Media release archive

UBUK launches key brand activities to drive snacking category sales in New Year

Date: 05-12-2011

 

United Biscuits (UBUK), has announced the first wave of activity for 2012. The plans include a first ever event sponsorship for McCoy’s, a promotion that will help retailers capitalise on the sales opportunity provided by the link between McVitie’s biscuits and hot drinks and a new Jacob’s brand extension designed to significantly increase savoury biscuits sales.

McCoy’s hits the bullseye with PDC darts sponsorship

McCoy’s are delighted to announce that it has embarked on a three year deal as the title sponsor of the McCoy’s Premier League Darts. The tournament sees the world’s top eight players – including the legendary Phil “The Power” Taylor, reigning Premier League Darts champion Gary Anderson and PDC World Champion Adrian Lewis - play each other over 15 weeks across the UK, including the Play-Offs in front of a packed house at The O2 in London. Additionally, McCoy’s will be a partner sponsor for all the other events under the PDC banner. 

From February, McCoy’s will be announcing the sponsorship via an on-pack promotion that will feature on both handy packs and multipacks to increase awareness of the sponsorship. The packs will encourage consumers to go online to the McCoy’s website to be in with the chance of winning VIP tickets to the McCoy’s Premier League Darts Play-Offs by participating in the McCoy’s darts challenge.

What time is it? It’s Dunk Time!

To help retailers capitalise on the sales opportunity of linking hot drinks and biscuits, McVitie’s is launching ‘Dunk Time’ – a new campaign to encourage consumers to brighten up their brew and enjoy a biscuit with their cup of tea.  A multi-faceted through-the-line campaign, including an interesting on pack promotion, will be launched to support McVitie’s Dunk Time. it promises to help retailers make the most of this opportunity to boost sales by cross-selling hot drinks and McVitie’s biscuits.

Featured on packs of McVitie’s biscuits from February, the Dunk Time promotion will encourage consumers to enjoy their hot cuppa or coffee with a tasty McVitie’s biscuit by giving away over one million Dunk Time branded ‘mega mugs’. Consumers can have a chance to win one instantly by simply entering a unique code online on the McVitie’s VIP Club website (www.mcvities.co.uk/vipclub) or by collecting 45 points as part of their membership to the loyalty scheme, which was launched in 2010.

The three month campaign will also include a national radio partnership to promote the activity on stations, such as Magic FM, BRMB and Key103FM. The promotion will be advertised across digital, radio and print channels together with competitions to win holidays to destinations such as Sri Lanka, Kenya and Switzerland. There will be an experiential sampling team to bring Dunk Time to life in high footfall areas, offering consumers the chance to win biscuits to be delivered to their offices.

UB will be supporting retailers with a heavyweight activation programme, including eye-catching shippers and POS materials that will enable retailers to cross-sell McVitie’s products with hot drinks and drive awareness of the promotion.

Grabbing a larger share of savoury market with new snack range

With savoury biscuits representing a fantastic opportunity for retailers to grow sales, UB is launching Jacob’s Oddities, a brand new range of bite-sized savoury biscuits, to grow the UK savoury biscuit market.

Available from March, Jacob’s Oddities is an irresistibly light and crispy, baked snack biscuit. The tasty bite sized snacks come in an amusing mix of unexpected shapes with no artificial colours or flavours. The range comprises of two delicious flavours, Cheese and Smoky Bacon and is available in multipacks of five x 25g packs (MRRP £1.75), 125g sharing packs (MRRP £1.42) and 30g on-the-go packs (59p).

The launch will be supported in 2012 by TV, poster, online and radio advertising, plus sampling and in-store activation.

Strong launch to 2012

Jon Eggleton, Marketing Director, UBUK, commented:

“We have a strong 2012 marketing plan, as always, which will ensure that we drive sales across our biggest brands.

“Darts has become increasingly popular in recent years and our partnership with the PDC is the perfect platform for McCoy’s ‘Real Man’ positioning

“Jacob’s Oddities has been developed on the back of the most rigorous consumer research. There is a huge opportunity to grow the savoury biscuits market, particularly with an established brand that is providing a range of new tasty snack biscuits. The launch of Oddities will accelerate the growth of the savoury biscuits category by attracting new, younger consumers through this fun and engaging new product.  

Jacob’s Oddities will develop this segment of the UK’s savoury biscuit category and provide retailers with a new opportunity to grow their sales of savoury biscuits.

“McVitie’s latest VIP Dunk Time promotion highlights the massive opportunity presented by cross selling biscuits and hot drinks. 86% of McVitie’s biscuits are eaten with a drink, but only 8% of drink occasions featuring a biscuit, so there is another big growth opportunity for retailers. This engaging Dunk Time promotion will help retailers to sell to those people that aren’t having a treat with their hot drink and will encourage them to purchase biscuits more often.”

Source: AC Nielsen w/e 08.10.11