Karin Bronsvoort – Johma

Karin Bronsvoort is Marketing Director at Johma, the biggest salad manufacturer in the Netherlands, established in 1968.

Main KPI’s for growth

When it comes to Johma’s main KPI for growth, Karin explains that for their products, everything starts with taste. Karin: “Above all, our aim is that we offer the most delicious salads. As long as we can’t say and prove that we do; we just ‘stir’ until this goal is achieved. Our entire strategy is based on this promise and we translate it all the way instore. Also, we ensure that we are renewing and innovating continuously, which we communicate to both customers and consumers.”

Karin explains that quality is also embedded in the way Johma communicates to the (target) audience: “We believe consistent communication is important to stay close to consumers. Our pay-off ‘Oet Twente’ and the presence of the mayor of Losser as our brand representative for the last 10 years are still embraced by the Dutch people. With those assets, we can continuously tell new stories that lay close to our identity.”

Consistency is key

Karin: “To me, smart creation is combining a number of proven issues into a new big idea. It’s about using the most important elements of your brand in a consistent way. On the long-term, recognition of the brand itself and its creatives, like packaging and ads, is key. For us, it is important not to keep consumers distant, but to involve them in our brand stories.”

As Karin mentioned earlier, everything starts with quality and taste and there are no exceptions when it comes to their creatives. “Our photography should always make you crave for Johma right away. The mayor in our TV-commercials always has a certain type of behaviour. Really proud and ceremoniously, but also a bit clumsy. Our commercials show the landscapes of our beautiful Twente and we always include a subtle joke. It needs to be cheerful and colourful. But above all else; it must express taste. This works for 10 years already and we still consider these ingredients as our jewel assets.”

The creative process

Karin explains that Johma’s creative process starts with gathering lots of information. “Once we have gathered enough inspiration, we start ‘stirring’ as we call it. From there, a line-up is created. We organise internal taste sessions where our employees can share their ideas, likes and dislikes. Once we have a line-up, we meet with our design agency to create a concept for the packaging design. After that, we start qualitative research with consumers. We recreate a shelf so people can have a proper look at our possible new favourite in its competitive environment. We also test it in-store sometimes, so we truly know what the consumer thinks of the concept, which ingredients stand out and what we should improve. We are a pragmatic and enterprising company, so in addition to research we also rely on a bit of gut feeling.”

“The agencies we work with were there since we started communicating Johma oet Twente. They know the brand and what it stands for. Within Johma, we work with a lot of different disciplines. I believe this triggers a lot of creativity. By bringing the right people together and pressing the right buttons, we can grow.”

The biggest challenges of creation

According to Karin, the biggest challenge of creation is focus. “Our entrepreneurial way of working makes it very appealing to try new things every now and then. But it can also get you off track. What actually brings your business further in the long run and what can’t, can be a tough decision in the moment.”

Looking towards the future

Johma always looks at trends and what consumers are doing. “Taste comes first. We use sustainable ingredients and we recently signed a covenant within the category for sugar and salt production. When it comes to trends in the future, I feel connection is very important. You can bring people within your own company together, and consumers also became much more accessible. You can gain a lot of information from that, which you can then translate into relevant applications.”