Need a hero?

We all need a hero from time to time, brands especially. But I’m not talking about someone in Lycra and a cape, I’m talking about a product or group of products within a larger portfolio that acts as an easy entry point to a brand. Hero Products!

But why are Hero Products important? 
A hero product is often the brand’s best seller, but it is also often the one product that defines the brand as a whole. Think Porsche 911, Levi’s 501, Apple iPhone. Not only are these products the most recognisable items in the brand’s portfolios, they also imbue each brand with a reason for being in the mind of a consumer. They exist to be the spokesperson for the brand, to instantly communicate all of the brand’s key messages and values to its audiences.

 Concorde became the ‘hero’ of British Airways. It cast a halo over the whole airline, creating immediate associations with luxury, glamour, style, innovation, and a healthy dollop of sexiness. What’s your brand’s Concorde product?

If you’ve got an existing portfolio of products, choose a hero from your range. If you’re starting a brand from scratch, consider launching with just one product that fulfills a specific consumer need. You can then focus a good proportion of your marketing spend on that one product and create a memorable brand, rather than diluting focus across a range which could confuse the consumer and diminish brand understanding.

We recently helped dairy-free cheese brand Sheese to create five hero products to give consumers an easy entry point to the brand. Through new product naming and additional recipe photography, the packaging instantly communicates what each product is ideal for, whilst drawing consumers into the fixture. The new range not only makes it easier for consumers to understand how the brand fits in to their lives, it also helps to sell into retail by giving buyers a simple product portfolio with a key point of difference.

Try it. You might find your hero will save the day.