Jacobs: A snack that's not quite normal Jacobs Bakery Limited PO Box 1 Long Lane Liverpool L9 7BQ Tel: 0151 525 3661 Fax: 0151 530 3413 Key contacts Category marketing manager Andy Davis Brand manager Annabel Kohler Key Brands · Twiglets · Cheeselets · TUC · Ritz · JCC · Club · Cheddars The increasingly discerning eating habits of the consumer have had a marked effect on the snacks category, according to Jacobs, and make its key brand, Twiglets, a more attractive option than ever. It is no longer sufficient for a product to be low in fat, says the company. A low calorie count and healthy nutritional values (being rich in minerals, vitamins and fibre, for example) are now high on the wish lists of many consumers. Twiglets are baked, not fried, so they have less fat than other snacks. They are also based on wholemeal, making them a very healthy product that is often suggested by slimming clubs as a healthy option. Original Twiglets have only 11% fat ­ less than half the amount found in crisps. Twiglets come in 125g bags and multibags, though the brand now adds even more variety to a fixture with the new 50g tube, launched in April this year. It has been well accepted by the trade as a whole, according to Jacobs, offering the ideal pack format for impulse purchase. October will see the tube relaunched with a 59p price mark, offering even more value to consumers seeking taste and value. Jacobs recognises home entertainment as a key target for Twiglets and sees the vital ingredient as suitable pack formats and sizes. Twiglets are sold in 200g caddies at Christmas time, the main party season. Not only does this offer the opportunity for the consumer to purchase a larger quantity, the pack is also resealable so the product can be kept fresh for longer once the packaging is opened. Twiglets are a long-standing favourite as a party snack and the variety of flavours ­ Marmite (Original), Tangy and new Curry ­ allows the home entertainer to offer a snack that will appeal to everybody's taste. Jacobs has put together an impressive Twiglets marketing push this year. A six-month cinema campaign began in June with simultaneous sampling at cinemas throughout England and Scotland. The three executions feature a man dressed up as a giant Twiglet in various situations. First, he asks a woman who is selling hot dogs in a shopping centre to "give him a hug and lick him". Next, he asks passers-by on a beach to rub his back with tangy sauce so he doesn't burn. In the final execution, he's still at the beach, but this time running into the water shouting "I'm covered in curry, I'm burning up...". All three are filmed Trigger Happy TV-style with a hidden camera. The same executions have been running on television in the London and Meridian regions, which are strong areas for the Twiglet brand. The Twiglet Man has also been touring a number of cities, including Edinburgh, Glasgow, Liverpool, Birmingham and London. The giant snack man made personal appearances, played football in the park, read the newspaper on his sun lounger, chased pigeons in Trafalgar Square, posed with Chris Tarrant when the latter awarded the winner of the Jacobs Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? promotion his £100,000 cheque, and sang at Tom Jones's birthday party in Leicester Square (and not that badly either) ­ all under the new Twiglet slogan "They're not normal". Jacobs has also used sampling and sponsorship activity with students ­ a major target group for Twiglets ­ by, for example, including samples in student welcome packs. Jacobs sees sampling as an important way of getting consumers to trial the product. Promotional and marketing activity will increase in 2001, says the company, because it is key to increasing brand awareness and consumption. {{Z SUPPLEMENTS }}

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