(Re)Becoming the obvious choice on the shelf: Step #2 OPTIMIZATION

The Repères Approach to identify the most effective levers for driving purchase 

In today's crowded retail environment, becoming a reflex choice again requires more than just offering a good product.
Optimizing your offer means choosing the right positioning and activating the right claims - the essential levers to design a convincing packaging and communication strategy

At Repères Insights, we have developed a set of agile and complementary approaches that can be conducted either independently or sequentially to guide you through this process:

1. Identify the key positioning territories to focus on:
   Which brand territories, benefits, and tone of voice should you adopt?
2. Select the most relevant claims:
   Which statements, logos, or certifications should appear on your pack to reinforce your positioning?

Approach 1 – Identifying the most impactful positioning territories 

The first step is to determine which communication territories resonate most strongly with your consumers.

For instance, in the food sector, which territories should you prioritize - French origin, naturalness, health, or indulgence?
And, more specifically, which exact formulations or benefits will have the greatest impact within each territory?

“Made in France” or “100% French ingredients”?
“...to support French farmers” or “...to meet higher quality standards”?

The number of possible variations can quickly escalate - sometimes up to 50 formulations, often very similar.
How can you evaluate them effectively without tiring respondents?

Our solution: a simple, dual approach combining rational and emotional analysis, to both rank the different formulations and understand the underlying mechanisms of persuasion.

A Rational Ranking: MaxDiff Method 

The MaxDiff method is based on a series of simple, repeated choices.
Each time, respondents select the statement they most prefer and the one they least prefer among five options.
Repeated around 15 times, this approach enables a robust ranking across a large number of options and delivers precise differentiation between them.

An emotional evaluation for deeper understanding

Through a single open‑ended question - 3 spontaneous words - and our proprietary R3M Score© emotional algorithm (which measures intensity and valence of language), we deliver:

• A precise diagnostic of persuasive mechanisms,

• A fine‑grained comparison between close formulations.

This dual emotional and rational lens allows you to identify your most compelling positioning axes and winning messages.

Approach 2 – Selecting the most relevant on‑pack claims

Once your positioning is defined, the next step is to determine which proof points should appear on your packaging: which claims, logos, or certifications will best support your strategy?

But how do you choose among a wide range of possible options - differing in format, nature, and tone?

Our approach: A multidimensional evaluation beyond preference 

Each claim is assessed not only on its interest or importance in the purchase act, but also on key complementary dimensions such as Originality, Ease of understanding, Legitimacy (for the brand or the category).

Cross‑analyzing these dimensions helps reveal the true potential of each claim and identify:

• Priority claims – strong and differentiating,

• “Must‑haves” – important but widely shared,

• Original but limited‑potential claims.

Complementary and Actionable Approaches

These approaches can be activated independently or as part of a complete optimization process, offering key advantages:

• Agility: flexible and rapid deployment depending on your objectives,

• Fine discrimination: even between very similar propositions,

• Rich insights: clear hierarchy of emotional and functional levers, and in‑depth understanding of perceptions.

👉 Want to boost your brand's visibility on shelf ?

Contact us to discuss which module best fits your needs.

Discover the other steps in the series “(Re)Becoming the Obvious Choice on Shelf”: #1 DIAGNOSIS et #3 PACK VALIDATION