Quorn has launched a £14m push for 2018 – which it claims is the largest-ever annual investment by a brand in the UK meat-free category.
The year-long campaign across leading commercial broadcasters will see Quorn advertising on TV for 50 weeks of the year, kicking off with three 20-second ads in Q1 to highlight the versatility of the range, with a focus on Quorn Mince, Quorn Pieces and Quorn Cocktail Sausages.
The activity followed Quorn Food’s record sales growth of £19m in the past 12 months, according to the brand, which was “consistently one of the biggest media-spending brands across all frozen and chilled sectors,” added head of UK category management Julian Cooke.
“This is set to continue in 2018 as our biggest-ever marketing spend, coupled with an increased consumer focus on healthier lifestyles and more and more people looking to reduce their meat consumption,” he said.
Later this month, Quorn will roll out a quartet of new products into the chilled aisle. Two vegan options – Chicken Free Slices and Smoky Ham Free Slices (rsp: £2/100g) – would tap the “growing modern food trend” of veganism, said Cooke. They will be available from 31 January, the same time as two new vegetarian ready meals, Oriental Stir Fry and Jambalaya (rsp: £2.79/400g).
The NPD and sustained TV drive would be supported by PR and digital content focusing on ways to reduce meat consumption “without missing out on family favourite meals, as part of a healthy lifestyle,” Cooke said
The marketing activity would target both existing and new Quorn shoppers, “with a particular emphasis on families with children, who we believe will be particularly receptive to our messages as we promote the benefits of tasty and healthy choices.” It comes as Quorn faces increasing competition in the meat-free arena.
Last month, UK brand Moving Mountains revealed it would launch its meatless burger into foodservice in the new year, with retailer listings in the frozen aisle to follow. The move came amid mounting speculation that US plant-based burger brands Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat were soon to arrive on British shores.
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