Framing your brand through Category Entry Points (CEPs) encourages marketers to start with consumers’ motivations. Instead of focusing on your brand’s role, CEPs prompt marketers to consider real-world situations where the brand might come to mind. The thinking and framing of Category Entry Points, developed and advanced by Jenni Romaniuk and the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute, have been instrumental in helping reframe how marketers think about strategy and brand tracking.
However, while CEPs encourage marketers to think about consumer need-states first, the wording, when taken literally, can be misleading. The word “category” can lead towards thinking from a category-first perspective.
Marketers may see the word “category” and create restrictions in their minds about the kind of brands they are competing with. For example, a gym brand may think “we exist for consumers wanting to get fit, therefore, we must only win over people considering other gym memberships”. In reality, someone looking to get fit may be considering buying a Peloton, taking up running, or learning to rollerblade. Consumers are not only choosing between one gym membership or another, but instead looking at a whole range of cross-category options.
When we arrive at a bar, we also don’t think in purely category definitions. Yes, we may decide we want a gin and tonic and therefore draw on memory structures to call out our favourite gin brand; however, before then, your brand is competing against many other categories. (“Do I want a G&T, or maybe a rosé, or perhaps even a fresh beer?”)
Category Entry Points refer to buying situations, needs or triggers which might make your product come to mind. In the real world, consumers’ starting points are these needs, rather than specific product categories. People will think “I’m hungry, I need something for lunch”, not “I’m hungry, better decide between a range of quick-service restaurants to choose what I have for lunch”.
Marketers who focus too closely on the category element of CEPs risk putting their brand into a box and failing to properly acknowledge their competitive set. Consumers don’t generally think in “categories”; it’s a marketing construct we use as a shorthand.
A narrow view
Marketers can often default to thinking about their competition as brands that sell what they sell. Category Entry Points encourage marketers to think about consumer needs and situations.
However, if marketers overly focus on the word “category” itself, it risks putting brands into a neat little box. That line of thinking might encourage Coca-Cola to see itself as competing against other colas, Netflix against other streaming services, and McDonald’s against other fast-food chains. This can result in siloed thinking where brands only see brands that offer the same products as them as competition.
One of the key discussion points we have with clients at the outset of any Category Entry Point research project is in defining the context or universe of engagements we want to research and model against. Go too narrow and one risks missing out on potential CEPs to engage in; indeed, go too broad and we risk losing some of the nuance or details of the “category” engagements.
Unlocking broader opportunities
Few people set out wanting to buy specifically a cola product; consumers are more likely to want something thirst-quenching or to enjoy alongside a meal, for example. Globally, Coca-Cola and Pepsi are the two leading colas, with the former the clear leader. Famously, Pepsi often compares itself to Coke in its advertising, utilising taste tests like the “Pepsi Challenge”, designed to position the brand as superior to Coca-Cola. While this taps into Pepsi’s underdog positioning, it also presents something of a narrow view to consumers. Rarely do people set out to choose between Coca-Cola and Pepsi only, instead people may be looking to a whole range of fizzy drinks, or, indeed to the beverage category more generally.
Compare this approach to Coke, which leans into more emotional moments and occasions. Coca-Cola has long sought to build a linkage to mealtimes in its marketing; for example, by partnering with Time Out to spotlight “food landmarks” around the world. The brand recognises that consumers wanting a drink with a meal is a key category entry point for it. It could be competing against other fizzy drinks, beer or even tap water on this occasion. Focusing on the entry point means that Coca-Cola is positioning itself in a way that encompasses all those competitors rather than confining itself to the narrow lens of when a consumer might want a cola.
There are plenty of examples where, through focusing on its category, a brand risks taking a blinkered view of its competition and missing out on unlocking broader opportunities.
Brand: Uber
Narrow Head On Category: Other ride-sharing apps or taxis
Broader Category: Other modes of transport
Created as a disruptor to the traditional transport industry, Uber has long positioned itself as a brand for people wanting to quickly and conveniently get from one place to another, rather than an alternative to taxis. Uber is a brand that recognises its consumers may be choosing it versus another taxi service, but they also may be choosing to use the brand instead of driving, taking public transport or even walking. The brand taps into the key moments where it comes to mind rather than positioning itself against others in its category. The brand’s awareness of its Category Entry Points is demonstrated in its advertising, such as in a recent advert, ‘Your nearest Uber driver is minutes away’. This piece of creative shows a group of friends walking to a night out through cobbled streets and in the cold and rain. The Liverpudlian narrator talks about how her friends had wanted to get an Uber, but she had insisted on walking. For Uber to drive real growth, it needs to come to mind more often when consumers need to get from one place to another, not just in moments where people consider using a rideshare company. This ad taps into that to encourage consumers to see it as an alternative to a cold, miserable walk.
Indeed, this can also be seen via recent advertising from Bolt, the bike sharing app, which is competing with the general “commuting in a car” related CEP.
Brand: Netflix
Narrow Head On Category: Streaming service
Broader Category: Entertainment/Boredom
Netflix knows that it is in the business of winning people’s time. While traditional broadcasters are concerned about the daily share of television watchers, Netflix is a business that knows how people consume media. While it knows it needs to be competitive versus other streaming companies, the brand recognises that people’s leisure time can be occupied by many other sources. TikTok, YouTube and gaming are just some of those competitors threatening to take viewers’ attention away from Netflix. The streaming company has been developing a game proposition in recent years, both through launching mobile games (often tied to the shows on its platform) and games to be played on a TV. The business doesn’t see itself as a TV streaming company, but rather as a wholesale entertainment outfit. It also recognises the reality of how people consume media, often on two screens at once. Netflix is reportedly considering this in how it produces some of its programming, creating it so that it can be easily enjoyed by people scrolling as well as watching the streaming content. Their CEO, Reed Hastings, even famously said, “My biggest competitor is sleep”, likely in jest; however, there is a lot of truth in the sentiment of the message.
Brand: Headspace
Narrow Head On Category: Meditation app
Broader Category: Mental Health Improvement
When Headspace first launched, it could have positioned itself simply as a competitor to other mindfulness or meditation services. Instead, the brand has positioned itself as a solution or remedy for a much broader set of occasions for people seeking to improve their mental state. That approach places Headspace into a wider category of mental wellness. People may opt for a Headspace subscription as an alternative to paying for counselling sessions, buying CBD products, or even taking a long bath. It taps into specific occasions where people require some mental wellness. For example, its short “Mindful Moments” sessions are designed for people at work who need a reset, and position the app not just against Calm or other meditation tools, but also against coffee breaks, scrolling on social media, or a quick walk outside. This isn’t to take away the focus that can be provided when you position your brand directly against similar competitors, especially in the early days, but this can lead to narrow thinking and limit growth over the long term.
Brand: Snickers
Narrow Head On Category: Chocolate bars
Broader Category: Snacking between meals
Snickers is a classic example of a brand that has broken away from category-thinking and instead chosen to make its identity about coming to mind in a particular need state. The famous slogan “You’re not you when you’re hungry” means that Snickers is not just another chocolate bar competing in a crowded category, instead it’s a solution for hunger. With its long-running advertising, it particularly taps into that familiar moment of irritation or short-temperedness that can come with hunger. If you can do it, associating your brand with a feeling is much more effective than associating yourself with a category. This way, Snickers can be chosen against any food to satisfy hunger. That could be crisps, baked goods or something else in the confectionery aisle. It has successfully broadened its appeal and the range of occasions in which it plays.
Brand: Gousto
Narrow Head On Category: Ingredient boxes
Broader Category: Dinner
The recipe box category was one that exploded during the pandemic, as consumers sought to try out new meals at home, with the ingredients delivered right to their doorstep. That popularity was something Gousto was able to tap into, becoming a market leader. However, with subscribing to a meal box brand still remaining a habit of the minority, Gousto has recognised that the key to growth is tapping into behaviours, rather than seeking to take a larger share of the category.
Rather than positioning itself as a recipe box brand, Gousto is now simply positioning itself as something designed to have salience in the dinner occasion. That means that, rather than taking share of the category from the limited ingredient box market, it is looking to win share of the dinner occasion from supermarkets and even takeaways. Its recent ad aims to position Gousto as an alternative to the stress of scrambling around a supermarket, frantically thinking about what to make. It presents an alternative solution to shopping for dinner, rather than an alternative meal box brand, a move which vastly opens up the number of people playing in its category. On the flip side of this, supermarkets and indeed delivery companies are also competing with Gousto and its equivalents for the meal related occasions.
Brand: Innocent
Narrow Head On Category: Smoothies
Broader Category: General beverages, although SKU dependent (e.g. also playing in vitamins “category”)
Innocent is another category leader that recognised dominance of its market isn’t enough to drive truly long-term growth. While it continues to sell classic flavours in the smoothie category such as “strawberries and banana”, many of its products are now positioned with added benefits. Innocent’s ‘Super Smoothie’ range includes products labelled as “energise”, “focus” and “defence”, as well as having more traditional flavour descriptions.
A key consumer purchase moment for Innocent’s single-serve bottles is lunchtime meal deals. On these occasions, very rarely do consumers come in with the idea to buy a particular product category for their drink. Instead, they’re more likely to come in wanting a pick-me-up after a tired morning or to get in the zone for a big meeting. Here, Innocent’s “energise” or “focus” products are positioned to play, and could act as an alternative to an energy drink or caffeinated beverage. Even more broadly, the “defence” smoothies are positioned so that they could play out of the beverage category altogether, acting as a potential alternative to vitamins (or even a bag of oranges!).
Brand: Quorn
Narrow Head On Category: Meat replacements
Broader Category:
The meat alternatives category has seen many brands come through it. It saw a distinct boom in the late 2010s, with many new players popping up in the category, catering to a growing demographic of vegetarians and vegans. However, in recent years, there has been something of a rationalisation of the category, with many of the brands struggling to continue to keep going as growth moderates.
One brand that has achieved longevity in the category is Quorn. Having been around long before veganism became mainstream, the brand does not try to position itself solely to non-meat eaters. Instead, it focuses on its benefits, whether that’s around health, taste or ease. For example, it has partnered with Olympians, including Mo Farah, to emphasise its health credentials. The brand does not position itself as a vegan or vegetarian brand, but rather just as a food brand, recognising in its advertising and communications that its consumer is likely to enjoy meat as part of their diet. Instead, it will focus on entry points such as snacking or a desire to eat healthier, things that resonate much more widely compared to veganism or vegetarianism.
Move beyond the category to win
You might be obsessed with your brand’s category, but in the main, consumers don’t think that way. The reality of how consumers make purchase decisions does not involve thinking about buying into one category or another, instead it is about entry points, such as particular occasions or feelings. Although it can be useful to be grounded in your “category” for some brands in the early stages, by thinking beyond the category in which your brand operates, you can become much more aware of the potential occasions in which your brand can play, and open it up to more growth than a narrow category focus.
In the end, consumers don’t think in categories; they think in moments, needs, and behaviours. Brands that focus solely on their category risk missing opportunities where they could come to mind. By shifting perspective to the entry points that drive real decisions, you open up new possibilities, broaden your competitive set, and give your brand the best chance to grow.
