Mccain Foods: SCHOOL VEGGIE PATCHES

Credits & Description:

Category: Best Consumer Engagement
Advertiser: MCCAIN
Product/Service: FROZEN VEGETABLES
Date of First Appearance: Jun 17 2010
Entrant Company: TOTAL MEDIA, Auckland, NEW ZEALAND
Entry URL: http://www.mccainveggiepatches.com/content/home.aspx
Media Manager: Amanda Roberts (Total Media)
General Manager: Jeremy Leonard (FUSE)
Strategy Director: Lyndsey Francis (Total Media)
Account Manager: Anjana Mani (FUSE)
Account Director: Lucy Houldsworth (Badjar Olgivy)
Strategic Planner: Virginia Pracht (Badjar Ogilvy)
Account Director: Lucy Whitmore (Ogilvy Action)
Media placement: TV Campaign - 1450 Ratings - Free To Air And Sky - 13th June 2010
Media placement: Magazine Advertorials - Your Home & Garden, Little Treasures, Next, AWW, Woman's Day, Healthy Food Guide - 28th June 2010
Media placement: Media Relations - Consumer Magazines, Regional, National Newspapers, Television, Radio, Online - 13th July 2010
Media placement: Experiential - School And Trade Visits By Red Truck And Grower - 1st August 2010
Insights, Strategy & the Idea
In 2009, McCain Foods was a mere jack-in-the-beanstalk competing with local giant Watties in the frozen vegetables aisle.
Watties, the Kiwi heartland brand, has products across many more categories than McCain, so is an almost ubiquitous presence in store and has a long established advertising format 'Food in a Minute', outspending McCain 4:1.
McCain sat in a low-involvement, misunderstood category that has become increasingly commoditised.
It was time for ‘Jack’ to sharpen his axe.
We needed to shift brand measures for McCain, with a focus on quality and ingredient integrity, while lifting sales 10% by volume.
Key consumer insights:
1. The trending consumer concern of food origination - and childrens lack of understanding particularly.
2. Perception of frozen products not being as ‘good’ as fresh.
The McCain School Veggie Patch programme was created driving interaction and engagement with the brand at unprecedented levels to build value back into the brand.
Creative Execution
We turned an old Chevy into “The McCain Veggie Truck.” This stand-out red, McCain branded truck toured the nation visiting participating schools and made special ‘trade’ appearances, providing unique conversation and engagement opportunities with shoppers and their children.
The tour was leveraged into the mainstream via media relations and paid for advertorials with the objectives of:
• Building commitment to the programme from teachers, kids and parents.
• Driving positive programme PR to build reach amongst communities.
• Linking the programme to the retail promotion.
This was further supported with advertorials in key HH with Kids titles driving participation and awareness.
70% of our total budget went into non-TV media, previously the clients comfort zone. However, not discounting the need for television for broad awareness and to launch the programme, we utilised this as DM materials were distributed to primary schools inviting them to participate in the scheme.
Results and Effectiveness
Brand imagery at all time highs - lifts of between 27-64% on key statements.
42% increase of YOY sales across the period.
Post-campaign, baseline 10 times previous growth levels.
• 733 (66%) of primary schools participated – 60 of them were visited by the Red Truck.
• Stores visited ran out of stock!
The schools absolutely loved it:
Merrin School
• "Thank you so much for organising the visit. We loved meeting Tony and he was wonderful with the children. The Red Truck was a great hit, especially with our senior children and principal!!"