Authenticity, sustainability, and independence as a branding strategy for selling fermented functional food and beverage

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• Abstract
• Table of contents
• List of figures and tables
• Introduction
  • Problem statement
  • The trend timeline and its current state
  • The research aim
  • The target audience for this thesis
  • The structure of this paper
  • Methodology
• Definition of the terminology
  • How are SMEs defined in Europe?
  • Fermented functional food and beverage
• Branding and the positioning strategy in theory and practice
  • Market segmentation and targeting
    • The Sinus-Milieus Model
    • The use of the Sinus-Milieus Model in the fermented food and beverage niche
  • Positioning
    • Adapted Braunegger's positioning model
  • The meaning and execution of branding for SMEs
  • Chapter summary
• Three qualities as driving factors of branding in this area
  • Authenticity
    • Why are people buying authentic small-scale products?
    • Six aspects of authenticity
    • Authenticity from the consumer perspective
  • Sustainability
    • Packaging, product, processes, distribution
  • Independency
  • Chapter summary
• Marketing communications analysis with the focus on authenticity, sustainability, and independence
  • Fairment & Completeorganics: How does a well-run SME in the fermented food industry look like?
    • Fairment
    • Completeorganics
  • Overview of 8 European SMEs from the fermented food and beverage industry
  • What the above fermented foods businesses have in common?
  • Communicating authenticity
    • Best practices: How are SMEs communicating authenticity?
    • Storytelling, appearing as artesian amateurs
    • Biographical authenticity, sticking to the roots
    • Procedural, material, and temporal authenticity, love of the craft
    • Geographical authenticity, being one with the community
    • Oppositional authenticity
    • Comparison and possible outtakes
  • Communicating sustainability, best practices
    • Certification
    • Cooperations
    • Sustainable packaging and delivery
    • Comparison and possible outtakes
  • Independency, a customer point of view
  • Chapter summary
  • Conclusion
  • Limitations and the need for further research
• Preliminary list of references
  • Scientific articles, books, corporate documets
  • Online sources
  • Figures and tables
• List of figures and tables

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

This paper aims to explore how privately-owned, European SMEs are utilizing authenticity, sustainability, and independence as key elements of their branding strategies to promote fermented functional food and beverage products. The study examines potential target audiences and market gaps through the application of the Sinus-Milieus and Braunegger's models. A comprehensive literature review of authenticity, sustainability, and independence concepts is followed by an in-depth analysis of eight SMEs, revealing how these concepts are implemented by existing entities. The findings provide insights into how startups in the fermented food and beverage industry effectively communicate their brand values.

• Branding strategies of European SMEs in the fermented food and beverage sector
• The role of authenticity, sustainability, and independence in brand communication
• Identifying potential target audiences and market gaps
• Analyzing successful SMEs in the fermented food and beverage industry
• Exploring best practices for communicating authenticity, sustainability, and independence

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

• The introduction establishes the research problem, outlines the current state of the trend, and defines the research aim. It further clarifies the target audience for the thesis and presents the paper's structure. The chapter concludes with a detailed explanation of the research methodology.
• The definition of terminology chapter provides clarity on the meaning of SMEs in a European context and defines the concept of fermented functional food and beverage.
• This chapter dives into the theoretical aspects of branding and positioning strategies. It discusses market segmentation and targeting, introducing the Sinus-Milieus Model and its application in the fermented food and beverage niche. Furthermore, the chapter explores positioning and introduces an adapted Braunegger's positioning model. The chapter culminates with a discussion on the meaning and execution of branding for SMEs.
• The chapter delves into three key qualities: authenticity, sustainability, and independence, highlighting their role as driving factors in branding strategies within the fermented food and beverage sector. It examines the reasons behind consumer preference for authentic small-scale products and explores six aspects of authenticity. Additionally, the chapter investigates the concept of sustainability from a consumer perspective and analyzes the interplay between packaging, product, processes, and distribution in relation to sustainability.
• This chapter presents a detailed marketing communications analysis of eight European SMEs in the fermented food and beverage industry, with a focus on authenticity, sustainability, and independence. It showcases best practices in communicating authenticity, examining storytelling techniques, biographical authenticity, procedural, material, and temporal authenticity, geographical authenticity, and oppositional authenticity. The chapter also explores best practices in communicating sustainability through certifications, cooperations, sustainable packaging and delivery, and analyzes the role of independence from a customer perspective.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

The core focus of this study lies on understanding the branding strategies of privately-owned, European SMEs in the fermented functional food and beverage sector. The research investigates the impact of authenticity, sustainability, and independence on brand communication, exploring how these concepts are utilized to connect with specific target audiences and differentiate from larger corporations. The analysis includes key concepts such as market segmentation, positioning, storytelling, and best practices in sustainable packaging and delivery. Ultimately, the study aims to shed light on the unique challenges and opportunities faced by SMEs in a competitive market landscape.