Jordans is one of the nicest brands I've been lucky enough to work on. Its pretty rare that you get to work on a big brand where the founders are still involved, 25 years after starting the business. Only last week David and Bill Jordan were in a workshop I was facilitating, getting stuck in.
The re-launch of their Country Crisp range is a great example of combining product "sausage" and emotional "sizzle".
First, on the product side is one of the most eagerly awaited launches of the year, at least in the Taylor family: Country Crisp with dark chocolate.
The blog post by Rachel, Jordans brand "editor", gives an insight into how much care and attention has gone into crafting this new product. Its a great dramatisation of the brand idea: "You can taste we care":
"We were anxious about making this new Country Crisp too indulgent so we
worked hard to make sure the proporition of clusters to dark chocolate
curls was just right, so you get a chocolate hit but without feeling
you have overdone it.
We only use the best quality ingredients, which
means we have chosen dark cocolate with 70% cocoa solids. The higher
the quantity of cocoa the better the chocolate, ours is carefully
crafted into delicate curls in Belgium.
The exquisite flavour comes
from the skilled roasting, mixing, refining and conching process the
cocoa beans go through. We then combine them with our oat clusters,
which also hold hints of vanilla and coconut."
Rachel has also made smart use of the Jordans blog to get reaction to the new product. Great way of getting some free and quick feedback. And what feedback. No fewer than 172 189 comments, and as far as I can see, all or most positive. Here are a few:
"Taken a while to find a box but was worth it. I love dark
chocolate and it really worked well with the clusters. I just have to
hide this from my children."
"Juicy Oats,Rich and Divine, And Naughty chocolate-it's mine, all mine!
"How can something be so delicious and healthy at he same time – more of this please!"
Second, on the sizzle side is the new TV commercial. Its tells a real product story, about the natural ingredients and tasty golden clusters, in a an emotionally involving way. I like that the same care and attention given to the new product has also going into creating the ad. The voice-over is by Bill Oddie, famous in the UK for being on nature programmes. There are lots of things going on that make you want to see it again, such as farmer Rob in his tractor. It also does a very clever of bringing to life the brand world from the packaging. And the intro line is inspired: "At Jordans we think inside the box"!
The blog has been well used here too, with the ad being premiered on it several days before even breaking on TV. Again, there has been a good level of positive consumer feedback, with over 30 comments:
"A
really heart warming advert,makes one think of all the nice summery
things in life"
"Like bill oddy's voice over make's you feel hungry for the product … mmmmmm lets go and have some"
"The advert makes you want to rush out and buy a box!"
Jordans is one of those rare brands that is a true brand with authentic product truths delivered in an emotionally compelling way. Its this combination that create true consumer loyalty and interest, as shown by one of the most amazing ever reviews I have read on consumer opinion website Ciao here.
