Brazil, today the brand’s third largest market, was chosen to start the project
Hellmann’s chose Brazil as the destination for its newest investment, the launch of a hamburger shop. It is the first movement of its kind in more than 100 years of the company’s history, created in the United States in 1905.
With the strategy, the Unilever brand wants to get closer to consumers and establish new points of contact, thinking about the generation of learning for the development of new products and actions.
It is also an effort to position itself differently in relation to other competitors, which traditionally invest in building partnerships and support for hamburgers. It is a path that Heinz, with whom PROPMARK spoke recently, has invested and expanded, for example.
The pilot of the project, which does not have physical units, is being run in São Paulo, in the Itaim Bibi neighborhood, where orders made by delivery apps such as ifood and Rappi come from. For the menu, the brand invited chefs to create hamburgers and other sandwiches, always combined with the house sauces.
For Rodrigo Visentini, Vice President of Hellmann’s in Brazil, the country has the perfect conditions for investment. Today, it represents the third largest operation of the brand in the world and has consumers with a lot of appetite for hamburgers – according to a survey by Ifood, the option was the most requested in 2021.
The executive says that he does not see any potential problem or feeling of competition with the hamburger market in the launch. “Our business partners are also at the center of the strategy, since with Hamburgueria Hellmann’s we are able to receive insights through data and listen to what the consumer is saying about the brand, opening doors to relate to our audience in a closer and more personalized way” , says.
Below, the executive tells a little more about the project:
Below, the executive tells details of the project:
Why was Brazil chosen to launch this project?
Brazilians love the products in our portfolio and Hellmann’s is increasingly connected to consumers’ moments of pleasure. Therefore, we identified in this connection a genuine insight and a perfect opportunity to innovate, putting the consumer at the center of our strategy. Another interesting point to highlight is that, with Hamburgueria Hellmann’s, it is the first time that a retail brand in our segment has appropriated 100% of the concept of a meal business, unlike many brands that support restaurants, either with product, whether launching a product inside a dish of some established restaurant. At Hamburgueria Hellmann’s, we thought of the entire concept, from the menu and the name of the snacks to the packaging, seeking to offer the best experience for the consumer.
What is the relevance of Brazil today for Hellmann’s operation?
Hellmann’s is Unilever Brasil’s largest food brand and we are the 3rd largest operation in the world. With this relevance, we believe that it makes perfect sense to start this innovation agenda here in Brazil.
With the entry into the hamburger restaurant environment, is the brand not afraid of being seen as a competitor of the establishments with which it normally establishes a partnership relationship?
There is still a lot of room to grow in this market, but we believe that with Hamburgueria Hellmann’s, we are now offering the consumer a complete experience, whether choosing the brand on the shelves of the points of sale or ordering delivery at home, work or anywhere else. . Our business partners are also at the center of the strategy, since with Hamburgueria Hellmann’s we are able to receive insights through data and listen to what the consumer is saying about the brand, opening doors to relate to our audience in a closer and more personalized way, the which is a challenge for massive brands that are already consolidated in the market. In addition, with this format, we were able to listen to their feedback and then expand to retail, which can also be positive for our partner establishments, ensuring a high quality shopping experience.
