Actress Anna Friel will provide the voice for a series of TV adverts focused on different food occasions – from a seaside picnic to a lunch on the go.

Built around the strapline ‘Make Today Delicious’, the campaign aims to show how M&S food can make more everyday food moments extra special.
M&S executive director of marketing Steve Sharp said:

“Spending time with friends and family is a priority for our customers, but with no major national celebrations this year they’re placing even greater emphasis on personal, more everyday events.

“Food is being used as a way to bring people together and make those moments more memorable – be it a barbecue, a picnic or a Sunday roast.

“This campaign taps into this trend – showing exactly how great food can transform the mundane into something special.”

M&S said the food quickly takes centre stage, retaining the close up shots that M&S advertising is famous for.

Inspired by the wonder of a funfair, the new Cadbury Dairy Milk Marvellous Creations advert transports the viewer to a chocolate factory where the bar is created.

The advert, which launches this month for six weeks, will be aired alongside popular programmes such as Britain’s Got Talent, Celebrity Juice and The British Soap Awards Party.

The TV campaign is part of a £7 million UK total marketing investment for Cadbury Dairy Milk Marvellous Creations in 2013, which will also include press and outdoor advertising, PR, sampling, social media and in-store activity throughout the year.

Matthew Williams, marketing director at Mondelēz International, said:

“The launch of Cadbury Dairy Milk Marvellous Creations has been phenomenal.

“From the ‘what-the-dickens’ way we make it, to its wondrously unexpected form, everything about this new product is designed to capture the awe, wonder and excitement of make believe – and the new ad does just that.”

So far the range is made up of 125g hand cooked potato chips in three flavours – Malt Vinegar & Sea Salt, Sweet Chilli and Mature Cheddar & Red Onion.

And 25g Potato Crisps which come in multipacks of six and three flavours – Salt & Vinegar, Cheese & Onion and Ready Salted.

Both RSP at £1.69, although for a limited period they are on offer for £1 in Poundland.

The range is made up of 125g hand cooked potato chips in three flavours

TAGS, John’s childhood nickname, is a family business.

Apart from John, wife Clare and their four children, Patrick, 25, Joe, 24, Dominic, 16, and Cecilia, 14, are all involved in the company which is based in Liverpool.

John said: “We have created a unique new brand to challenge the more established brands in the market.

“Our branding is deliberately aimed at capturing both today’s and tomorrow’s consumers.

“Our crisps are produced using the finest ingredients to ensure you always experience products that are bursting with great flavour and taste.

“The products we have launched so far are only the start of our journey as a family business.

“Over the coming months we intend to introduce further flavours and also extend into other snack products.”

Listings have already been secured with Poundland and B&M stores and John is currently talking with a number of the multiples about further listings.

Tague is planning to expand the range and claim a 10% share of the £2.5bn crisp market within 10 years.

He said: “I don’t underestimate the challenge but believe this is achievable.

“Our focus is on quality, and I think some retailers will welcome a new mainstream range outside the big players.”

For more information click here to visit the website.

The move – across popular lines of Sacla’ pesto, Nando’s Peri-Peri sauces and marinades, and Pizza Express salad dressings – is aimed at allowing convenience retailers to capitalise on the sales success that all three brands are already having in major supermarkets.

Available to wholesalers for a limited period, all three brands feature £1.99 price marked packs of popular variants and offer attractive margins to convenience retailers.Karen Jones, RH Amar’s Channel Controller, Impulse and Wholesale said:

“All three of these brands are highly recognised by consumers, and price marked packs will help convenience retailers to further translate that recognition into extra sales by encouraging trial.

Jars of Sacla’ have been given a distinctive front-of-pack price label across the brand’s Classic Basil and Sun-Dried Tomato Pestos (both 190g) offerings.

Authentically Italian, Sacla’ pesto is made by the third generation of the Ercole family, which founded the brand in 1939.

Meanwhile, lines of Nando’s and Pizza Express ambient sauces, marinades and salad dressings – both made under licence by All About Food – have also been given the price marked treatment.

For the first time in the history of both brands, the new price markings are hoping to further build on sales figures in all the channels in which they are currently available.

Nando’s is the No.1 hot chilli sauce brand and the new price-marked packs are available now in sauce (125ml) and marinade (260g and 270g) variants of Hot Peri-Peri and Medium Peri-Peri.

Meanwhile, price marked 235ml bottles of Pizza Express’s House and Light salad dressings offer retailers the chance to tap into the high street restaurant chain’s popularity.

Light is the best-selling light salad dressing in the market.

Jones added: “Convenience retailers told us that their customers love price-marked packs of their favourite brands, so we have responded.

“This is a mechanism that has worked very well for Sacla’ in the past, while it is an exciting new venture for both Nando’s and Pizza Express on these popular lines.

“We understand that coming up with innovative solutions that are specifically tailored to convenience retailers is one of the ways we can help them to grow their profits.”

Freedom Mallows, from Freedom Confectionery, are light vanilla flavour marshmallows created using all natural flavours.

Fat, dairy and gelatine free, the mallows are designed for vegetarians, vegans, consumers with intolerances and those seeking halal or kosher products for religious reasons.

Freedom Confectionery is a company headed up by food scientist Neville Finlay, who has in the past worked with leading confectionery companies on producing halal and vegetarian sweets.

Freedom Mallows have been over 10 years in research and are manufactured in Belgium, with plans to export all over Europe and internationally.

The ambient sweets are packaged in partially clear 75g bags to show the product, provided to the customer in display packs of 14 and delivered in pallets of 160.

The individual bags have an RSP of £1.99 – £2.49.

Finlay says:

“Consumers are becoming more aware of what goes into their foods, particularly in light of the recent horsemeat scandal, and this awareness extends to the confectionery products we buy for our children.

“Freedom Mallows taste fantastic and have an extremely light texture, but the real selling point for many is the fact that, unlike the majority of confectionery products on the market, they contain absolutely no gelatine, instead using a binding agent made from natural extracts, so are completely vegetarian and halal.”

Research last month by The Food People led to predictions of a 50% rise in UK vegetarianism over the next two years and with the UK market for meat-free products put at £786.5m a year in 2012, this paints a very healthy picture for ‘free from’ and vegetarian products.

Almost half the UK population claims to suffer from a food allergy, with the most common allergies being gluten, wheat and dairy products.

The ‘free from’ food market is worth around £240 million so Finlay is confident of the success of Freedom Mallows.

Freedom Mallows are being launched in vanilla initially, with plans to add strawberry and other flavours to the range over the coming months.

The product will be supported with a UK-wide consumer marketing campaign which will include proactive consumer PR, event sampling and cross marketing with vegetarian influencers and organisations.

Vanessa Brown, Head of Corporate Relations at the Vegetarian Society, said:

“We can confirm that vegetarians are very excited by this launch, we mentioned it on Twitter and everyone wanted to know more.

“Vegetarian marshmallows are a much sought after product and it’s great that Freedom Mallows have become Vegetarian Society Approved.

“Displaying the Vegetarian Society Approved symbol means consumers can be sure that a product meets the gold standard of vegetarian suitability through the Vegetarian Society’s strict criteria.”

Charllene Charven, sales director for Freedom Mallows, is talking to retailers and foodservice operators UK wide, he said:

“We have received excellent feedback from our consumer tests so far and sampling will be a key part of our sales process.

“Our product will be available to sample at V Delicious in June as well as number of other events and we’re delighted to join the Vegetarian Society at the show.”

Three popular, mainstream snacking flavours have been chosen and developed, which include Sour Cream & Chive, Sea Salt & Balsamic Vinegar and Barbecue.

The new range is made using wholegrain corn which is air-popped to give a light texture.

Sarah Brown, Butterkist Senior Brand Manager at Tangerine Confectionery said:

Butterkist has extended its portfolio to include savory

“We’ve made the new savoury flavours available in two pack sizes to cater for both the on-the-go and sharing markets.

“The larger 80g packs are ideal for sharing with friends and family during social occasions or just watching TV, and have an RRP of £1.49.

“Whilst the smaller 25g packs are perfect for lunch boxes and are a great savoury snack alternative, containing only 130 calories per 25g bag (RRP £0.59).

“The range has received very positive feedback from buyers and is available to order now.”

For further information click here to visit the website.

The meals will retail at 2 for £6 for the first two months.

The range includes Fish Pie, Beef Lasagne and Chicken Curry. They are 300g size portions, bigger than most branded meals, making them perfect for one big kid or two little ones.

New parents are inundated with advice from all angles, particularly regarding when, what, where and how they should feed their babies.

Tinks Food is launching a new range of chilled kids’ ready meals

A few years down the line and we’re left to our own devices, at a time when our older kids are often fussier and more independent, and life has gone up a gear for the whole family.

Mrs Tinks has come up with what it believes to be an innovative solution – tried and tested recipes that have been developed for older kids, targeted at 7+ but younger children and their parents are also known to enjoy.

Mrs Tinks has been catering for families in London for the past four years and is set to go national this month thanks to a deal with Ocado.

The packaging is aimed at helping parents to engage their kids with food – each pack has funny and historical facts about the ingredients in the food.

Tinks Food research has shown that parents see the packaging as an added ‘treat’ for their kids to amuse them at mealtimes or while they’re waiting for their dinner.

Harrison Packaging produces the packaging, which was designed by Kary Fisher.

The material spec is 480um Korsnas White supplied by Frovi.

Printed with a matt emulsion varnish, the reverse side is uncoated, which aims to provide a finish that feels rustic/organic.

The material used is fully recyclable and fully biodegradable and comes from a sustainable source.

Julia Boddy, founder of London-based Tinks Food Ltd and working mother to three kids was time poor and desperate for a night off from the kitchen routine at the end of a busy day as an HR manager.

Spotting a distinct lack of ready meals for older children she eventually decided to give up her job in HR to afford other parents the pleasure of seeing their children enjoy nutritious and tasty food that someone else has made.

Julia Boddy said:

“We’ve sold exceptionally well in south London and kept a fair few parents sane along the way because the kids seem to love the food.

“It’s a bit daunting becoming a much bigger brand, but we’re looking forward to the challenge and mastering cooking for the nation”.

Once again we’re excited that the summit will be chaired by our food and drink trends guru Charles Banks.

You might already be signed up to his excellent newsletter, if not I really recommend it, but even if you are, he’s going to reveal a lot of very different and new insights.

As ever, Charles has lined up a truly star cast of major food & drink thought-leaders to help us stay on the cutting edge and ahead of the pack.

When you peek at the agenda below, you’ll see that signing up to this one has to be a bit of a no-brainer.

AGENDA

MULTI SENSORY DEEP DIVE
Charles Banks | Director | thefoodpeople
A multi sensory deep-dive to taste and a chance to explore the UK’s trend setting cuisines. Using thefoodpeople UK menu-watching tool to look at:
. Trend setting cuisines and chefs.
. Restaurant openings.
. Trending ingredients and pairings.
. What this means for retail food.
. The evolution from fad to trend.

HOW MORRISONS GATHERS AND INTERPRETS TRENDS
Neil Nugent | Executive Chef | Morrisons
. The Morrisons M Range.
. The trend, the idea and the chefs.
. How the M kitchen range was conceived and how it is running now.
. The future for M kitchen

THE ANATOMY OF TRENDS AND TASTES
Greg Tucker | The Marketing Clinic
With over a decade practising his art, Greg and his team can give your product the subtle taste and texture tweaks which will help it thrive or dive.
. What big taste changes are happening on the planet and why.
. How do we Ride The Wave of a taste trend.
. Five Power Trends – ideas on how to capitalise them.

WHY SOCIAL MEDIA FOR FOOD BRANDS IS HERE TO STAY
Monica Shaw | Web and social media consultant.
. Twitter, Facebook and blogs – how social media works for food brands.
. How blogging works WITH social media to reach consumers.
. Case Study: The Vegetarian Cookery School.
. How to keep the quality of your media presence.
. The future’s here. It’s social. But what’s next?

HOW CONSUMERS SHOP
Jason Danciger, Head Of Hospitality and Counters, Marks & Spencer
. How do consumers shop – who we are and what we do – the raison d’etre of hospitality and counters.
. The WOW of now.
. 360 degree design – customers, teams and process in harmony.
. Customer journey training – adaptive style of varying occasions to suit shopping trends.

WHY CHOCOLATE GETS DARKER AND SMOOTHER WHILE WE GET RICHER
Chantal Coady | Founder | The Real Chocolate Movement
. Rococo’s mission.
. Quality quality quality … achieving it and maintaining it.
. High end restaurants & celebrity chcolatiers.
. From farm to bar, ethical engagement or just marketing?
. Star trends in the chocolate universe.
. Chocolate as a super-food, antioxidants, minerals and vitamins on prescription?

CATCHING THE COOL CROWD – THE VIBRANT WORLD OF MIXOLOGY
Christian Ozzati | Strategic Drinking | Winner – Outstanding Mixology Award
. Catching fresh and young.
. Keeping the silver foxes.
. Social social social social – media is all.
. Can wow and now drinks be good for you too.
. New tastes streaming at speed.

IS COOKERY STILL THE NEW BLACK
Rosalind Rathouse | Owner | The Cookery School
. Good ingredients then, now and next.
. Who says what we should eat?
. Private label v Brands we love and trust.
. Can’t cook, won’t cook, who’s going to teach me?
. Is cookery still the new black?

PLUS.
• Three table team brainstormings so you can work with peers on how to take forward your new ideas.
• End of the day Q & A … a chance to pose your questions to the panel of experts.
• A chance to win a Magnum of Finest Champagne.

VENUE
Staverton Park Conference Centre, Daventry, Northants.
Directions are on the Staverton Park Website

TIMINGS.
Doors open for early birds: 8:00 am
Breakfast for all from: 8:00 am
Seminar begins: 9:00 am
Coffee/Buffet Lunch/Tea: TBC
Seminar finishes: 4:45 pm latest

PRICE.
Just £475 + VAT.
DISCOUNTS AVAILABLE see below.

(Don’t let the low price fool you, we’re a non commercial best practice club and run the best attended seminars in the industry).

FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO BOOK A PLACE CLICK HERE.

Tuna is the largest market in ambient fish and Princes is bringing innovation to the category by launching a new tuna chunks in tomato product which hit shelves this May.

The launch aims to increase frequency of purchase of canned tuna by providing consumers with a wider product choice of healthy options and attracting those shoppers who buy tomato based oily fish variants.

Tomato-based variants account for more than 57% of volume in oily fish and the new product aims to fill a gap in the market for the flavour.

Tomato-based variants account for more than 57% of volume in oily fish

Following the success of Princes tuna salads launch, which has driven 71% incremental growth into the added value tuna category, a range of Tuna deli-inspired sandwich fillers is also being launched to drive further growth.

The new products are available in a convenient re-sealable pot in four variants, including Tuna Tikka Mayo, Tuna Thai Mayo, Tuna Mediterranean and Tuna New York Deli.

The two new product ranges are being launched to tap into the growing consumption in lunchbox occasions, as nearly half the population take a lunch box to work, and are designed to have broad consumer appeal by providing a quick convenient meal solution that can’t be easily replicated at home.

The launch is being supported by a £1 million above-the-line campaign including advertising, in-store sampling, promotions, online activity and a targeted PR programme.

Neil Brownbill, marketing director for Princes, said:

“Tuna is the biggest sector of the ambient fish market but has lacked innovation and so we are directly addressing this with the launch of two new products ranges.

“Tomato is popular within other fish products and we spotted an opportunity to drive category growth by responding to consumer needs and providing this new variant which addresses people’s desire to eat healthily.

“We are committed to developing our added value tuna range with new and exciting variants, and as tuna consumption is predominantly in sandwiches, the new tuna deli sandwich fillers line-up offers consumers new flavour combinations and a convenient value for money lunchtime solution.

“We will be launching further new products in 2013 to help drive value in the category.”

Princes new tuna in tomato is available in 160g single cans with an RRP of £1.99 and Princes Tuna Deli sandwich fillers are available in 180g pots with an RRP £1.99.

St Austell Brewery’s Cornish ale, Tribute, has been rebranded to boost stand-out on supermarket shelves.

The 4.2% Supreme Champion Ale now sports a rich purple-colour across its range of bottles, cans and kegs.

Following customer feedback, the central image of the county of Cornwall has been made more vivid and prominent to emphasize the beer’s provenance, while the new designs also introduce the line “Cornish Pale Ale” and emphasise St Austell Brewery’s status as an independent family brewer.

Tribute, has been rebranded to boost stand-out on supermarket shelves

A warm public reception to new pump clips which first featured the style led to its uptake across the whole brand.

Jeremy Mitchell, Marketing & Communications Director at St Austell Brewery said:

“Tribute continues to enjoy impressive growth in pubs, as well as in the take home market with sales in supermarkets up 30% in 2012.

“We carried out customer research which highlighted three key messages that customers found appealing:

1. Emphasise the Cornish provenance. Customers within the M25 were 20% more likely to choose a beer if they knew it was from Cornwall.
2. Provide a clear product description. New customers in particular wanted to see this before they purchased.
3. Celebrate St Austell Brewery’s independence. Customers liked the fact that we are 100% independent and still family owned.

“We believe the new look addresses these points and will help attract even more customers to the delights of Tribute.”

Made using specially grown Cornish Gold Malt, Tribute was first brewed to commemorate the 1999 solar eclipse.

The ale was named Best Drink at food Reader Awards 2013, awarded a Silver Medal at the Taste of the West Awards 2009, won the SIBA South West awards 2007 and was voted Supreme Champion Cornish Ale at CAMRA’s Falmouth Beer Festival 2004.

Following the success of last year’s campaign, the brand is once again asking Britain to try something refreshing by ‘Joining the Ice Teavolution’.

This year Lipton Ice Tea’s multi-million pound marketing campaign will be using a ‘Sip Squad’ to target more than three million consumers, running for 16 weeks across the UK from May.The 2013 campaign will push trial and visibility, as research shows that eight out of 10 people like the brand once tried – that’s an 81% conversion rate for Lipton Ice Tea from trial.

To capture this, the ice tea brand will be targeting consumers with 50ml samples handed out by the Lipton Ice Tea Sip Squad in 48 high footfall city centres across the UK, including Birmingham, Cardiff, Brighton, London and Bristol.

Using theatre to drive engagement and encourage purchase, the sampling campaign will ask the nation to free their taste buds from preconceptions, using a gift-with-purchase mechanic to incentivise consumers.

Helping to drive sales, those who bring back a receipt showing they have brought Lipton Ice Tea will be given a free pair of branded Wayfrarer sunglasses.

The sampling will be led by the Lipton Ice Tea’s new ‘Sip Squad’, who will recruit shoppers in close proximity to stores that are maximising brand stand-out in the chiller.

To take full advantage of purchase conversion, Lipton Ice Tea will be supplying retailers with bright yellow POS to create impact on shelf, including barkers and neck collar’s that pledge the brands promise to please consumers’ taste buds or get their money back.

To further unlock Lipton Ice Tea’s sales opportunity the brand will be focusing on independent distribution through wholesale activity.

The brand will be driving awareness using prominent pallet displays, as well as hosting trade days with the brands Sales Team.

Continuing to bring the summer atmosphere to the UK, the sampling campaign will recreate the fun of a summer on the beach on the British High Street.

The Lipton Ice Tea Sip Squad will be dressed in beachwear and consumers will be challenged to compete in games of swing ball.

Lipton Ice Tea will also be creating awareness through events and sampling at universities, engaging with the brands core target audience of 18-24 year olds.

The brand will also be activating 1,000 office product drops with supporting collateral that can be put up in locations such as canteens to drive further awareness of the brand.

Jonathan Gatward, GB marketing director, at Britvic Soft Drinks, said:

“This year we’ve changed the way we’re sampling Lipton Ice Tea.

“We’ve enlisted the ‘Sip Squads’ on high streets and as the name suggests we’re giving out samples for consumers to trial then and there – recruiting consumers to join the Lipton Ice Teavolution on the spot.

“We’ve seen from past sampling activities that people have a barrier to the concept of ice tea until they actually taste it, so our mission is to revolutionise refreshment through the great taste of Lipton Ice Tea.

“We’ll also be focusing on visibility and availability of Lipton Ice Tea to drive penetration, as the brand is a key driver within the cold hot drinks sub-category, with 90% of UK ice tea sales coming from Lipton Ice Tea.

“Therefore there has never been a better time for retailers to join our Teavolution and make to most of the sales opportunity on offer.”

Available in 500ml PET bottles, Lipton Ice Tea comes in four variants; Lipton Ice Tea with Lemon, Lipton Ice Tea with Peach, Lipton Ice Tea with Mango and Lipton Green Tea with Lemon.

The Butters are now in-line with the rest of Wyke Farms’ new pack designs, which were launched across its entire cheese product range in September last year.

As with the cheddar packaging, the butter pack designs aim to give the Wyke Farms brand increased shelf impact with improved block branding, while retaining the company’s well know premium image and farmhouse feel.

The new packaging features a redesigned logo

The new packaging features a redesigned logo and product descriptor within a large speech bubble.

The pack also includes an image of a cow grazing a lush field with a milk urn in the foreground.

Wyke Farms used crowd sourcing to develop its new brand identity by engaging with its Facebook and Twitter communities during the design process.

The company allowed the public to select their favourite from three shortlisted designs and committed to using the one chosen by them.

Wyke Farms has been producing its cheddar for over a century and has grown to become the largest family-owned cheese maker in Britain selling over 14,000 tonnes annually.

The company have achieved substantial growth year on year by staying true to the traditional values behind the brand and have become the fastest growing cheddar brand at a rate of 10% every year for the past five years.

Wyke Farms have 150 years of family farming experience.

Wyke Farms’ cheese and butter is made with the milk from their cows grazing the pastures of the Mendip Hills in the centre of the Cheddar making region in Somerset.

The 200gram and 250gram Farmhouse Salted Butter will be available nationwide this month and the 250g Unsalted Butter from 1st June.

Jaz Boparai, owner of Chilli Restaurant in Barnsley, started the scheme as a way to increase sales and keep his kitchens busy during the quieter midweek period.

The meals are prepared in the Chilli kitchens and made available to shops across the borough, meaning consumers get the same restaurant meals to eat at their own dining table.

Owner Jaz Boparai said: “All our ready meals are made with chicken and come in tikka masala, korma or balti with pilau rice.

“They are made in the kitchen from the same recipe so people get restaurant quality meals at home.

“Our meals are quite different as Indian food is normally Bangladeshi or Kashmiri but our meals are Punjabi so we use much less oil.”

The meals are on sale in 12 outlets around Barnsley, ranging from Costcutter to farm shops.

Prices start from £4.

Jaz, who opened his restaurant in 2004, added: “Although the restaurant is doing well, we are in challenging economic times so it’s about finding alternative revenue streams.

“It also helps customers who may be feeling the pinch.

“We’re looking to expand the range to include bhajis and samosas and we’re keen to keep it local and boost Barnsley by partnering with local stockists.

“I’m getting some excellent support from the team at BBIC, who are really helping me push the project forward.”

The business is receiving support in its new venture from Barnsley Business and Innovation Centre (BBIC) supported by Enterprising Barnsley with the assistance of funding from Barnsley Council.

Kevin Steel, business development manager at BBIC, said:

“Chilli already has a superb reputation in Barnsley so we’re working with Jaz to capitalise on that to ensure Chilli at Home is a success.

“We’re providing Jaz with a range of support, including a sales and marketing food and drink specialist, who is helping to identify potential stockists and partners.”

Running from June to September, the £20 million ‘play and win £10 notes’ promotion will support the brand’s strap line; ‘put some music in your glass’.

It will give entrants the chance to win instant cash in an interactive online game, which recognises the ‘Reggae Reggae’ entrepreneur’s love for music.

A fully integrated multi-media consumer and trade campaign will support the 12 week promotion, which will also include Cash and Carry depot displays and in-store merchandising.

The summer campaign also includes a nationwide sampling tour from now until August, with the Levi Roots camper van visiting 57 multiple grocery outlets nationwide to boost awareness and trial of the brand.

Every 500ml or 2L promotional pack of Caribbean Crush & Tropical Punch purchased will offer the chance to win a £10 note.

A unique code will be hidden on the reverse of every pack label, which can be entered online or by mobile.

Consumers log on to the Levi Roots website (www.leviroots.com/win ) and enter their unique code.

A glass will begin to fill with Levi’s popular Caribbean Crush, while nine musical notes will float on screen.

Consumers need to correctly pick three winning notes to win £10; which will be delivered directly to their door.

With £20 million to play for, every promotional bottle purchased has the chance to win.

Levi Roots marketing manager, Emma Hunt said:

“Levi Roots soft drinks range continues to strengthen its position as the UK’s best loved Caribbean brand.

“This is a simple and fun promotion that will excite consumers to create lots of interest with shoppers in-store.

“Everyone who enters can win a cash prize and, as the promotion will run across a number of products, we hope this will encourage consumers to try other products in the Levi Roots range.

“This is the first major promotion for the soft drinks brand since it was launched so we wanted to make a real impact to support the trade and, with a £20m prize pot, it will drive a lot of trial during the crucial summer trading period.”

The promotion aims to build on the continued growth of the Levi Roots soft drinks range, which is currently worth £3.7m and has experienced a market growth of +24% YOY.

Aimed predominantly at Funkin’s target audience of 20-30 year-old females, the three month campaign targets different drinking occasions such as drinks before a night out, a house party and a night in with the girls.

Following the Christmas campaign ‘Put The Funk In Your Party’ fronted by TV presenter Zoe Hardman, this year’s campaign is set to reach approximately 15 million closely targeted consumers.

Scheduled to appear from June, a series of ads will be printed in Cosmopolitan and Company magazines, featuring the tagline ‘Your bar. Your rules’.

The adds are aimed predominantly at Funkin’s target audience of 20-30 year-old females

Playing on the unwritten rules between girlfriends, each ad includes amusing guidelines on how women can enjoy an evening together, mixing their own cocktails using Funkin.

Research into the brand’s target audience has shown women regard these events very highly and the campaign has been created to tap into the way consumers communicate with each other and share these special occasions together.

Supporting the advertising, the company is investing in a broader consumer programme including consumer events, advertorials, competitions and communication via online and social media channels.

An interactive social media plan will encourage consumers to create their own rules and share them with friends, further pushing the awareness of cocktails amongst the target audience.

Adding theatre and excitement in the off-trade, Funkin is also supporting the campaign with in-store activity to drive footfall to the fixture and create awareness of the at-home cocktail opportunity.

By increasing awareness, the campaign also aims to help drive the category in the on-trade as cocktails are brought to the forefront of consumers’ minds whilst looking for a light, sippable refreshment on a night out.

Funkin CEO Andrew King said:

“Cocktails are big news at the moment and demand peaks during the summer months.

“This year we’re investing heavily to grow the awareness of cocktails both in the off and on-trade, in this case showing consumers how mixing great-tasting drinks at home is more achievable than ever.

“Our mixers are a great solution for consumers celebrating with friends or getting ready for a big night out and by simply adding ice and a spirit, the perfect bar-quality cocktail can be made in just 10 seconds.

“We recommend retailers make the most of the increasing consumption of cocktails by stocking a wide range of innovative cocktail mixers near their spirits and educating consumers on how to use them to create delicious drinks at home.”

The Funkin cocktail mixer range, which currently includes 12 varieties available in 120ml packs, is constantly adding new flavours to it’s range.

Also available in t 1litre and 750ml packs are classic serves such as Funkin Strawberry Daiquiri, Funkin Mojito and new Funkin Brazilian cocktail mixer, a unique tropical blend of mango, passion fruit and orange juice, combined with naturally energising Brazilian guarana seeds.

The Number One Drinks Company was founded in August 2006 to import and distribute Japan’s whiskies throughout Europe and beyond.

Devotees of Japanese whisky since the 1990s, the founders were keen to bring bottles from smaller, independent distillers to a wider international audience.

As a result, the company now holds exclusive worldwide distribution rights for Chichibu, Hanyu and Karuizawa.

Tokyo-based David Croll, Managing Director (Asia) of Number One Drinks, has developed a keen interest in the local craft brewing scene.

Having contributed to the success of brands such as Brewdog, Harviestoun and Mikkeler in Japan, he has become enthusiastic about many of the beers being brewed domestically.

He says:

“The craft beer revolution is in full swing in Japan. It is fantastic to be able to share some of these amazing brews with other fanatics around the world.”

The first shipment of Baird Beer has arrived in Sweden and is available in the Systembolaget.

The first UK shipment of Baird and Minoh beers will be available on a pre-order basis from Utobeer.

Yeo Valley is to launch the latest in its series of Limited Edition big pot yogurts, with a summery Mango, Peach and Passion Fruit 0% Fat yogurt

Driven by a range of flavours, on-pack promotions and teo for £2 offers, Yeo Valley’s limited edition big pot line (of which Lemon & Poppy seed is the latest) is enjoying sales growth of 23% year on year.

The new tropical flavour is a smooth fat free yogurt which will be added to Yeo Valley’s expanding 0% Fat range.

Yeo Valley has also re-designed the front of its 0% Fat pots

Available from 20th May, the product is designed to appeal during the summer months and can be served on its own, with fruit or as an ingredient in recipes.

Yeo Valley has also re-designed the front of its 0% Fat pots, to feature the 0% fat message within the brand’s heart logo.

The new design aims to make the message clearer for the health conscious shopper.

The new product is being supported by an exclusive on-pack offer to win a pair of Eden Project garden deck chairs.

The 450g Mango, Peach and Passion Fruit big pot will be available from all major retailers Tesco’s, Sainsbury’s, Asda, Waitrose and Ocado at MRRSP £1.49.

For more information about Yeo Valley, click hereto visit the website.

The new can format is being released to cater for outlets that want the Lincolnshire based company’s products but cannot stock them in glass bottles.

The production process for the canned product remains identical to that of the bottled version, being hand made on the Belvoir farm, using only natural ingredients with no artificial preservatives or additives.

Pev Manners, MD of Belvoir Fruit Farms, said: “For some time now we have been approached by potential customers keen to stock our brand but who are limited by not being able to accept glass bottles.

“Our 250ml bottles have a quirky elegant shape that make them firm favourites of cafes and delis, however food-on-the-go operations don’t find glass the best format.

“We have therefore developed our lovely little can that offers convenience but with a premium feel.”

As producers of the ‘original’ elderflower cordial, elderflower pressé is the biggest selling pressé in the Belvoir range so it was the obvious choice to go into can.

Raspberry Lemonade was launched in 2010 and has also been successful.

Belvoir worked with Big Fish Design to design the bespoke can which has been designed to reflect the premium image of the Belvoir brand and marry with its range of glass bottles that come in 250ml, 500ml and 750ml.

Pev Manners said: “We are very excited by the launch of our Belvoir can.

“It is a completely new opening for us and we are confident it will give us entry into new markets which our glass bottles cannot currently satisfy.”

For more information on the Belvoir Fruit Farms range and on how to stock the new Belvoir Can, visit www.belvoirfruitfarms.co.uk

Made from ripe Middle Eastern olives and Terra Rossa’s Passata, this new recipe is created with fresh tomatoes, garlic, shallots infused with Terra Rossa’s own Zaater – with thyme, sumac and sesame seeds.

This relish is traditionally eaten mixed with olive oil and enjoyed as an aperitif with fresh bread.

The Olive and Tomato relish is versatile and forms the complement for many European dishes too.

For more information visit www.terra-rossa.com

Using only natural ingredients it is now available in 40g bags with an RRP of £1.09.

Corn Again launched Sweet Cinnamon Spice back in 2008 in 100g sharing bags and due to its increasing popularity has now decided to make it available in the range of smaller bags alongside Salty Sweet and Chilli & Lime.

Owner Catherine said:

“The flavour has been a great success in our 100g bags and now we want to grow the market by adding a smaller ready to eat size which is suitable for lunchboxes as well as eating on the go.

“The impulse market is growing rapidly as consumers look for an alternative to crisps and our 40g bags have proved very popular in convenience stores, delis, coffee shops and pubs and we believe our new flavour is the ideal offering for children and adults alike.”

What was once deemed a ‘traditional’ basket full of brands has long gone.

That’s why we’ve laid on a raft of experts at out Private Label Versus The Brand summit coming up on Wednesday 22nd May.

Switzerland is now 90% Private Label … are we going the same way? What’s the right mix for the category?

Who takes Category Captainship? Can Private Label really focus on everything and bring the depth of insights that the brands can?

We’ve designed this programme to appeal to retailers, manufacturers and brand owners alike, and we’ve asked Alistair Vince of Watch Me Think to create and chair the day.

His company has just done a major self-ethnographic study of what consumers know and think they know about Private Label Versus The Brand.

We’ve also asked Adam Leyland, Editor of The Grocer, to chair a Q & A with a guest retailer, in his own inimitable edgy style.

AGENDA

PRIVATE LABEL VERSUS THE BRAND – HOW CONSUMER PERCEPTIONS ARE CHANGING.
Alistair Vince | Chief Tinkerer | Watch Me Think
• The calculating consumer and the value dynamic.
• What consumers think they know about private label.
• The importance of honesty.
• When “close enough” will do.
• While the packaging convinces … the product retains.

HOW MATTESSONS USES SOCIAL MEDIA TO DRIVE SALES IN FMCG.
Tom Gibson |Planning Director | Saatchi & Saatchi
• Identifying the right strategy and data to drive the campaign.
• Moving from TV to social to on-pack.
• The results speak for themselves.
• How to make “social” work hard for an fmcg brand.

REALISING THE POWER OF PRIVATE LABEL THROUGH FEARLESS CREATIVITY
Darren Foley | MD | Pearlfisher
• Retailer Brands are no longer the poor relation.
• Fearless, exciting and unconventional design is redressing the balance.
• Case study: Waitrose LOVE life.
• Future challenges for Private Label showing how the retailer has got ahead of the game.

CASE STUDY – THE EMERGENCE OF PRIVATE LABEL AS BRAND.
Steve Esom | Ex MD Waitrose | Plus Claire Nuttall | Founder Thrive

WINNING THROUGH INSIGHT
Meldrum Duncan | CEO | Meldrumandco
• What consumers can’t or won’t tell you.
• What’s really going on in their heads.
• Getting your insight to work harder for you.
• Going beyond consumers.
• Going beyond the research team.

USING TASTE TO CREATE A UNIQUE PRIVATE LABEL FINGERPRINT?
Mike Faers | MD | Food Innovation Solutions
• In the beginning … the retailer as brand.
• Now, with Waitrose ingredients, everyone’s a chef.
• How retailers can use taste to create their a unique brand fingerprint.
• Some pointers for Private Label Development.

A PRODUCER’S VIEW OF THE VALUE EQUATION.
Gillian Kynoch | Head Of Development & Innovation | Albert Bartlett & Sons
• Understanding and tackling a steady decline in consumption.
• NPD challenges in fresh produce and adding value to a commodity product.
• Building a Brand in fresh produce.
• Private Label versus brand strategy.

PLUS.
• Three table team brainstormings so you can work with peers on how to take forward your new ideas.
• End of the day Q & A … a chance to pose your questions to the panel of experts.
• A chance to win a Magnum of Finest Champagne.

VENUE
Staverton Park Conference Centre, Daventry, Northants.
Directions are on the Staverton Park Website

TIMINGS.
Doors open for early birds: 8:00 am
Breakfast for all from: 8:00 am
Seminar begins: 9:00 am
Coffee/Buffet Lunch/Tea: TBC
Seminar finishes: 4:45 pm latest

PRICE.
£475 + VAT.
Discounts available for multi-bookings. See below
(Don’t let the low price fool you, we’re a non commercial best practice club and run the best attended seminars in the industry).

10% EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT ENDS APRIL 5th

For more information or to book a place click here.

Cornetto Mix Minis will launch exclusively into the In Home market and tap into the growth in mono portions and ice cream snacking, which has grown 30% YoY.

Brigitta Holland, brand manager for Cornetto at Unilever UK said:

“We relaunched Cornetto earlier this year to realign our branding to specifically target the teenage audience.

“We anticipate that the launch of Cornetto Mix Minis will appeal to teens as a tasty snacking option to enjoy with friends and drive incremental sales in the In Home market.”

In line with the existing Cornetto range, the packaging of Cornetto Mix Minis features orange and blue colours to create distinction between the packs available and for stand out in the ice cream cabinet.

Cornetto Mix Minis are available in two different 6 x 610ml packs, each containing three different variants comprising; Strawberry, Hazelnut, Stracciatella and Chocolate, Caramel and Classico and will RRP at £2.75 and each case comprises five packs.

Cornetto Mix Minis will benefit as part of the £1m spend for the entire Cornetto brand in 2013 which includes a digital push, outdoor advertising and heavy social media presence.

Mango Medley has been developed following research and consumer feedback, especially among the core target audience of 16-24 year olds.

Available from May, the launch of 500ml Oasis Mango Medley is part of a wider brand refresh that sees new graphics across the Oasis range.

This new look will also feature on shrink wraps in depot for added stand-out and Mango Medley will join the existing range offered to retailers with a £1 PMP option, as well as a plain pack.

Nick Canney, vp, sales & marketing at Coca-Cola Enterprises Ltd, said:

“With the trend for tropical flavours continuing to grow and the great feedback we have already received from consumers, we’re anticipating a strong response to new Mango Medley.

“Consumers who have taken part in early taste tests have been extremely positive and expressed a strong desire to buy the product when it’s in-store.

“Oasis is the perfect lunchtime accompaniment, indexing well with sandwiches, therefore we would recommend retailers ensure good chilled availability around this time of day and think about including it as part of a lunchtime meal deal.”

The brand continues to invest in marketing support and has renewed its sponsorship of Celebrity Juice, providing exposure with the core target audience.

Additional activity will include digital, PR and ‘only Oasis can do’ sampling of new Mango Medley.

In addition to adding two new SKUs to the range, the brand – currently worth £16m – has also undergone a redesign, which aims to reaffirm ownership of the everyday premium tier.

The new range rolled out into trade last month along with a three Year Reserve which will launch exclusively in Sainsbury’s from May.

The addition of a creamy Medium Cheddar and a three Year Reserve Cheddar to the range aims offer the shopper greater choice, whilst giving the range a more specialist offering.

The Davidstow range offers a premium tasting cheddar to those looking to trade up, or to add Davidstow to their repertoire.

The new packaging for the Davidstow range is a step change from the current design.

The new packs feature bold, rich colours to achieve shelf presence and standout.

The logo is more confident and premium with the use of gold, and has kept its recognisable Cornish Chough bird.

Jennifer Hannah, Group Brand Manager said:

“The range, branding and the packaging design needed upgrading to better reflect the quality of our cheese.

“We are pleased with the new look of the packs and we’re excited by the expansion of the Davidstow Cheddar range.

“This upgrade confidently positions the Davidstow brand into the everyday premium Cheddar segment.”

The re-launch will also be supported through sampling, as well as an advocacy campaign to recruit more loyal Davidstow customers.

Launching this week in Asda, No Fear are introducing “No Fear Motherload” is an Apple flavoured energy drink.

No Fear is already a popular energy drinks brand and this new launch will have the same high energy and strong branding as previous products.
Motherload is loaded with Vitamin C.

The packaging is designed to resonate with the 16-24 year old target market and give presence on the shelf giving retailers a real opportunity to drive incremental sales as flavoured variants are gaining a 26.5% share.

No Fear’s strong YOY growth of 22.7% has been delivered through a combination of product innovation, sponsorship of key sporting events and promotional partnerships.

No Fear brand manager Neal Haworth said:

“In the last year there has been an explosion of flavours in the energy drinks market and we wish to continue in delivering strong growth within the retail sector.

“We feel this launch will provide a great opportunity for our retailers to increase sales and to reach out to new consumers.”

No Fear Motherload is available to purchase from Asda in 485ml resealable cans, priced at £1.29