Prof. Byron Sharp

Together with Professor Jenni Romaniuk from the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute, we took a closer look at common mistakes made when applying CEPs.

In the first part of our two-part series on Category Entry Points (CEPs), we discussed two fundamental pitfalls when working with this strategic concept as VIA taskforce Consumer Insights. Together with Professor Jenni Romaniuk from the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute, we delved deeper into common mistakes when identifying and implementing CEPs.

In this sequel, we will discuss the two remaining strategic pitfalls. How do you ensure that your CEP strategy is not only correct, but also actually contributes to brand growth?

Review: What are Category Entry Points? CEPs are the mental gateways through which consumers enter a product or service category. These are the cues that trigger memory and call upon brands at relevant purchase moments. Successful brands connect themselves to as many of these moments as possible, increasing their mental availability.

However, applying CEPs is not without its challenges. In addition to the pitfalls discussed earlier – confusing CEPs with brand values ​​and incorrectly treating CEP lists as complete inventories – we now highlight the last two common mistakes.

Pitfall 3: Trying to 'claim' a CEP A common strategic mistake is to seek exclusive ownership of a particular Category Entry Point. The reality is that consumers rarely associate just one brand with a specific CEP.

Why is this a problem?

Read the full article in Adformatie.