Star performers of 2010

The JCB Toughphone Tradesman, the world’s first floating, waterproof and dustproof phone, will be available to Just Mobile customers from early December

Bucking a recession is no easy feat, but through harnessing market insights to discover exactly what customers want, several brands have achieved just that

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Brand Central

At a glance: BEST OF THE YEAR

• Just Mobile has made SIMs and phones available at over 650 Spar, Eurospar, Mace and XL outlets nationwide or online at www.justmobile.ie
• The number of outlets offering Just Mobile products is expected to reach 1000 early in the new year,  giving Just Mobile the most extensive distribution of all of the Irish mobile operators combined
• Birds Eye Frozen Green Beans retains up to 45% more vitamins than fresh green beans (Source: DJ & Favell Study 1998. Ref: Vitamin C, IFR Extra, 2010)
• Birds Eye is Ireland’s number one frozen food brand with 18% value share (Source:  AC Nielsen 52 w/e 30 Oct 2010)
• Since re-launching under Field Fresh, Birds Eye is the only brand in frozen vegetables to grow its share with continued share growth since May 2010 (Source: AC Nielsen 4 weekly w/e 30 Oct 2010)
• Cushelle now holds a 10% value share of the toilet tissue market versus 3.4% two years ago, as a result of its successful advertising campaign
• Cushelle has attracted over 62,000 new shoppers into buying the brand this year (Source: Kantar 52 weeks ending Oct 31 2010)
• Jacobs Fig Rolls’ advertising campaign has achieved consumer recognition of 73% against the norm of 40% – 45%
• A million bars of Galaxy Bubbles were sold within days of its launch, thousands of pre-filled units were placed in stores and 400,000 consumers sampled the product in its first few weeks
• Year to date the Galaxy Bubbles brand is worth €2.3M CSV (Source: Nielsen Oct 2010)  
• PostPoint is the market leader in e-transaction services in Ireland, and enjoys the support of close to 3000 Irish retailers who employ its technology
• Within the ignition category, 26.5% of its value comes from firelogs, which are worth over E9m annually (Source: AC Nielsen MAT Oct 11)
• Zip is the first large scale log producer in Ireland, and has launched the new Croí na Tine firelog
• Bord na Mona Ltd is the largest supplier of solid fuel in Ireland and has now introduced its new product, FireMagic Fire Maker, onto the market

2010 has not proved an unchallenging or indeed, uneventful year for Irish FMCG retailing, as ShelfLife’s feature on page 17 illustrates. However a number of manufacturers have not relegated new product development (NPD) into the shadows during challenging economic times, and new innovation has delivered tangible sales results. Just one example is the new chocolate brand Galaxy Bubbles, which sold a million bars for Mars Ireland, in just the few days after its launch alone. Or new mobile phone group, Just Mobile, which partnered with BWG, looks set to score a major coup. In fact the group offers the most widespread distribution of all the Irish mobile operators combined. 

Successful advertising campaigns have also struck a chord with consumers throughout 2010, and resulted in increased brand awareness and higher sales. The Jacobs Fig Rolls humorous ‘Taste Buds’ campaign has achieved consumer recognition of 73%, significantly higher than the norm of 40% – 45%. A 360 degree marketing campaign, encompassing new online media as well as more traditional advertising streams, has also resulted in the Cushelle toilet tissue, formerly known as Charmin, attracting over 62,000 new shoppers into buying the brand this year. The brand which now uses the iconic koala mascot, currently holds a 10% value share of the market, as opposed to 3.4% two years ago.

With such impressive gains to be made from brands continually investing in their products and marketing; ShelfLife has decided to highlight the products that have worked hard to beat the recession and buck the general downward trend. Not surprisingly, these are also the lines for which the future looks promising in 2011.

The JCB Toughphone Tradesman, the world’s first floating, waterproof and dustproof phone, will be available to Just Mobile customers from early December

Just the ticket

Just Mobile, Ireland’s only Irish-owned, independent pre-paid mobile network, this year partnered with BWG Group, representing a new departure in convenience retail. SIMs and phones are available at over 650 Spar, Eurospar, Mace and XL outlets nationwide or online at www.justmobile.ie, with this number steadily increasing and expected to reach 1000 early in the new year. This constitutes the most extensive distribution of all of the Irish mobile operators combined. The positive impact of this new offering will especially be felt by those in rural areas, who can now buy handsets in their local shop, or order a specific handset from the Just Mobile website to be delivered to their home or nearest outlet, without having to travel to the nearest shopping centre or large town.

The latest addition to the Just Mobile range is the JCB Toughphone Tradesman, the world’s first floating, waterproof and dustproof phone which will be available to Just Mobile customers from early December. Made in association with world class machine manufacturer JCB, the Toughphone Tradesman is manufactured to military specification, and comes with a built-in torch, radio and Bluetooth. 

Just Mobile seeks to expose the myth of ‘free’ call and text incentives offered by other operators. In order to avail of these ‘free’ calls and texts, customers are required to top up in large amounts of €10 or €20, otherwise they are forced to pay premium rates. In contrast, Just Mobile promises simplicity and the cheapest flat rates on calls and texts, with free voicemail. Just Mobile customers also benefit from the lowest top-up price points of €4, €9, €13 and €18 – leaving change in the customer’s pocket. Just Mobile uses the Vodafone network, with 99.5% coverage and the familiar 087 prefix.

Just Mobile also aims to help communities with its Just Cause affinity programme. One cent of every minute of every call is donated to a charity of the customer’s choice. The donation will be doubled during the month of December. Just Cause aims to have donated a minimum of €250,000 to charity and over €1 million annually by the end of 2012. Just Mobile has also partnered with different companies for its Just Freebie whereby every time a customer tops up they receive a free gift. For the months of October and November the Just Freebie will be a share packet of Rowntree’s Randoms while in December the freebie will be a Christmas muffin from Cuisine de France.

Pall Mall in the pink

P.J. Carroll has had a busy year. In July of this year, the company launched a new limited edition pack (LEP) design for Pall Mall. From mid July 2010 the whole Pall Mall range was transformed with a brand new pack design for the summer months. In addition to the LEP launch, the amber packaging was changed to a new permanent signature pink colour.

The new LEP design temporarily replaced the traditional packaging for Pall Mall range for the three months throughout the summer. The packs then reverted to their original design, however the amber pack retained its new pink colour.

The finest Virginia, premium quality cigarette has retained the same blend that smokers have come to recognise, only repackaged in a more distinctive design for the LEPs. The new Pall Mall limited edition range, including the new pink pack also comes in price marked packs.

P.J. Carroll Pall Mall brand manager, Gwilym Cooke, commented: “The new bright design is intended to refresh the brand over the summer months. The move to the new pink pack provides a more modern take on the original amber colour, while preserving the current and instantly recognisable Pall Mall pack design.”

The manufacturer’s recommended retail price for Pall Mall King Size and Super Kings is €7.75.

For more information or to purchase Pall Mall,  call 01 2052345.

Vogue strikes a new pose

P.J. Carroll has introduced a new pack design for Vogue. From April 2010 Vogue Signature packs have been transformed to a new pack design. The premium quality superslim cigarette retains the same blend that consumers have come to recognise, only repackaged in a more distinctive design.

Both the Bleue and Menthe variants of Vogue, now feature the new design which combines a white background embossed with a metallic purple logo and a new inner foil. Both variants also have a unique ‘Pearl’ in either Bleue or Grass Green on the top of the pack, designed specifically to help differentiate between the two variants.

P.J Carroll premium brand manager, Hinesh Patel commented: “We updated the Vogue pack to a new design in order to stay relevant to our adult consumers. The addition of the ‘Pearl’, means customers can easily recognise their chosen variant. Remaining true to the Vogue blend, consumers will benefit from a new pack that is distinctive and unique.”

The new Vogue packs have been available on the market since May 2010.

The big freeze

Birds Eye, producers of the freshest,  frozen peas, re-launched its vegetable range under the new Field Fresh range – a healthy collection of frozen vegetables which the company says is guaranteed to enhance any meal.

Birds Eye’s Field Fresh range, incorporating frozen favourites Garden Peas, Petits Pois, Steam Bags and Soya Beans also offer a wide variety of tasty vegetables bursting with flavour and essential vitamins. Frozen within hours of picking to retain their freshness, all vegetables within the new Field Fresh range are packed full of nutrients right up until the moment they’re eaten.

Birds Eye is Ireland’s number one frozen food brand with 18% value share

Vitamins are locked in at the point of freezing to ensure there is no deterioration in quality or nutritional value. Only Birds Eye has the Field Fresh guarantee – the company picks and freezes its Field Fresh vegetables on the same day and its experts are on hand to ensure that only the very best vegetables are selected.

Fresh vegetables can lose much of their essential nutrients between the time they are harvested and the time they are consumed and research has shown that Birds Eye Frozen Green Beans retains up to 45% more vitamins than fresh green beans (Source: DJ & Favell Study 1998. Ref: Vitamin C ** IFR Extra, 2010).  Birds Eye Field Fresh vegetables also helps to prevent wasting money by saving consumers from having to throw out fresh vegetables which deteriorated or “gone off” as Birds Eye Field Fresh vegetables retains its freshness and are convenient to use straight from the freezer.

Birds Eye, Ireland’s number one frozen food brand with 18% value share (Source:  AC Nielsen 52 w/e 30 Oct 2010) supported the new Birds Eye Field Fresh vegetable range with a massive marketing campaign including TV, radio, press, outdoor and in-store activation.

Since re-launching under Field Fresh, Birds Eye is the only brand in frozen vegetables to grow its share with continued share growth since May 2010 (Source: AC Nielsen 4 weekly w/e 30 Oct 2010).

Irresistibly soft

In March 2010, SCA Hygiene announced a major reinvigoration of the Charmin toilet tissue brand. While the quality and standard of the product stayed the same, a new brand name was introduced along with a new brand icon. Charmin was re-branded Cushelle and the iconic koala is now the face of the irresistibly soft toilet tissue.

To launch the new brand name change, SCA Hygiene launched a strong 360° marketing campaign which catapulted Cushelle into the homes of consumers ensuring that Cushelle was the top toilet tissue of choice for Irish families.

An extensive online, TV and outdoor campaign was implemented to position the brand in the toilet tissue market. A website and Facebook page was established and a sponsorship was developed with EUMOM.ie’s potty training section where monthly competitions were held to engage with parents. Outdoor advertising and the branding of a Dublin airport bus were also important in creating awareness of the new toilet tissue re-brand in Ireland.

Another exciting strategy of the launch of Cushelle was the creation of a 3D advert for cinemas. Morgane Salin brand manager of Cushelle for SCA Hygiene Products Ireland said: “To really bring our new brand to life we are the first FMCG Company to produce a 3D advert for Irish cinema screens. The advert really brought Koala and Cushelle to life and the advert is being really well received by all cinema goers – both young and old!”

As a result of this campaign, Cushelle holds now a 10% value share versus 3.4% two years ago and attracted more than 62,000 new shoppers into buying the brand this year. (Kantar 52 weeks ending oct 31 2010)

Jacobs takes the biscuit

Jacob Fruitfield Food Group, which owns brands including Jacobs Cream Crackers, Kimberley Mikado and Coconut Cream, Chef and Fruitfield Jam, launched a humorous marketing campaign for Jacobs Fig Rolls starring up-and-coming comedian Dermot Whelan. The central message for the campaign being Jacobs Fig Rolls’  distinctive taste.

The brief for the campaign was to ‘break through the noise’ –  something different, that would stand out from the crowd and that could be owned by Jacobs.  The idea behind the communications was single minded and involved people wearing skin tight shiny red spandex body suits ‘aka the Taste Buds’ getting very excited at the thoughts of consuming loads of yummy Jacobs Fig Rolls.

 The campaign encompassed a heavyweight TV campaign, radio, on-street Taste Bud flash mobs (who terrorised half of Ireland’s celebrities on Grafton Street), digital, PR, trade plan as well as a strong in-store presence.  The campaign has proved very successful, with ad cut through off the Richter scale, with recognition of 73% against the norm of 40% – 45%. Jacobs subsequently advises retailers to stock up on Jacobs Fig Rolls to satisfy customers’ taste buds. See the Taste Buds at www.figrolls.ie and Facebook

Bubbles go up immediately

Galaxy Bubbles has been an incredible success story for Mars Ireland in 2010, according to the company, with a million bars sold literally within days of the launch, thousands of pre-filled units placed in trade and 400,000 consumers sampled in the first few weeks. Year to date the brand is worth €2.3M CSV (Source: Nielsen Oct 2010). “The huge success of this launch was due to having a great new product building on a great core brand supported by fantastic through the line plans. Involving our trade partners early, brilliant execution in-store by our sales force, strong marketing support including national TV, outdoor and PR campaigns along with best in class point of sale materials ensured instant awareness and strong early consumer penetration,” said Sarah Keenaghan, product group manager for Galaxy.

PostPoint delivers on customer support

PostPoint is a wholly owned subsidiary of An Post and is the market leader in e-transaction services in Ireland. PostPoint prides itself on the being the first company, not only in Ireland, but in Europe to generate a mobile top up voucher and the first to integrate onto electronic point of sale in Ireland. Following this, additional electronic services came into play with the introduction of BillPay, One4all Gift Cards, Tolling, Stamp Retailing and Calling Cards.

PostPoint now enjoys the support of close to 3,000 Irish retailers who employ its technology and the company boasts a full customer support team to look after retailers’ every need from technology to marketing and new product development. This year alone PostPoint have boosted their BillPay facility to over 140 bills, allowing customers to pay the majority of national and regional bills through their PostPoint shop. Barry Dignam, head of Sales & Marketing, PostPoint, states “We look forward to continuing to supply top level products, customer support and e-transaction solutions to all of our customers across the island of Ireland for many years to come.”

Breakthrough product fires up sales

Bord na Mona Ltd, the largest supplier of solid fuel in Ireland, has launched its new FireMagic Fire Maker.  This new product is an innovation that the company believes will revolutionise the ignition category. It guarantees the fastest and fullest ‘real’ fire within minutes. FireMagic Fire Maker, the new ‘light and leave’ product, will light first time, every time, and will create the glow of a full, real fire within 15 minutes.

The first of its kind in Ireland, FireMagic Fire Maker is kerosene-free and a key addition in Bord na Mona’s eco-friendly fuel range. It is economical to use as it is a clean and convenient substitute to kindling, paper and sticks. For consumers, this product takes the hassle and guess work out of making real fires from scratch.

Innovation lies at the core of all activity in Bord na Mona and its new breakthrough product FireMagic Fire Maker is set to light the way in terms of real innovation in the ignition fuel sector.

FireMagic Fire Maker is available through Allegro Distribution on 01 858 0600 or Bord na Mona Fuels Direct on 1850 744 755.

Zipping ahead

Zip, pioneers of high performance kerosene firelighters and convenience firelogs, has produced a new Guaranteed Irish firelog, Croí na Tine; a firelog made in Ireland, by the Irish, for the Irish.

“Croí na Tine”, which means “heart of the fire”, is an innovative, new formula firelog which is 100% natural, using coppiced willow, planted and harvested on Irish soil.  This high performance log is easy to light and burns with animated flames for over two hours. A real fire that lasts – in an instant.

The main ingredient for the Croí na Tine firelog – willow – is being sourced from Rural Generation, a world leader in planting and processing short rotation coppice. The growing demand for Croí na Tine firelog means Rural Generation is actively searching for Irish farmers to grow the much needed willow, which will in turn benefit the environment by displacing tonnes of CO2 each year.

A total of 26.5% of the value of the ignition category comes from firelogs – which is worth over €9m annually (Source: AC Nielsen MAT Oct 11). Zip is the first large scale log producer in Ireland, with other logs being produced predominantly in Holland. The manufacturing line has been designed and built by technical experts at the factory in Castlebellingham, Co Louth.
Zip, a Guaranteed Irish brand, offers an extensive range of products including firelighters and firelogs, available nationwide and distributed by Johnson Brothers Ltd.

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