Brief
In 1994, Nucleus was appointed to review the hypermarket brand owned by the Jéronimo Martins Group – the largest retail business in Portugal. Their hypermarkets were continental European in style and scale: huge edge-of-town retail units with a mind-expanding range of stock including clothing, electrical and household goods. However, the brand experience was outdated. Jéronimo Martins wanted a brand that would compete with the best global players – including Carrefour and Tesco.
Solution
Given the established brand name, we pursued a solution which combined the tradition of the ‘feira’ or town market, with the ‘nova’ experience of hypermarket shopping. This introduced colour, variety, drama and energy into the stores, using a combination of strong, contemporary design features and display techniques. However, we ensured that the design did not overwhelm or undermine the ‘value’ offer of the hypermarket, or the sensibilities of its target demographic.
We started with the core elements and packaging system, but the project evolved rapidly as management saw the possibilities and potential impact of the brand – to include many store applications, point of sale, marketing communications, store signing, uniforms and the vehicle fleet.
Results
Nucleus worked with Feira Nova for over four years, establishing an office in Lisbon to ensure the highest quality of client service. We were responsible for more than 400 own-brand products that formed a substantial core of the revised brand offer; the detailed internal and external design and rollout of 8 stores, with guidelines for the remainder of the estate of 21 stores nationwide; and brand strategy support throughout, reporting directly with the Director of Marketing.
Feira Nova quickly experienced the benefits of the brand following the launch and rollout. The goodwill and loyalty of customers were retained and enhanced, and its market share and estate grew steadily in the face of sustained competition throughout the 1990s.