Heinz is expanding its Farmers' Market brand after "superb results" in its first half year, countering the negative attention it has received about its name.
Heinz has added two variants to the range and is also adding new varieties to its Soups of the World and Taste of Home offerings, launched alongside Farmers' Market in August. The three soups now account for 9% of all Heinz soup sales in value.
Huge demand for further varieties had prompted the range extensions, said marketing manager Matthew Cullum. "The three ranges have all been a big hit and they are all encouraging new consumers into the category," he said.
Nisa-Today's buyer Yvonne Reid said Farmers' Market had outperformed all soups launched last year. "Its sales are almost double those of Soup of the World," she added.
The launch of the trio last year meant 27 new soups joined the Heinz portfolio in an effort to safeguard its products against the growth of Premier Foods.
Rolling out now, a pea & smoked ham and a leek & thyme variant completes the Farmers' Market range, while a Chinese chicken & sweetcorn flavour joins the Soups of the World menu. A Lincolnshire Sausage Hot Pot addition has joined the Taste of Home range.
The Heinz Classics range has also been extended with a special-edition classic cream of tomato soup with red pepper, while a chicken, bacon & potato variant has been introduced to the Big Soup brand.
Heinz is planning to kick off a £4m marketing programme of TV ads, sampling and in-store activity for soup later this year.
Heinz has faced repeated calls to change the name of Farmers' Market. Food and farming organisation Sustain was the latest to accuse it of abusing the term and misleading the public over the provenance of the ingredients (The Grocer, 2 February, p54). The tins now describe the soups as being inspired by farmers' markets.
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