Alpro: Best Practice
Alpro is a Belgian manufacturer and a pioneer in the manufacture of soy products for over 30 years. The company manufactures a wide range of products: drinks, desserts, yogurts and margarines in Belgium, France and England, employs 750 workers, and has a turnover of over 250 million euros.
Alpro is the leader in the European soy market, and in Israel is second in the dairy substitutes category, with an annual turnover of 79 million NIS.
Over the past 4 years the dairy substitutes category is undergoing a significant change – both in the perception of manufacturers and retailers, as well as consumers – and this change requires a shift in the marketing approach.
Transformation: Changes in the Category Definition
Dairy substitute products have expanded the definition, and have developed into a stand-alone category: Plant-based drinks. This means that consumers are consciously seeking and choosing these drinks because they are tasty, healthy and reflect their sentiments and way of life.
In 2012 Alpro International entered additional segments in the category (rice, almond and hazelnut drinks), and repositioned itself: From Alpro Soya to Alpro Enjoy Plant Power!
The launch of the almond and hazelnut drinks in Israel was a direct continuation of Alpro’s repositioning in the world. From a brand specializing in the production of soy drinks, it turned into a brand offering a wide variety of plant-based drinks, such as almond, hazelnut and more. Alpro underwent a transformation from a compromise brand to a brand of choice – it is no longer a substitute product, but rather a product that is attractive due to health, lifestyle and flavor. The introduction of the new drinks was due to the need to address the demands of a growing category of consumers, in addition to those who are lactose intolerant – health enthusiasts, vegans and people who keep kosher, that seek Parve products, who are unwilling to compromise on taste. Alfaro provides the perfect solution.
The challenge: Something good is growing here
In the launch of the new drinks in Israel, we faced two major challenges:
- Positioning Alpro as a legitimate choice, not a compromise but rather a choice.
- Changing the consumer perception that Alpro is only soy, and turning it into a brand specializing in a variety of plant-based drinks.
Marketing Campaign
The launch of the campaign included extensive marketing activities in all the contact points with the consumer – at the points of sale, nationwide advertising activities and PR activities aimed at the target audience, through bloggers, chefs and dieticians. The slogan that accompanied the launch of the new drinks was: “Something good is growing here”, heralding that that something new and refreshing is starting.
Points of Sale: the display stands at the points of sale were designed in the shape of a tree, based on the concept of “Something good is growing here”, giving the brand and new products visibility that cannot be ignored. Tasting activities completed the experience together with handing out discount coupons to encourage additional purchases.
Marketing activities: nationwide deployment of billboards along central traffic arteries reinforced the broad exposure of the brand and new drinks. The campaign was accompanied by advertisements published in women’s, health and lifestyle magazine along with relevant content articles related to this issue, and a variety of delicious recipes including these new drinks. In this way we succeeded in appealing directly to the target audience so as to establish and expand talk about the topic.
Campaign: the media activity was complemented by a digital campaign that included banners that referred users to a dedicated mini-site and Instagram competition. The mini-site allowed the deepening of knowledge about the health benefits of the new drinks, and the Instagram competition encouraged involvement of users, who were asked to upload images that best describe the sentence: “Something good is growing here”. In total 1,200 photos were uploaded, and the activities exposed tens of thousands of users to the products. The competition was a success and the lucky winner won a flight to Japan during the Cherry Blossom season.
Backup Professional: in order to promote and expose the professional audience to the health benefits of the new drinks, we participated in a national Dieticians Conference, where we revealed the new drinks to 1,500 dieticians and public opinion leaders. The reactions were amazing! In addition, food bloggers and leading food writers were invited to participate in a workshop hosted by the leading vegan blogger, Ori Shavit. The encounter bore fruit and resulted in extensive coverage in leading blogs and websites.
The Results: A Leap and Surge
The launch of Alpro grew the entire diary substitutes market. The drinks segment (hazelnuts and almonds) grew by 121% and created a new segment that currently constitutes 10% of the market in quantitative terms, and an increase of 2 million NIS in monetary terms.
Following the campaign, the brand increased its penetration percentage in households by 2.6% and increased by 5.3% the average basket (in monetary terms), while increasing the rate of purchase frequency for the company’s products by 1.3%.
Alpro continues to innovate and stimulate the highest growing market in the food industry in 2014 with:
- 3 new plant-based drinks with refreshing flavors
- Changing the packaging of drinks and packaging with a cap that is user friendly for pouring and making it easier to hold
- Launching an extensive advertising campaign on television and other media channels aimed at raising awareness and encouraging experience
There is no doubt that Alpro understands the global trends and takes an active part in their development. It recognizes the needs and knows how to address them in terms of both product quality and flavor – and has done so to date, and will continue to do so based on the values of leadership, quality and constant innovation.
