Re-branding strategies for a traditional company

GEFRO is a very successful SME from the Allgäu region. Long before the world went vegetarian, the Frommelt brothers were already specialising in vegetarian foods, particularly soups, sauces and seasonings. Next year, the family business will be celebrating its 100th anniversary.

Like any other traditional company, GEFRO faces typical challenges. Essentially, these can be described as ‘zeitgeist versus tradition’.

• How is the consumer behaviour of the target group changing?
• How can new target groups be tapped into?
• What does this mean for the product strategy – and what does it mean for the brand and marketing?

In order to better understand the consumer behaviour and values of the young target group, GEFRO has implemented a project at Macromedia University. The Bachelor’s and Master’s students were supervised by Prof Dr Mo Badr, Prof Dr Rene Brunner, Alexander Roth and Leonie Häusler.

The task was to develop concepts for the re-branding of the brand as well as for new product strategies.

An important part of the concepts was analysing the competition and target groups. Based on these findings, strategic conclusions were developed and then translated into concrete recommendations for action.

Here is an impression of the various conceptual and creative presentations – recognised with much applause from the practice partners, in particular from the President of the Gefro Group, Thilo Frommlet.

• Shake: Rebranding strategy with reference to the sports industry; focus on quality, flavour and healthy ingredients; combination of influencer marketing and out-of-home. Target group: young people with little time to cook.
• Gefrino: Launch of a protein-rich soup line. Focus on social media and influencer marketing. Strengthening of the brand identity with further development of the corporate design. Target group: young people with little time to cook.
• Go Gefro: Focus on vegan, gluten-free products from the region. Focus on social media marketing. Introduction of a deposit system for refill packs.
• Eat Outside the Box: Product and marketing ideas for the esports community. Development of a communication strategy for gaming channels and gaming context. Focus on innovation and health.