same time, paying attention to channels reactions, assess if there is opportunity and threat to adopt sub-brand strategy so as to provide the sub brand to different market segment. As the leading brand in the channel, there is a need to truly understand the dynamics and trends of the market and proactively propose corresponding strategies to dominate the rule of the market and stick to the competitive advantage of the channel and spirits of channel management to ensure the value of the brand. 4. Faced with regulations of the industry and limitations to growth, the brand should actively respond to the government's policy to promote breastfeeding. For one, it can establish good relationship with the government. Secondly, it can enhance the company and brand imagery. The brand should speedily launch products that can produce plentiful of breast milk to gain an early advantage for the brand. 5. Adopt niche strategy when product is at its development stage. In existing industry environment, identify a market segment that is declining but its decline is lower than overall industry. Having said that, this market segment should be able to leverage on the existing niche brand and the brand should be able to design marketing strategy to meet the needs of the niche market.