​This thinking is based mainly on the work of Ehrenberg Bass Institute.

​Marketers need to identify the main usage contexts (or 'Category Entry Points’ - CEPs for short) people buy the category for. They can then decide which CEPs the company and its brand(s) should focus on now, and in the future. Products/formats, pricing strategies, distribution mechanisms, messaging and media plans can then be optimised for each choosen CEP. The profile of people for whom each CEP is relevant is particularly useful for deciding where to make the product(s) available and which advertising media to use.

New brands usually have to pick one CEP to focus on, at least initially. This helps to get retail partners on board and may make it easier for the brand to establish itself in consumers’ minds. For long-term growth, the brand needs a plan for how it will become a compelling choice for additional CEPs.

​You can learn more about Category Entry Points here.

For a discussion of this topic, check out this LinkedIn thread.