The semiotics of butter: how Valio launched a premium brand

Valio, a Finnish dairy co-operative used semiotics, the study of signs, to understand its own position in consumers' minds, and overcame geopolitical challenges in the process.

Creating a premium shift for a brand isn't a straightforward matter, according to Amelia Boothman, director of brand and innovation strategy at 1HQ. "It's not just enough to simply say you're premium. It's not about saying what you think you might be […] you have to have a deeper value - brand uniqueness, meaningfulness and an opportunity to participate and co-create."

Speaking at an event (London, January 2018) to launch a piece of research from MMR, she went on to ask how a brand can effectively communicate that premium notion. "How do you make sure that consumers can understand [that...

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