Tactical Gaps
Tactical gap can be defined as the difference between a brand’s current identity and its current identity. Essentially this is looking at the discrepancy between what Kit Kat is as a brand and what its consumers think it is.
Over the past 100 years, Kit Kat has worked hard to build-up its brand. Its efforts have largely borne fruit; millions of consumers- spanning generation and location have developed a strong, unique and favorable connect with the brand.
However, changing times, tastes, and perceptions have led to new and unique challenges for the brand. And most importantly, the brand has not been able to connect strongly with the consumers among the current generation.
To put this into perspective, we shall draw up a comparison between Kit Kat’s ideal and real-world CBBE Pyramids.
Over the past 100 years, Kit Kat has worked hard to build-up its brand. Its efforts have largely borne fruit; millions of consumers- spanning generation and location have developed a strong, unique and favorable connect with the brand.
However, changing times, tastes, and perceptions have led to new and unique challenges for the brand. And most importantly, the brand has not been able to connect strongly with the consumers among the current generation.
To put this into perspective, we shall draw up a comparison between Kit Kat’s ideal and real-world CBBE Pyramids.
Salience imbalance: Do I know you correctly?
Ideally, Kit Kat wants to establish strong brand salience in the minds of consumers. This equates to an aspiration of ranking high in terms of both depth as well as breadth of awareness.
However, our quantitative research shows that while Kit Kat does indeed enjoy strong awareness depth with high levels of recognition and recall among the survey respondents, it has moderate to low breadth of awareness in their minds.
The problem: What is a break?
Kit Kat has always tried hard to associate itself as a break-time chocolate in its consumers’ minds. Its various brand elements as well as related advertising and promotional strategies have all carried associations with ‘breaks’. By employing this strategy, the brand has tried to achieve consumer recall and consumptions whenever they have a break.
However, the definition of “break” has not remained the same over the years. While the brand has always intended for the ‘break’ concept to hold an encompassing meaning covering any situation in which a person deviates from his normal routine tasks (as gleaned by analyzing advertisements over the years), most respondents in our survey have associated “break” with more conventional meanings such as “lunch” or “dinner” breaks.
As a consequence, consumers are unable to recall the brand in many relevant purchase and usage situations.
Possible solution
Convey the broader definition of ‘break’ through advertisements and marketing campaigns specifically designed for this purpose. By exposing the consumers to Kit Kat’s definition of a break, it should be able to slowly change the consumers’ associations to the types of breaks that can be taken.
However, our quantitative research shows that while Kit Kat does indeed enjoy strong awareness depth with high levels of recognition and recall among the survey respondents, it has moderate to low breadth of awareness in their minds.
The problem: What is a break?
Kit Kat has always tried hard to associate itself as a break-time chocolate in its consumers’ minds. Its various brand elements as well as related advertising and promotional strategies have all carried associations with ‘breaks’. By employing this strategy, the brand has tried to achieve consumer recall and consumptions whenever they have a break.
However, the definition of “break” has not remained the same over the years. While the brand has always intended for the ‘break’ concept to hold an encompassing meaning covering any situation in which a person deviates from his normal routine tasks (as gleaned by analyzing advertisements over the years), most respondents in our survey have associated “break” with more conventional meanings such as “lunch” or “dinner” breaks.
As a consequence, consumers are unable to recall the brand in many relevant purchase and usage situations.
Possible solution
Convey the broader definition of ‘break’ through advertisements and marketing campaigns specifically designed for this purpose. By exposing the consumers to Kit Kat’s definition of a break, it should be able to slowly change the consumers’ associations to the types of breaks that can be taken.
Disconnected brand imagery and feelings: Is that really you?
Kit Kat’s desired positioning can be easily summarized in one line: Broad in Appeal, Young in Feel, and Big in Stature (from the Brand Frenzy workshop). To achieve this positioning, the brand has tried to depict itself as having a young, fun and quirky personality that appeals to everyone.
However, consumers are not feeling the same way about the brand. From both our qualitative research as well as consultation with the Kit Kat brand managers, we have found out that parents make up our largest group of loyal customers. And this goes on to reinforce the idea that Kit Kat is a boring, old-school, and outdated brand.
The problem: Are we young or are we old?
The disconnection between brand imagery and brand feelings stem from two main factors:
1. Irrelevance and mismatch of brand elements:-
Kit Kat has been using the same brand elements for over 50 years. Prolonged use of these elements, without any sort of innovation or re-invention has led to an element “mismatch” in the minds of today’s consumers.
For example, the iconic panda advertisements in the 1980s were a great tool that reinforced the brand’s quirky image back then. However, in today’s context, it bears absolutely no relevance to the brand in the minds of the consumers, based on team discussions during the Brand Frenzy workshop.
2. Lack of compatibility with associated memories:-
As mentioned previously, most of our survey respondents did not associate the terms ‘fun’ or ‘quirky’ with Kit Kat. Also, we know from our consultation with the Kit Kat brand managers that parents are our most loyal group of customers. When analysing these two things together, we realized that this caused their current feelings toward Kit Kat to stem from the fact that many of them had been exposed to the brand very early in their lives—as kids, when their parents and grandparents bought them Kit Kats. This tended to bring ‘nostalgia’ into their minds rather than ‘fun’ or ‘quirky’.
Possible solution:
Develop and customize marketing campaigns for the brand so that it is aimed at the junior colleges, polytechnics, and tertiary institutions in Singapore. By running promotions and fun activities on campus, Kit Kat would be able to convey to its target customers the intended associations for Kit Kat.
However, consumers are not feeling the same way about the brand. From both our qualitative research as well as consultation with the Kit Kat brand managers, we have found out that parents make up our largest group of loyal customers. And this goes on to reinforce the idea that Kit Kat is a boring, old-school, and outdated brand.
The problem: Are we young or are we old?
The disconnection between brand imagery and brand feelings stem from two main factors:
1. Irrelevance and mismatch of brand elements:-
Kit Kat has been using the same brand elements for over 50 years. Prolonged use of these elements, without any sort of innovation or re-invention has led to an element “mismatch” in the minds of today’s consumers.
For example, the iconic panda advertisements in the 1980s were a great tool that reinforced the brand’s quirky image back then. However, in today’s context, it bears absolutely no relevance to the brand in the minds of the consumers, based on team discussions during the Brand Frenzy workshop.
2. Lack of compatibility with associated memories:-
As mentioned previously, most of our survey respondents did not associate the terms ‘fun’ or ‘quirky’ with Kit Kat. Also, we know from our consultation with the Kit Kat brand managers that parents are our most loyal group of customers. When analysing these two things together, we realized that this caused their current feelings toward Kit Kat to stem from the fact that many of them had been exposed to the brand very early in their lives—as kids, when their parents and grandparents bought them Kit Kats. This tended to bring ‘nostalgia’ into their minds rather than ‘fun’ or ‘quirky’.
Possible solution:
Develop and customize marketing campaigns for the brand so that it is aimed at the junior colleges, polytechnics, and tertiary institutions in Singapore. By running promotions and fun activities on campus, Kit Kat would be able to convey to its target customers the intended associations for Kit Kat.
Low brand resonance: So what about us?
Due to the above-mentioned tactical gaps, the brand hasn’t been able to establish itself in its consumers’ minds and hearts. Most consumers bear no strong attraction with the brand. While they might like the taste of the product, we found out from our quantitative research, that they easily switch their allegiance to competitor brands. Simply put, there is no form of personal connection that consumers enjoy with Kit Kat unlike its competitor such as Ferrero Rocher.
Having addressed the problems mentioned above, Kit Kat needs to launch a concerted effort to reestablish itself within the hearts and minds of its consumers, thereby regain its brand following once more.
Having addressed the problems mentioned above, Kit Kat needs to launch a concerted effort to reestablish itself within the hearts and minds of its consumers, thereby regain its brand following once more.