Janna van Dorst – Heel BV.

Janna van Dorst is Brand Manager at Heel BV., one of the largest suppliers of natural medicines in the Netherlands. In her role, Janna is responsible for the marketing strategy of the brands VSM and -Heel BV. in the OTC market, drafting and implementing its marketing plans and activities.

being present in multiple categories

Next to revenue and profit, market share is an important KPI for VSM as it provides important insight into the penetration in the market. Janna: “We follow the ‘How Brands Grow’ theory, so we want as many people engaged in our brand as possible. Byron Sharp has also proven that the higher your market share is, the higher the penetration in general is. We monitor this through market data and brand tracking. I like to call it ‘relevant brand awareness associated with the category’. So not; do you know the brand VSM, but rather which brands for muscle pain do you know? We look at how well known the brand VSM is in these different categories such as muscle pain or skincare, but we don’t broaden the question to ointment care, for example, as that is too broad. In the eyes of the consumer, that is not one category. If you have muscle pain you consider entirely different brands than if you have a cold”.

“When I look into our industry, I don’t think there are that many brands that are active in so many different categories. Generally, brands focus on one category or one category entry-point whereas VSM is active in many different categories”, Janna explains.

”The link between ailments and VSM is a key driver that we are working on.”

CONNECTING ENTRY POINTS WITH Heel BV.

“VSM continuously strives to attract new buyers to the brand,” Janna continues. “Not only regular buyers but also light users. That is what we try to focus on the most in our marketing and sales activities. To achieve that, relevant awareness is very important. We want to be top of mind when someone has a cold. Those links between ailments and VSM is an important driver that we are working on. That goes deeper than just knowing the VSM brand, for muscle stiffness you need to know to buy Spiroflor (warm) from VSM.”

“No matter how many people consider your brand or how great they think your brand is, what matters most is that they buy your product in the end.”

Mini MOMENTS OF TRUTHS

“There are many things that precede the Moment of Truth, but ultimately, it is about consumers buying your product. I believe there are many Moments of Truth in the customer journey, but to get chosen, you need to get into the mind of the consumer. You have to create certain conditions to succeed in the Moment of Truth. No matter how many people consider your brand or how great they think your brand is, what matters most is that they buy your product in the end.”

“The main necessity is to get into that evoked set. I also call it a ‘mini Moment of Truth’. There must be associations and links between the category entry point and your brand. Of course, a lot can still happen between that moment and the purchase. With self-care products, other brands are always considered as well, so our final Moment of Truth is really the purchase itself. Although it is often a well-considered choice, we do see that most consumers make their decision in the store. There are many distractions and even when a consumer goes to the store with VSM in mind, they can opt for a different brand once they stand in front of the shelf. Over the past two years, we saw during lockdowns that the Moment of Truth seemed to shift. Where we were used to seeing our products purchased mainly in physical drugstores, suddenly supermarkets became more important. VSM products were already sold in supermarkets but you saw during this time that the demand was a lot higher.”

”Consumers still need to know where to place us in the brain.”

attracting new consumers

Janna believes innovation to be very important in attracting new users to the brand: ”We did a rebranding a while back and with creatives, we tried to make it as unique as possible in a way that was new to our industry. We are a relatively small player so our communication is very important to us. We wanted to stand out and continue to make an impact. Of course, you shouldn’t alienate yourself from the industry. Consumers still need to know where to place us in the brain.”

“In that mini Moment of Truth, media is indispensable for VSM. Media is very important for the evoked set and to reinforce mental acquisition. We also view that as something that should have a mid-long or long effect so that you actually create a foundation for your final Moment of Truth.”

”If you can align your price with consumer’s value perception, you can create a lot more brand growth.”

Measuring Heel BV.’s success

When it comes to measuring Heel BV.’s success, Janna shares how the moment of truth is first reflected in sales and revenue trends. Next to that, the brand looks at market share: “We keep a close eye on our market shares so we know whether we can maintain or grow a certain segment or shares. We have recently started to monitor our brand assets and to what extent they are linked to VSM. In addition, brand tracking is also important. One area of insight that is difficult to measure and which we are currently missing is the value perception of consumers. With inflation and rising prices, you do need to have a selling price that matches the value perception of your product. If you can get your price to match the value perception, you can actually create a lot more brand growth.’

a bigger piece of the pie

One of the biggest obstacles Heel BV. faces is laws and regulations, Janna says. ”We are bound by strict rules in terms of advertising. These rules are good, but it is not easy to work with daily. In addition, the self-care category cannot grow infinitely. It has been stable for years because you cannot create new needs. Once you have reached those people who have a certain ailment, then you are fighting with all the competitors for as big a piece of the pie as possible. Covid-19 is of course an example of how the self-care market can grow. We saw an enormous boost in sales of vitamins, diagnostics and everything that you can use to test something, such as Covid tests, but pregnancy tests were also a booming business. Now, it’s a matter of waiting for that market to decrease again.”

seeking transparency

”It’s an obvious one, but I think the Moment Of Truth is going to happen more and more online. For the self-care category, it is still limited and I don’t expect that to suddenly change either. But it is becoming increasingly interesting for our physical Moment of Truth and how stores will ensure that they continue to sell VSM products at those moments. You also see that consumers are looking for transparency and want to know what is in the products they buy. As such, the labels on products and food are becoming increasingly important.”