Can Branded Items Increase Business?

Your gelato business has a solid reputation for offering premium gelato in and around your community. The customers who walk into your store are excited about what they’re going to experience as they reach for that cup or cone. They trust that every spoonful of gelato will meet their high expectations, and they salivate at the thought of that first mouthful … or maybe they don’t … yet.

Perhaps your gelato shop is just opening and you haven’t quite built a reputation. Or maybe your gelato shop is so well established that the excitement and newness of your product has faded. One really quick and easy way to either persuade new customers to become loyal to your brand and business, or to refresh your image within your community as a trendy experience that hasn’t gone stale is to feature other brands on your menu.

A 2017 study, a Dessert Consumer Trend Report by Technomic states that 62% of consumers are more likely to order a dessert that features a brand name ingredient. The Center for Generational Kinetics did a study for Hershey’s that says 55% of Gen Z and 54% of Millennials are more likely to make a branded dessert purchase. These statistics logically make sense, as the dessert satisfies what can be a monotonous craving, but in a completely different format. These are big numbers that represent big opportunities.

According to an article published by the American Culinary Federation, branded menu items can raise the perceived value of an establishment’s menu options. Take, for instance, a Raspberry Rosé Sorbetto.  This dessert features a rosé label that can also be seen on wine menus in restaurants and is sold for $40+ in licensed establishments, that sorbetto immediately has a high chance of selling out because it appears to be a more premium product based on customers’ previous experiences with that premium brand of wine.

Because the perceived value of your products can be improved by recognizable brands, they also have the opportunity of making customers much more likely to return to you for repeat business. In other words, featuring other beloved brands enhances the opportunity for THEIR loyal customers to become YOUR loyal customers. Consumers’ desire familiarity and consistency, and you can create that kind of experience for them within your own business by tapping into what they are already familiar with.

Yup. Good ole’ name dropping can benefit your company’s image and your bottom line. Here are some ways you can take advantage of this concept within your gelato case:

  1. Partner with a local winery and create a sorbetto flavor using one of their vintages. In the warmer seasons add Rosé to your Raspberry Sorbet. During the fall, try featuring a Blueberry Port Sorbet or a Pear Riesling Sorbetto.
  2. Reach out to a craft brewery for St. Patrick’s Day and feature a chocolate stout gelato using their craft stout.
  3. If you have a local bakery, find out which pastry they’re most famous for, and create a gelato from it, e.g., a Strawberry Cheesecake gelato with bits of real cheesecake.
  4. Lastly, you can’t go wrong with featuring fruit harvested from a local farm. Try partnering with farms that are open to the public during their peak harvest season, as those have even more memorable brand moments.