Food marketers turn to value with dollar-per-meal strategy
NEW YORK -- Food marketers are pulling a page from fast-food menus and touting dollar deals to promote their products.
"It seems like that's the definition of value," says Tom Vierhile, research director with Datamonitor, which tracks marketing and consumer products. "You have a whole segment of retail built around it. And it has a ring to it."
A ring that marketers hope will convert to cha-ching at registers as food prices climb. They're up 3.3% for the 12 months ended April 30, according to the latest consumer price index.
"The dollar is what a nickel was for our grandparents," says food and retail expert Phil Lempert, the Supermarket Guru. "A full shopping cart gives people a psychological satisfaction that they are doing a good job for their family."
•Kraft. A play on the word "singles" for Kraft Singles promotes grilled cheeseburgers for $1 in TV ads and on the Web. " 'Singles' is our brand," says senior brand manager Clayton Wai-Poi. "That comparison helps give consumers a very concrete example to lock onto."
•Unilever. Next month, 25 million coupons offering discounts on the purchase of two boxes of Lipton Onion Soup mix to promote Lipton Onion Burgers for 85 cents per serving. "Our recent marketing efforts ... (are) providing affordable meal solutions," says Lisa Klauser, vice president, consumer and customer solutions.
•Wal-Mart. TV ads promote more than a dozen items as a "nutritious breakfast" for about $1 a person as an alternative to fast food, which can cost up to $5 a person. "This spot is another way to bring our mission to life," says Linda Blakely, Wal-Mart spokeswoman. "Every dollar counts."
•Campbell. The soupmaker is testing a $1 price for some condensed soups at select outlets instead of the usual $1.59. "We're testing to see what the interest level is and how it will move the needle," says John Faulkner, Campbell spokesman.
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