THE NEAREST BRANDS FOR CZECHS ARE LIDL, YOUTUBE AND DR.MAX

As many as 13% of brands on the domestic market are perceived by Czechs as close to them, the closest being Lidl, YouTube or Dr.Max, according to a survey by Ipsos.

What matters for the success of brands is whether they are able to both raise and meet the expectations of their customers, whether they are able to adapt to the current context and, last but not least, how empathetic they can be to consumer needs. In a survey by Ipsos, which analysed 300 brands on the Czech market, 13% of consumers were close to them, which means that they have positive expectations associated with them. The top closest brands include Lidl, YouTube, Dr.Max, Visa, Jar, Kofola, Dm, Mastercard, Facebook and Kaufland.



In terms of generations, the youngest target group, overlapping in part with Generations Z and Y, is more likely than older consumers to be close to brands especially social networks. For example, BeReal, Discord and Reddit are the most popular networks, while for those aged 51 to 65 it is brands such as Nokia, Benetton and Wrangler.



For 6% of brands surveyed, people perceive a shift for the better over the past 12 months. However, they are far from seeing progress for everyone. "If you want to expand your competencies into new contexts or improve expectations, you shouldn't be absent from the brands that consumers say have improved," says Michal Stepanek, CEO of Ipsos.

People perceive improvements primarily in products or services themselves, but also due to prices and words or the fact that brands have started to better meet their needs or improved their customer care. Advertising, greater visibility at the point of sale or on social media also contribute to a more positive perception. ESG activities also appear in the top 10 reasons.

Jumpers of the year, brands that have managed to get closer to their consumers over the past year, include beer brand Proud, followed by Royal Crown, Eduscho, Popeyes and Foodora.

Focusing on the young pays off

Proud, which is an experimental brand within Plzeňský Prazdroj, has, in its four years of existence, reached the average of beer brands in terms of positive expectations among consumers under 35, who are from Prague and tend to have lower incomes. For other target groups, it is still significantly below average. It is the only beer brand that has seen a significant positive shift in the last 12 months.

According to Ipsos' analysis, the Proud brand is thus in line with the expectations of the younger part of the population, who are no longer listening to "normal" beer. In particular, they appreciate its products and design, they also see an improvement in its availability, they like its advertising and the fact that it is visible on social networks. The communication goes beyond the normal beer framework, which often works with themes of male belonging or the tradition of brewing. Instead, Proud emphasises work-life balance.

Penny bets on working with both price and a sympathetic ESG

An example of an established brand whose perception has shifted over the past year is the Penny chain, which shares the third position of "closest" supermarkets with Albert, just behind Lidl and Kaufland. It is the closest brand for 38% of consumers, mainly over 36 years old, living in very small and smaller towns, with no more than a secondary education and rather lower income.

However, the brand has improved year-on-year, especially among young people under 35, and is also the biggest jumper in its segment. Consumers particularly appreciate good prices and discounts. Penny succeeds in shaping their expectations by promoting low prices, but it also draws attention to sustainable and comparable quality to competitors and communicates locality and chastity. It is also steadily increasing its availability - it currently has 423 stores in the market and plans to open 14 more by the end of the year.

In addition, the chain is investing in marketing. "Our communication evokes emotions, which is the main thing," explains Alžběta Hamadová from Penny's strategic marketing, adding that the current campaign with Genzer and Suchánek can attract younger customers.



Last but not least, Penny engages in ESG activities, such as the projects Neplýváme s Penny, Penny první pomoc or participating in the Ukliďme Česko event. "For example, the campaign with lifeguard Mark Dvorak, in which we provided his online courses for free, was not aimed at selling food. We wanted to have a positive effect on our customers," Hamadová adds.

Source: mediaguru.cz