Carte Blanche Greetings has just completed the first phase of a major consumer research programme into its Me to You brand which confirms its high standing with the public both in awareness and their purchasing decisions.
“It was back in 2016 when we last embarked on a major consumer research project into what Me to You meant to consumers, which gave so many valuable insights that we put to good use. However so much has changed in the world in the intervening period at both a macro and micro level, that we felt it was important to undertake what is effectively an up-to-date brand health check on Me to You which would help inform our own product development as well as that of our licensing partners, plus of course our retail customers,” Grace Elphinstone, marketing manager at Carte Blanche, elaborated.
“The scary thing is, when you commission an independent research project you never know what results you are going to get, but it’s better to be in the know than deluding yourself in the dark,” added Grace candidly.
This phase of the research involved 1,000 members of the public, the group being a fair representation of the UK adult population. Each committed 15 minutes of their time to completing a questionnaire which delved into whether they were aware of the Me to You brand, how it compared to other similar brands, whether they had bought a Me to You greeting card or gift product in the last year, if so, what were the main considerations when making their purchase. They also answered whether they were likely to purchase MTY in the future and if so, which retailer or type of retailer would they be most likely to make that purchase and for what occasion or buying need.
“Having been around for 30 years we expected consumer awareness of Me to You to be high, but it was so gratifying to see that 75% of our respondents, equating to 40 million adults in the UK are aware of the brand and that 30 million of them had purchased a Me to You product in the last three months and that almost 23 million of UK adults see Me to You as their first choice when selecting a greeting card or gift,” revealed Grace.
The findings also endorsed how the Me to You brand is most closely associated with relationships, reinforcing the need for the CBG ranges of cards and gifts to include a strong mix of relationship and familial captions, ranking highly as what brand consumers would look for when buying for Birthdays (62%), (Mother’s Day (41%), Valentine’s Day (40%), get well/sympathy (40%) and anniversary (39%).
A second phase of research, which will be qualitative (involving 4,000 adults), is due to be completed by the end of July, which Grace says will give even greater insights into the brand and its continued relevance in modern society.
Bulldog Licensing works with Carte Blanche on the licensing programme for the Me to You brand.
Carte Blanche Greetings and Tatty Teddy himself will be at PG Live on Stand 222.
Progressive Greetings takes place Tuesday 6 June and Wednesday 7 June at London’s Business Design Centre. To register click here.
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