Canned brands slash ad spend by 28%

Canned goods brands have slashed spend on traditional advertising by 28% over the past year, taking the total spent to £7.6m [Ebiquity 52 w/e 31 January 2016].

Heinz, the category’s biggest advertiser, was the driving force behind the decline with a 31.5% and 25% drop in spend for its beans and soup, respectively. However, it upped spend for canned pasta with the bulk spent on outdoor as part of its After School Heroes campaign to promote the new snap pot format for Spaghetti Hoops.

Green Giant and Branston also increased the amount they splashed out on traditional advertising (albeit a fraction of what Heinz spent) with a real focus on radio for both brands. Princes, which had one of the lowest spends for 2015, has big plans for 2016 with the launch of its ‘Really Simply, Royally Good’ campaign costing £2.7m.

“The campaign will reinforce the brand’s history and build loyalty with existing shoppers whilst amplifying the brand’s warmth and personality and will provide an important education message to consumers of the benefits of Princes ambient food for younger families,” says Neil Brownbill, Princes marketing director.

Here’s our pick of the most significant canned ads over the past year…

Heinz – Full of Beanz

Heinz splashed out on its core Beanz range by reinforcing its products for use in kids’ teatimes with an ad featuring brothers Charlie and Tom. And, like the aforementioned Spaghetti Hoops, Beanz donned a mask and cape to participate in the After Schools Heroes campaign. But, like the rest of Heinz’s range, it suffered falling sales as the £3.2m spent on advertising wasn’t enough to bolster sales.

Green Giant – Minions

Minions fever took the nation by storm in 2015 with brands galore scrambling to team up with the funny yellow critters. Green Giant was one such brand which employed Bob, Dave and Kevin to promote its competition in which consumers could win a holiday in the Alps. Minions, like sweetcorn, are sweet, yellow and loved by everyone. Well, nearly everyone. Green Giant’s sales fell by 1.9% on volumes down 2.4% [IRI 52 w/e 30 January 2016].

Baxters – Big On Flavour

Baxters may have nearly halved its ad spend to £145,440 but sales are flourishing. In fact, it is one of the few soup brands in growth, with sales up 8.3% on volumes up 13.2% while the rest of the market goes cold [IRI]. Print was Baxters’ medium of choice for its budget, as it looked to convince consumers it was big on flavour – something it extended to its premium Chef Selections range as well.

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