With the 2023 Back To School activities now over and complete, it is timely to provide you all with an update on what can be considered to be a successful campaign and sales period.
I am a big believer and supporter of ‘Amplification’ within the world of marketing/trade marketing, particularly engaging the content of your planned programs with your retail partners. The Oxford dictionary defines it as “the action of enlarging upon or adding detail to a story or statement.”
In our case, by informing the retailers in advance of our upcoming marketing exposure for the Back to School period and seeking their support at the prime event weeks (varied due to differing back to school dates in each state), we were able to increase the overall campaign awareness along with the retailers’ support and increase the awareness of the banana category to the consumer base. This led to increased sales and household penetration during the activity timing. Working together we were able to “amplify the campaign”.
To provide an example of the gains (amplification) achieved for the Banana category, the below two inserts demonstrate the visual success. The first insert highlights the actual adverts used within the retailers’ catalogues for the Back to School period for 2022. In total, nationally, there were just 11 adverts.
By providing the retailers with prior knowledge and informing them of Jana Pittman’s involvement, along with our marketing messaging and PR program, the engagement and support from retailers showed a significant positive shift in the overall exposure for bananas in catalogues during the Back to School campaign. This lead to more consumer interest and sales conversions. The slide below highlights visually the total number of national catalogue exposures for this year’s campaign.
In total, there were 39 adverts this year, a 254% increase on the prior year.
The number of adverts highlighting their support from each of the 4 main retailers is captured in the graphs below.
In addition, all states reported incremental increases with the growth exposures highlighted below. This is confirmation of a national approach and support.
To support the Back to School timing, Woolworths also facilitated a national Banana volume and display competition, with stores across the country tasked with creating an excellent displays of bananas.
An incentive provided by the ABGC, along with the creativity shown by individual Woolworths produce managers, ensured excellent, well stocked displays of Bananas. There were also extra banana display locations in front of store positions, on top of the everyday base location. For the Back to School, in Woolworths nationally, bananas could be purchased from two dedicated locations, increasing the opportunity for incremental sales whilst ensuing high visibility “you cant miss me” in store positioning for bananas during the campaign.
The photos below, supplied to me by Woolworths, highlight the dual locations and well merchandised displays.
Retailer response on the activity and the growth experienced has been extremely positive, supportive and encouraging with the following feedback received:
“Biggest week of sales we have had in verses the prior 52 weeks. Very happy with the result even through some difficult weather/supply conditions.”
“Results were much bigger than the previous year.” “Congratulations on the Jana campaign and the timing of the PR campaign.”
“We broke some tonnage records which is an absolutely amazing achievement.”
“Banana customers were up +20.1% Vs last week, and +17.1% Vs last year.”
We now eagerly await further information/confirmation of the growth achieved, and if we have been able to hold onto penetration increases post the event.
Our aim going forward (and already in the planning stages) is to replicate these growth outcomes with several additional and incremental retailer events, along with a solidly pre-communicated marketing program throughout the year, with the absolute aim of increasing household penetration and more so the frequency of purchase.
I look forward to keeping you informed.