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The Brand's Obstacles and Prospects Inner and Outer Layer
Above all else, a brand strives for customer loyalty. Tyson Foods, which boasts on its
website of comprising 20% of the meat that America consumes (“What We Do,” n.d.), has
certainly done well to cement itself as a pro-family, all-American brand that genuinely values
both the quality of its products and the consumer. However, as Signorelli writes, a Level IV
connection with the prospect is necessary to create a strong and lasting relationship between the
brand and the consumer. In order to reach a Level IV connection, there are three other levels a
brand must face. Additionally, a brand must gain awareness and knowledge of the prospect’s
inner and outer layers to match its goals and purpose with the needs and values of the prospect.
Brand’s Obstacles
Signorelli writes that there are four main obstacles that might prevent a brand from
establishing a “strong and enduring” relationship with the prospect (2022, p. 150). The Level I
obstacle is having no product function awareness. This obstacle mostly occurs when a new
product emerges that “defines a new category,” so a brand is unaware of what need it should
address or problems it should solve (p. 150). The first step to overcoming this obstacle is
identifying the product’s primary function and marketing it accordingly. The Level II obstacle is
a lack of product superiority comprehension, wherein the brand does not know how its product
would surpass that of the brand’s competitors (p. 151). To overcome this obstacle, the brand
would need to come up with a unique purpose or benefit that a competitor’s product lacks.
The final two obstacles are somewhat related. The Level III obstacle is a lack of brand
association. This obstacle arises from the prospect not having a history or positive experience
with the brand, which can result “from any number of causes, from something as simple as a lack
of familiarity with the brand name to something as complex as outright disbelief” (p. 151). The
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best way to overcome this obstacle is to ensure that the prospect has recurring positive
experiences with the brand so they begin to build a brand association. If the experiences are
negative, the prospect might stop interacting with the brand altogether, which would be
detrimental to the relationship. Signorelli also mentions that many brands plateau at Level III
because they believe it is the “finish line,” so they do not attempt to advance the relationship
with the prospect further. The final obstacle, Level IV, is the lack of brand affiliation, which is
the brand’s failure to establish itself as a preference due to it not fully connecting with the
prospect (p. 152). In order to successfully reach a Level IV connection, Signorelli says that “the
belief that the brand stands for must link to a belief that the prospect considers to be personally
important” (p. 153). This means that a brand should strive past the transactional level with the
prospect and aim to find a common value that connects, or bridges, both parties.
Prospect’s Outer Layer
Signorelli says the prospect’s outer layer is “the flat definition of the prospect” (p. 133).
This mainly refers to the demographic that Tyson Foods mainly focuses on capturing. According
to the Canvas Business Model, Tyson primarily targets middle- to lower-class families with
children, whose ages generally range from 25 to 50, and includes both suburban and rural
geographic locations (2024). This makes the brand’s reach quite wide, which makes sense
considering the purpose statement on their website, which is “We feed the world like family”
(“Our Purpose,” n.d.). While the brand does have a primary target audience, it is also primarily
focused on generalizing itself enough to suit consumers of every age, culture, income level,
geographical location, and preference. The brand even offers alternative plant-based options for
non-meat eaters through its Raised and Rooted brand. Thus, the outer layer “deals with what the
functional need is” (p. 134).
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Prospect’s Inner Layer
According to Signorelli, the prospect’s inner layer “consists of relevant ideas and values
that are important to the prospect” (p. 134). While the outer layer may seem shallow—it simply
describes what the prospect wants from the brand—the inner layer “explains why [a] need is
important” (p. 134). Signorelli advises that the best way to examine a prospect’s inner layer is to
use a process called laddering, which essentially starts with the outer layer and “work[s] back
toward” the inner layer through a series of questions (p. 135). This process reveals the inner layer
and helps deepen one’s understanding of the outer layer.
Tyson’s website reveals much about not only their own values but also the prospect’s
values. Signorelli stresses the importance of a brand aligning their values and purpose with the
prospect’s in order to form a strong relationship (p. 134). Tyson’s website boasts a long list of
brands that consider a variety of tastes and preferences. Additionally, the website dedicates a
whole page to sustainability, including a comprehensive report of how the brand intends to
support and give back to communities, how it treats its livestock and poultry, and plans to sustain
natural resources and prevent excess waste. A recent study found that Americans are becoming
increasingly concerned with vegetarian and vegan diets and about 75% value sustainably
produced products and environmental sustainability (Barlow, 2024). This shows that Tyson is
actively working to align its focus with the prospect’s desires and values.
Conclusion
As its website suggests, Tyson Foods has, in many ways, overcome its obstacles and
oriented itself as a trustworthy brand that values and addresses the needs of its customers. Even
after 89 years of service, the brand still ranks in the Fortune 500 and ranks #85 this year (Swaim,
2024). Tyson sets itself apart from other meat and poultry suppliers because it humanizes itself
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and makes a conscious effort to connect with its customers. Tyson markets itself as a down-to-
earth, relatable brand that rose from humble beginnings during the Great Depression into what it
is today. In order to remain the beloved staple America knows it as, Tyson should never forget to
ensure that “the brand’s and the prospect’s inner- and outer-layer cells are in alignment” (p. 142).
This will ensure that Tyson remains perceptive and true to what the prospect wants and expects
Tyson to provide.
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References
Barlow, M. (2024). Americans Show Paradoxical Behavior When It Comes to Their Diets,
Virginia Tech Study Reveals. Virginia Tech News.
https://news.vt.edu/articles/2024/03/cals-plant-rich-diets-study.html.
Customer Demographics and Target Market of Tyson Foods. (2024). Canvas Business Model.
https://canvasbusinessmodel.com/blogs/target-market/tyson-foods-target-market.
Our Purpose. (n.d.). Tyson Foods.
https://www.tysonfoods.com/who-we-are/our-story/where-we-came-from/our-history.
Signorelli, J. (2022). Storybranding 2.0: Creating Stand-out Brands Through the Purpose of
Story. River Grove Books, pp. 134-153,
https://www.everand.com/read/385414784/StoryBranding-2-0-Second-Edition-Creating-
Stand-Out-Brands-Through-the-Purpose-of-Story#Links to an external site.
Swaim, K. (2024). Four Arkansas-based Companies Ranked in New Fortune 500. News 3
Channel: Wreg, Memphis. https://wreg.com/news/four-arkansas-based-companies-
ranked-in-new-fortune-500/
#:~:text=%2385%20%E2%80%93%20Tyson%20Foods,Hunt%20Transport%20Services.
What We Do. (n.d.). Tyson Foods.
https://www.tysonfoods.com/who-we-are/our-story/what-we-do.
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