Saxonville Sausage Case Analysis

Saxonville Sausage Case Analysis

Saxonville Sausage Company hired Ann Banks to evaluate an opportunity to launch their brand of Italian sausage products nationally. Banks decided that the company’s Italian sausage brand, Vivio, needed to be differentiated and began a data-driven process to develop brand positioning. She put a team together and dove into the market research, utilizing existing company data, focus groups, mock concept testing, and monadic testing.

Existing company data revealed that the primary purchasers of Vivio Italian Sausage are female heads-of-household between the ages of 20 and 50. The focus groups, consisting of 103 female heads-of-household, revealed consumers’ behaviors and preferences. Consumers in all groups reported that Vivio Italian sausage was high quality, tasty, good-smelling, versatile, easy to prepare, and appealing to both kids and adults as a dinner meal.

After analyzing responses from the focus group participants, six potential positioning territories emerged: Family Connection, Clever Cooking, Confidence, Appreciation, Quick and Easy, and Tradition. Among these, “Family Connection” and “Clever Cooking” were the clear front-runners. For Saxonville’s Italian sausage, I believe the “Clever Cooking” theme holds the most opportunity. Banks describes the “Clever Cooking” concept as follows: “Using fresh, high-quality ingredients and making a recipe her own way, she puts a little of herself into the meal. Italian sausage is so versatile it can be used in a number of different ways and always adds a little zest to her dishes.” Overall, “Clever Cooking” performed relatively well in all of Banks’ research, is easy to support tactically, and is a unique positioning that would be difficult for competitors to copy.

Banks’ earliest research indicates the strength of the “Clever Cooking” concept. As she looked into Saxonville’s existing data, customer testimonials revealed that Vivio Italian sausage is versatile and satisfying for the whole family. Versatility is a feature that fits best within the “Clever Cooking” concept. The rest of Banks’ market research uncovers consumer perceptions, preferences, and values, all of which ultimately point to “Clever Cooking” as the appropriate positioning for Saxonville’s Italian sausage.

The research paints a picture of busy mothers and homemakers whose chief desire is to do a good job in their homes. For them, a “Job Well Done” means getting the whole family together at the dinner table, spending time with their family while also getting everything done, coming up with easy, creative home-cooked meals that everyone can enjoy, and creating happy memories and a sense of tradition. Their ability to live up to their standard of doing a good job is challenged by their lack of time, limited culinary skills, and the differing taste preferences of their children and spouses. In the face of these problems, Banks’ perceptual map presents Italian sausage as a “meal solution” that is not only easy to prepare but also enjoyed by the whole family. The wives and mothers in the focus groups considered Italian sausage as a “meal-maker” in that it can be used as a fresh ingredient in a variety of different ways. The “Clever Cooking” concept conveys the image of a quick “meal solution” that they can be proud of.