Harraways
Brand Health Review
Introduction
Harraways is an iconic New Zealand company, producing and marketing oat products. The business has been around since 1867 and is still from its original site in Green Island, Dunedin.
Operating in a very competitive market, Harraways requires regular insights to inform their strategy and marketing efforts for new and existing products.
What did Research First do?
Since 2017, Research First has been conducted an annual brand health review for Harraways. This is done using an online survey, which specifically targets Harraways’ key customer segments (young adults and active mums). The survey captures perceptions and preferences of oats buyers and provides key brand health measures for the Harraways brand overall and the oats singles brand. The key brand health measures include:
- Brand awareness
- Purchasing behaviours
- NPS
In addition to the annual survey, in 2018 Research First delivered a qualitative brand development research. Harraways needed urgent insight to aid decision-making about expanding the reach of the Harraways brand into the higher priced ‘best’ (premium) end of the spectrum in the hot cereals market. The project included 2 focus groups. The research provided clear answers and recommendations, prompting Harraways to reconsider their strategy.
What impact did it make
Research insights are actively used by the client to inform Harraways strategic direction.
For over 3 years now, I have used Research First in the FMCG space to help me uncover brand insights that can be leveraged in the marketplace. Over this time I have worked with Carl, Nika and Ann. In the 3 projects that I have commissioned so far, I have found Research First to be very good in respect to their communication throughout the project, their timeliness, their accuracy and in resolving the strategic questions asked in my briefs to them. Most importantly the research completed has either supported ‘hunches’, or has challenged the management team to think differently. This has been enabled by robust “insights” gained from this research. Over these 3+ years, the Research First team were also given some tight time frames and limited budgets to work with, yet RF delivered excellent outcomes within these constraints.
