Stage 1:
Groundwork
The Bord Bia Consumer Insight & Innovation
team worked with Goatsbridge Rainbow Trout
Farm to understand the trout category in Ireland
and the UK and how their brand fits into it. This
case study details the brand work and development
of a new brand identity.
BRANDING WORKBOOK
Goatsbridge Rainbow
Trout Farm
Growing the success of Irish food & horticulture
Stage 2:
Building Brands
Stage 3:
Expression
BRANDING WORKBOOK
Goatsbridge Rainbow
Trout Farm
PROJECT BACKGROUND
Established in 1961 in Kilkenny by Ger Kirwan’s
parents, the business is now managed and owned
by Ger Kirwan and his wife Mag. Goatsbridge
wished to extend their range beyond fresh trout to
added value, smoked trout – hot and cold – under
the Goatsbridge brand.
BUSINESS ISSUE
CONSUMER ISSUE
Goatsbridge had started out with fresh
trout but wanted to expand the range
into value added products, under a
consistent brand. They needed to explain
the story of Goatsbridge by creating a
new brand identity for the packaging
and website. This would ensure shelf
stand out, positioning smoked trout as
a real alternative to smoked salmon.
There were three core issues that needed
to be addressed in the project. Firstly,
there was very low consumer awareness
of smoked trout as a product, with the
majority opting for smoked salmon as a
smoked fish option. Secondly, the smoked
trout category suffers from negative
perceptions derived from the consumer’s
experience of fresh rainbow trout, mainly
that of strong flavour and bones. Thirdly, the
hot smoked and cold smoked terminology
was not understood by consumers.
However when it is explained and in
particular the health benefits, consumers
are interested in trialling the product.
Stage 1:
Groundwork
Stage 2:
Building Brands
Stage 3:
Expression
THE PROCESS
The Bord Bia Consumer Insight & Innovation team’s role was
to work alongside Ger and Mag and take a consumer focused
approach to building their brand. We worked with them through
the Branding Workbook from Stage 1: Groundwork to Stage 3:
Expression.
HOW DID WE HELP?
Stage 1: Groundwork:
Using desktop research, we completed
Groundwork around the market,
consumer, business, competitors
and trade to provide a full picture of
the market but from the consumer
point of view. At the end of this
stage Goatsbridge could answer the
5W’s - Who is their target consumer;
What products do they have to meet
consumer needs; Why consumers
would pick their brand; When are the
usage occasions and finally Where the
product can be used and purchased.
WHAT WERE THE
INSIGHTS?
WHAT WAS THE IMPACT
ON THE BUSINESS?
The smoked trout category is relatively
small compared with that of salmon
and needs to attract new consumers.
Leveraging the passion of the owners,
Ger and Mag Kirwan would be a way
of highlighting how great the product is
and could be delivered through a new
‘eat trout’ brand. ‘Eat Trout’ reminds
consumers that trout is a healthy,
tasty alternative to smoked salmon.
The name changed from
Goatsbridge Irish Trout Farm to
Goatsbridge Rainbow Trout Farm,
shortened to Goatsbridge.
Consumers did not understand
the difference between hot and
cold smoked trout – therefore cold
smoked was renamed to “smoked”
and hot smoked to “barbequed”.
Stage 2: Building brands:
Building on the information gathered
from the Groundwork, we completed
the brand model for Goatsbridge, to get
to the heart of their brand, pinpointing
Goatsbridge’s core point of difference,
from the consumer point of view.
Stage 3: Expression:
The final stage involved bringing
everything we learned together into
a communications brief which was
tendered and awarded to Slater
Design. The agency worked to the brief
alongside Bord Bia and Goatsbridge to
redesign brand identify, packaging and
their website. New photography was
also commissioned.
In order to encourage new consumers
to the category of smoked fish, and
capture the owners’ enthusiasm,
an overall campaign line “Eat Trout
by Goatsbridge” was developed.
The redesigned packaging and website
was launched in Easter 2014.
An overall campaign line:
“Eat Trout by Goatsbridge”
was developed.
Bord Bia’s Branding Workbook
This process was developed using best practice techniques detailed in Bord Bia’s
Branding Workbook.
For more information contact:
E-mail: info@bordbia.ie
Telephone: (01) 6885155
Growing the success of Irish food & horticulture