Smithfield Foods hero image
Case Study

Reinventing the Brand Ecosystem for Smithfield Foods

Client

Smithfield Foods

Industry

Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG)

Goals and Objective

Unify the brand experience across a diverse portfolio & optimize and streamline management of the digital ecosystem.

Smithfield Foods grilling products

The Challenge

Each brand in Smithfield's portfolio had evolved independently, leading to inconsistent brand experiences and market perceptions. The sheer number of brands led to complicated digital ecosystem management, with varying strategies and levels of support needed across different brands — from organic social, influencer, and retail partnerships to websites, photo shoots, and paid media. This complexity was compounded by each brand having different business requirements, overlapping marketing activations, disparate budgets, and the challenge of aligning numerous internal and external stakeholders.

The Strategy

To address the fragmentation and complexity of the Smithfield brand portfolio, we implemented a tiered approach to brand management. This allowed us to prioritize and service brands based on their strategic importance to Smithfield, and develop a standard approach to marketing the brands that enabled us to leverage learnings from Tier 1 brands and translate them to lower tier brands.

Smithfield Foods tiered brand approach

The Solution

We implemented a comprehensive tiered brand management system that allowed us to prioritize resources, align strategies, and deliver consistent results across Smithfield's entire portfolio.

Strategic Prioritization

Brands were categorized into four tiers based on their market impact, strategic importance, and resource needs. This ensured that high-priority brands like Nathan's Famous received extensive support and resources to maximize their market presence and align with their historical significance.

Customized Resource Allocation

Each tier received a tailored level of support, ranging from comprehensive marketing campaigns and significant media spends for Tier 1 brands, to a more maintenance-focused approach for Tier 4 brands. This allowed for efficient use of resources and helped prevent resource wastage.

Focused Brand Management

By delineating brands into distinct tiers, brand managers could focus their efforts more effectively, applying distinct strategies and campaigns that were most suitable for their respective tiers. This focused approach helped in maintaining high standards of brand integrity and consistency.

Operational Efficiency

The tiered system facilitated smoother internal operations with clearer roles and expectations, reducing overlaps and confusion in brand management. This allowed brand managers to execute more coordinated and effective strategies.

Smithfield brands digital advertising campaigns

Improved Brand Perception

With tailored strategies for each tier, every brand was able to strengthen its market position. High-priority brands achieved enhanced visibility and reinvigorated brand images, while lower-tier brands maintained stable market presence without diluting the overall brand value.

Smithfield brand portfolio

Adaptive Strategy Implementation

The flexibility of the tiered system allowed Smithfield to quickly adapt to market changes and brand performance, reallocating resources and shifting strategic focuses as necessary to optimize outcomes.

Smithfield products on the grill
0% increase in product sales
0+ programmatic ad placements
0 active digital campaigns

The Results

Through our tiered brand management approach, Smithfield achieved significant improvements across their portfolio with unified brand experiences and optimized marketing efficiency.

25% Increase in Sales

Significant growth in product sales across the brand portfolio

1000+ Programmatic Placements

Executed comprehensive programmatic ad campaigns across channels

10+ Photo Shoots

Coordinated professional content creation across multiple brands

64 Active Campaigns

Managed concurrent digital campaigns across the brand ecosystem

100+ Monthly Social Posts

Produced unique social media content consistently each month

The Takeaways

Scalable Brand Strategies are Crucial

Tiered management allows for scalable strategies that accommodate different brand needs within a portfolio and can significantly boost overall effectiveness.

Unified Branding Enhances Market Position

A cohesive brand experience not only simplifies marketing efforts but also strengthens market presence and consumer perception.

Effective Collaboration Drives Success

Coordinating efforts across multiple teams and partners is essential for managing complex brand portfolios efficiently.

Your Backstage Pass

Get Smarter Digital Strategy

  • Actionable strategies you can implement today
  • Industry trends before they hit mainstream
  • Real campaign breakdowns with actual numbers

One email per week. Unsubscribe anytime.