Princes Supermarket Sampling Roadshow
- Re-engage the core consumer group of over 65’s
- Rectify the declining purchasing by expand growth to new shopper profiles
- Demonstrate taste, convenience and health to families and young professionals
- To increase Rate of Sale on both an immediate and sustained basis
- Professionally present the Princes brand as a ‘family favourite’ with sustainable values
Campaign Overview
- Sampling and sales activation campaign tours large Tesco & Asdas
- Taste sampling across the flavour range, in front of main entrances
- Fun game play, for memorable interactions with families
- Enthusiastic messaging and educational dialogue with trained staff
- Large sales uplifts generated from event area and from aisle
- Fully managed roadshow service with daily updates & reporting
- Two teams touring to maximise reach across the UK during TV adverts
- Additional head office buyer event day at Tesco
Sampling Event Area Set Up:
- Two event area each comprised of a 4.5x3m gazebo, with hot catering, product displays, print, TV adverts, a fun fish themed game, taste sampling area and an FSDU with sales stock positioned inside the foyer.
- The entire event area was able to be unloaded and constructed within approx one hour, enabling hot sampling to start at each store from approx 10am.
Sample Presentation Displays:
- All taster samples were attractively presented using both biodegradable pots and sporks, alongside leaflets printed on recycled stock, to remain in line with Princes’ sustainable brand values.
- Whole cans of the retail packs were displayed next to the tasters, alongside store specific price labelling to allow customers to recognise packaged products and pricing offers on aisle, to aid purchasing.
Fun Target Throwing Game:
- A funfair style throwing game featuring flip up Mackerel Sizzle cans as targets was created and used each day to provide an additional reason for families with young children to engage with the activity.
- Customers of all ages were able to win a fun fish themed prize, a Princes’ branded balloon and a sticker, with levels of difficulty adjusted to ensure that all participants left feeling happy with their rewards.
Clear Brand Messaging:
- The vast majority of shoppers in both Asda and Tesco were hesitant and resistant to mackerel prior to sampling, so overcoming their pre-conceived negative perception of canned mackerel was required in virtually every conversation.
- Key messaging to overcome barriers included clear verbalisation of descriptive words such as: skinless, boneless, filling, quick preparation, gourmet sauces, healthy protein & Omega 3.
Valuable Consumer Feedback:
- Large scale sampling outreach of over 1,000 shoppers on average per day was consistently achieved (regularly peaking at over 1,500 on the busiest days).
- A key learning was UK shoppers are not familiar or comfortable with mackerel, until they’ve sampled it.
- The quick convenience of meal preparation, health attributes of mackerel and range of gourmet flavours were very popular with both young professionals after work and with families for after school.
- Both of these new audiences for the product said they’ve never tried or bought mackerel before, but they were pleased to ‘discover’ a healthy / tasty / easy to cook new fish, once they’d tasted it.
Tesco Buyer Engagement Event Day:
- Over 500 full sized meals were served to The Buyer, the wider Buying Team and all of the other colleagues working at Tesco Head Office, during the trade sampling event day.
- The fun target throwing game was also played by all meal recipients, which created an engaging spectacle and jovial banter amongst groups of colleagues, who all walked away with a range of newly branded Princes promotional items; alongside their hot lunch.
Immediate & Sustained – Rate of Sales Growth
Huge immediate on the day sales, peaking at over 250 units sold in a single supermarket, on just ONE sampling event day.
Long term sustained Averaged Rate of Sales increase of over +1,000% across all Asda stores visited, measured weeks after the sampling event day.
Combined average sustained Rate of Sales growth of 637% measured across ALL Tesco and Asda Supermarkets in the weeks after the event day.
