Replace financial currency by a social one: innovative "Pay by picture" scheme between Weetabix and Boots

Weetabix claims to have made retail history last night by broadcasting an advertisement encouraging people to take a picture of its ‘Weetabix On The Go’ biscuit on their smartphones, which can be used to buy a pack of the new breakfast snack. The cereal makerhas linked up with Boots to become the first company to trial the ‘Pay-By-Picture’ technique, giving smartphone users a new, alternative way to get its products. Ben Cooper from Weetabix said: “There is huge value in people taking pictures of our new products and sharing the images amongst their friendship groups so we’re excited to be the first company to try this in partnership with Boots. It is undoubtedly a brave move to replace financial currency with social currency, but we’re hoping the 55% of people that currently use their smartphone whilst watching TV will take part in the unique retail initiative, try our new breakfast biscuit and become long-term customers.” The Weetabix On The Go #TAKETHEBISCUIT advertisement is part of a £6m marketing campaign. It was broadcast last night during ITV soap Emmerdale. Consumers will be able to Pay-By-Picture - showing a picture of Weetabix On The Go in exchange for a pack of four biscuits – from today in over 700 Boots stores nationwide. Weetabix On The Go is described as a new breakfast biscuit offering fuel on the go for people who have skipped breakfast. Source: NamNews - Tuesday 23rd April 2013

Grocery Shares - 12 w.e 14.04.2013: Waitrose and discounters see strong share growth whilst Asda, Morrisons and Tesco slip

The latest grocery share figures from Kantar Worldpanel for the 12 weeks ending 14 April 2013 show an increasingly polarised grocery market with Waitrose, Aldi and Lidl all posting record market shares, whilst the leading multiples continued to struggle. . Aldi set two records in the latest period, with its highest ever growth of 31.1% delivering a record market share of 3.4%. Lidl’s market share of 3.0% is also an all-time high for the retailer. Edward Garner, director at Kantar Worldpanel, explained: “Pressure on household budgets is undoubtedly driving some of the growth at the discounters, but messages about quality are starting to resonate. Lidl announced this week that it will increase its fresh meat and poultry floorspace by 50% within the year, and Aldi’s new ‘convenience’ store in Kilburn is a departure from its traditional edge-of-town offering. These changes are likely to appeal to a new and different group of shoppers which will bolster the performance of the discounters even further.” Meanwhile, the strong performance of Waitrose continued, leading to a record share of 4.9%. Shoppers rate Waitrose highly in terms of provenance and clearly-defined supply chains – important credentials in the wake of the horse meat scandal and factors which have clearly boosted sales at the retailer. Within the big four, Sainsbury’s again delivered the strongest growth at 5.4% and was the only one to increase market share, now at 16.9%. Meanwhile, Tesco, Asda and Morrisons all saw their shares slip slightly with growth behind the overall market figure of 3.6%, impacted by the rise of the discounters. Updating on grocery inflation, Kantar Worldpanel said it stood 3.8% for the 12 week period. This was a fall from the 4.2% in its last report and is now only slightly higher than the market growth of 3.6%. These findings are based on Kantar Worldpanel data for the 12 weeks to 14 April 2013. Kantar Worldpanel monitors the household grocery purchasing habits of 30,000 demographically representative households in Great Britain. All data discussed in the above announcement is based on the value of items being bought by these consumers. Source: NamNews - Wednesday 24th April 2013

New Campaign For Jacob’s Oddities

United Biscuits is set to launch a major new marketing campaign to support its Jacob’s Oddities savoury biscuits range this May. The campaign will include the re-launch of a popular TV advert, a new radio campaign, in store activation, as well as digital and social media activity. Starting 6 May, the TV campaign will run for five weeks, and will highlight the addition of three new variants to the range. The radio campaign will go live on 3 June, and feature three 30 second adverts which will each focus on different flavours. The brand will also use its Facebook and dedicated microsite to link with consumers, while implementing sampling and in-store advertising. United Biscuits noted: “Oddities has been received exceptionally well by consumers as shown by the recent Savoury Snack Product of the Year 2013 Award and the fact the brand has already achieved such a high brand value within a year of sale. As a result, Jacob’s Oddities has driven fresh, younger consumers into the category and has helped the savoury biscuits category achieve a healthy category growth of 13%. Already a popular brand amongst consumers, this marketing campaign will help to take Jacob’s Oddities to another level of brand awareness prompting new customers into the savoury biscuits aisle and increasing sales for retailers as a result.”

Study Reveals Supermarkets Becoming ‘One-Stop Shops’ For Many Consumers

Eight million (16%) shoppers say they are now using supermarkets as ‘one-stop shops’ by purchasing all their non-food items as well as food products there, according to new research from Santander. The findings reveal that 98% of Brits now purchase at least some non-food items such as clothes or electronics from their local supermarket, with nearly two thirds (64%) doing so for convenience, 51% to take advantage of competitive prices and 27% to take advantage of rewards and loyalty points. With a vast range of non-food items now available at supermarket retailers, it’s not surprising to see that nearly three quarters (72%) of shoppers have bought clothing and accessories from a supermarket retailer, rising to 78% for female shoppers. CDs, DVDs or video games were the second most common non-food purchase (67%), followed by household electrical appliances (67%), toys (42%), gardening equipment and DIY tools (32%), mobile phone or computing devices (25%), sport and fitness products (14%) and indoor furniture (13%). Aside from cost, convenience and rewards, almost a quarter (23%) of Britons buy items other than groceries from the supermarket for choice of products, 22% do so because the quality is good and reliable and 13% say it’s because they trust the retailer/brand. The Santander figures reveal that three fifths (60%) of shoppers would be happy to purchase big tickets items like a holiday or TV from a supermarket retailer if the price was competitive. The findings also indicate that over the last few years more than two fifths (43%) of Britons have increased their tendency to purchase non-food items in supermarkets. Alan Mathewson, CEO Santander Cards, said: “Cost, rewards and convenience are a major incentive for shoppers at a time when households are increasingly short of both money and time. This is now also driving a shift in purchasing behaviour as consumers increasingly look to supermarket retailers for non-food purchases. “While independent retailers continue to offer a more traditional high street experience, competitive pricing and generous rewards mean many consumers are looking to consolidate their purchasing habits under just one roof.”

Aldi beats Waitrose to top supermarket loyalty league

Aldi has knocked Waitrose from the top spot in a ¬supermarket loyalty league compiled by trade magazine The Grocer. The discounter scored 38 out of 50 points with shoppers marking it high on price and quality. Waitrose was second on 24, Lidl third on 15, and Asda fourth with 11. They were followed by Ocado on 2 points, Sainsbury on -1, Morrisons on -7, and Tesco on a disappointing – 12. The Grocer said: “Low prices trumped quality this year in the list of shopper priorities. Shoppers raved about Aldi. As well as praising Aldi’s low prices, they also championed the balance of price and quality – the Holy Grail for economically squeezed shoppers. “Aldi has worked on quality, so people get a pleasant surprise. Exceeding expectations keeps them coming back.” The magazine said financial worries had driven customers away from the big players. NamNews - Monday 8th April 2013

Marketing: innovative ideas from around the world

McCain multi-sensory bus stop ads

When McCain launched its new Ready Baked Jackets, it created 3D bus stop adverts containing heating elements. As people activated them, they released the smell of slow-baked jacket potatoes. The posters were located at bus shelters in York, Manchester, London, Nottingham and Glasgow. The shelters also dispensed money-off coupons. A novel way to encourage product trial, this multi-sensory campaign was a fun and interesting way to attract attention to the new addition to the McCain range.

 

3D QR codes in Korea

Korean retailer Emart created 3D QR codes that can only be scanned at lunchtime. Dubbed the 'sunny sale', the promotion was designed to improve sales at this typically quiet time of the day. The 3D sculptures work like sundials, and the shadow cast on them by the sun makes them complete for scanning only between noon and 1pm. Upon scanning the code, customers are directed to the company's website where they can find shopping coupons and special promotions. This was a completely new way to execute a time of day promotion, and give shoppers a unique experience.

Grolsch personalised beer promotion

Dutch beer producer Grolsch recently unveiled a fascinating promotion in the Netherlands and UK that allows customers to interact with a digital character in real time. Consumers could interact with a fictional police detective by texting him their name, which then appeared on his phone on Grolsch's website and a personalised reply was sent to their phone. Those who received a message to say the character knew them were sent a link to an e-coupon for a free pack of beer. This interactive promotion was highly engaging and took personalisation to a whole new level.

 

Evian automated re-ordering

Evianchezvous.com enables shoppers to re-order its bottled water direct from the home by pushing a fridge magnet shaped as a water drop. This is connected to the website via wi-fi, and places water orders and delivery preferences. Developing new ways for shoppers to order groceries is emerging as a major trend as retailing becomes an "anytime, anywhere" service.

Hellmann's recipe receipts

In Brazil, Hellmann's mayonnaise designed a novel way to encourage consumers to use mayonnaise for more than just sandwiches. Teaming up with supermarket chain St Marche, it installed special software in 100 of its till points as part of a three month experiment. The software recognised when shoppers bought Hellmann's mayonnaise and the other grocery products they were buying. It used this information to generate recipes that combined several ingredients from shoppers' baskets, and print them out on the till receipt. In the first month alone, sales increased by 44%. This is a great way to tailor a message and inspire shoppers to find new potential uses for a product

Source: Abi Lawrence Business Analyst, IGD
19 March 2013

Majority of UK shoppers want more world foods

New ShopperVista research by the IGD reveals that three quarters of UK shoppers want more world foods in their supermarkets. Shoppers in London are even more demanding where 88% would like more world foods on the shelves. Joanne Denney-Finch, IGD Chief Executive, said: “Three quarters of shoppers told us they would like more world foods in their supermarkets. Favourites like Chinese, Italian and Indian are shoppers’ top choices, but their tastes extend to foods as varied as Mexican, Greek and Caribbean. “More of us are travelling abroad and sampling world cuisines, and we want to continue enjoying exotic tastes when we get home. “Shoppers in London are the most interested in cooking world foods, which reflects the capital’s ethnic diversity.” Shoppers’ top 10 requests for more choice of world food in supermarkets: 1. Chinese 2. Italian 3. Indian 4. Mexican 5. Thai 6. Spanish 7. Greek 8. French9. Caribbean 10. American Source: ShopperVista survey NamNews - Friday 5th April 2013

Brands missing out by failing to cater for single occupancy households

Brands may be missing out on revenue from a potentially high value demographic group by not adequately catering for the soaring number of single occupancy households in the UK, according to category development specialist Bridgethorne. It says that the issue is now being raised on a regular basis by brands as part of their preparation for range reviews and their development of category strategies. Currently 29% of the UK’s 26.4 million households consist of only one person and single-person households are projected to increase by 163,000 a year to 10.9 million in 2031, by which point they could outnumber any other housing group. “The rapidly increasing number of lone occupants has implications for brands, and own label suppliers, but also presents opportunities for them,” explained Bridgethorne Director, John Nevens. “Shoppers obviously behave differently according to their circumstances. Somebody living on their own will not necessarily want to buy the same product in the same quantities as others and this will have an impact on the format and diversity of how products are presented, from packaging to portion size. Manufacturers and retailers are very focused on catering for the family unit when suppliers could help deliver additional category growth by focusing on the needs of the increasing number of people who choose to live on their own.” The battle for shopper loyalty is becoming more and more vital. Nevens said that if a supplier can develop its offering based on category insights that demonstrate how to influence the shopper at the point of purchase, whether in-store or on-line, the opportunity for success could be significant. “If a supplier is able to demonstrate how they can make their category work for all shoppers and grow incrementally this will allow them to develop and maintain a positive working relationship with the large retailers. And in the current market dynamic that’s the only place to be.” In this sense, Bridgethorne said effective category development is critical. It helps suppliers focus on the major drivers and tactics that will increase value and often volume and should be underpinned by consumer and shopper research and data driven insights. If manufacturers can identify short and long term quantified strategic opportunities for the category and the brand, this will increase expertise and multi – dimensional levels of influence leading to brand growth ahead of the category. NamNews - Tuesday 2nd April 2013

Brits preferring peanut butter to jams and marmelade

New research from Mintel shows that British consumers are increasingly turning away from spreads such as jam and marmalade, and are opting for peanut butter. The report said sales of peanut butter have grown by 20% to £56m in the last two years, with volumes up 17% to 14 million kg in the same period. The report also found that sales of chocolate spread grew by 24% to £46m in the same period, although volumes remained flat at 11 million kg. The popularity of these two spreads was underlined by 7% of consumers surveyed by Mintel saying they had switched from jam or marmalade.Mintel noted: “Peanut butter and chocolate spread have become popular choices for the family breakfast, gaining share at the expense of traditional favourites jam and marmalade. Both spreads have benefited from increased innovation and marketing campaigns to widen usage occasions. Moreover, growing economic pressure has forced more consumers to cook at home, so variety has become particularly important especially for households with children.” Overall, sales of sweet spreads rose by 6% to £389m in 2012, up from £367m in 2010. Jam retained the largest market share, with value and volume share of 30% and 36% in 2012, respectively. However, sales remained flat at £118m in the 2010-2012 period. Marmalade accounted for 14% of the market in 2012, but sales declined by 7% to £56m over the two years. Mintel noted: “While sales of marmalade have suffered of late, there is no doubt that the market could benefit from an ageing population. Steps to enhance the health image of marmalade products by incorporating more added health benefits such as vitamins, energising ingredients, antioxidants and added fibre, could offer product standout.” And finally, sales of honey rose by 8% to £107m between 2010 and 2012. while volume sales grew 6% to 18 million kg. The report said: “Honey usage has been driven by its health positioning and natural credentials, as well as premium varieties such as Manuka. Honey’s natural health associations have given it a more up-to-date image, than other more traditional spreads”. Source: NamNews - Wednesday 27th March 2013

Kantar to w.e 17th March 2013 - Sainsbury's, Aldi and Waitrose grow share but Morrisons and Tesco still losing ground

Latest grocery share figures from Kantar Worldpanel for the 12 weeks ending 17 March 2013 show Sainsbury’s was the clear winner among the big four while elsewhere Waitrose and Aldi recorded the two highest percentage growth rates this period. Meanwhile, Tesco, the supermarket most heavily hit by the revelations of horse meat scandal, looks to be suffering from the furore as figures showed an ongoing depression in its market share. Morrisons, untarnished by the scandal, had been expected to benefit, although wider issues with its strategy still appear to be holding it back. Sainsbury’s year-on-year growth of 6.2% firmly beat the total market growth of 3.9%. Since 2004, its annual share has been on a rising trend and now stands at 16.8% for the 52 weeks ending 17 March. Market polarisation continued unabated with Waitrose and Aldi holding on to the record shares reported last month with growth rates of 12.5% and 30.8%. Fraser McKevitt, retail analyst at Kantar Worldpanel, commented: “Austerity and provenance are the key factors behind the varying retailer performances this month. Continued pressure on household budgets has helped Aldi, Lidl and Iceland to record market beating growths while Waitrose and Sainsbury’s have managed to mostly avoid adverse media coverage from the horse meat scandal.” Elsewhere in the big four, Asda held on to the record share of 17.9% it achieved a year ago, whilst Tesco’s share dipped from 30.2% to 29.4% and Morrisons was down from 12.3% to 11.7%. McKevitt said: "People haven't forgotten the scandal and frozen burger and ready-meal sales have still not recovered. However, there is certainly no overall spend decline from the horse meat scandal. If people don't want to buy processed meat, they are buying other proteins instead. "I suspect Tesco has been hit a little bit by it. It is the biggest retailer in the country and was scrutinised the most. Because of its size, there was always a good chance that if a product was affected, it would be selling it." He added: “Looking ahead, Tesco has responded with its Price Promise promotion which delivers coupons to shoppers at the tills and Morrisons has announced plans to plug its home-delivery gap during 2013. These strategies are expected to help boost the retailers’ performances going forward.” Meanwhile, by Kantar Worldpanel’s measure, grocery inflation stood at 4.2% for the 12 week. This remains higher than the market growth of 3.9% and reflects shoppers’ coping mechanisms such as switching products and retailers and seeking out offers.   These findings are based on Kantar Worldpanel data for the 12 weeks to 17 March 2013. Kantar Worldpanel monitors the household grocery purchasing habits of 30,000 demographically representative households in Great Britain. All data discussed in the above announcement is based on the value of items being bought by these consumers. Source: NamNews - Wednesday 27th March 2013