Best Brand 2026: Interview Brugge Kaas

Brugge Kaas has won the Best Brand Award for the category "Best Dairy Food"!

Non-taste factor: In a category where taste is expected, what’s the one ‘non-taste’ factor (trust, origin, craftsmanship, consistency, availability…) that you think most influenced consumers to choose Brugge?

Craftsmanship and trust are the deciding factors. Consumers choose Brugge Kaas because they know they are getting a premium product rooted in tradition and expertise. In a promotion-driven category, this consistent quality provides a sense of stability. Brugge Kaas feels familiar, honest, and reliable, a guaranteed flavorful choice. Over time, reliability becomes more powerful than any price point or innovation.

Brand promise: If you had to describe Brugge’s brand promise in one sentence from the consumer’s point of view, what would it be and how do you keep it true across every touchpoint?

For consumers, Brugge Kaas is all about generous enjoyment. 'With Brugge Kaas, I am bringing home real, authentic, and flavorful cheese that I can always count on.' We deliver on that promise by maintaininga single, consistent standard in recipe, aging, packaging, and communication. Every touchpoint feels recognizably Brugge Kaas: craftsmanship, warmth, and reliability. Brugge Kaas enriches every flavor and every moment. Enjoy generously.

Hardest tension: Dairy is under increasing scrutiny (health, sustainability, animal welfare, price sensitivity). Which tension is the hardest to balance today, and how does Brugge make trade-offs without losing brand love?

Option 1: Dairy is an essential category within the food pyramid. The challenge is: how can you produce sustainably throughout the entire value chain while keeping the product affordable? The ‘citizen’ expects us to invest in sustainability, but the ‘consumer’ is unwilling to pay extra for it.

As a dairy cooperative close to our farmers, we invest in sustainability across the entire chain, from cow to customer. These choices come with costs, but they strengthen our credibility and long-term consumer trust. By working efficiently and communicating transparently, we remain accessible without compromising our values or the love for our brand.

Emotion → commercial impact: Looking at the survey’s rational + emotional dimensions: can you share an xexample where a business decision (innovation, distribution, recipe, communication) was clearly guided by emotion, and still delivered measurable commercial results?

A prime example where emotion drove our decision-making while delivering commercial returns is the strategic shift in our communication toward 'generous enjoyment.' This theme isn’t rooted in cold logic, but in an emotional truth: Brugge Kaas enriches moments and brings a sense of warm, Belgian conviviality to the table."

We translated this emotional approach into tangible choices regarding visual identity, tone of voice, and product presentation. The results were clearly measurable: higher brand recognition, stronger brand preference, and an increase in purchase intent among both loyal and occasional buyers. By leaning into warmth, tradition, and togetherness, the hallmarks of Brugge Kaas we didn't just touch hearts; we created real commercial impact.