Client: Weetabix Cereal

Giving a British Brand a Healthy Dose of Austin Style.

The Client

Gauger + Associates for Barbara’s Bakery Inc. (Weetabix Cereal)

The Business Goals

Maintain/gradually increase current surgical market share.
Introduce Weetabix Organic Cereal to the Austin market.
Generate product trials among a broad and dispersed target audience
during pre-planned media flight.
Increase product brand awareness and affinity among
health-conscious consumers.

The Situation

While Weetabix Organic Cereal is Britain’s best-selling brand, the company had little awareness and minimal sales in the United States. Barbara’s Bakery, the U.S. distributor, had teamed up with Gauger + Associates, a San Francisco-based agency, to develop advertising materials to introduce Weetabix to U.S.

Because of Austin’s health-conscious population, the city was chosen as the test market. Gauger + Associates had created an outstanding creative campaign, but they were unfamiliar with the Austin market and turned to Aha to help extend their planned media spend to ensure a successful test market introduction.

Aha Insight

We’ve got to Keep it Weird (and healthy).
Aha’s in-depth understanding of the local market yielded an important insight – Austinites respond best to brands they feel are part of the community. By taking this foreign and little-known brand to the streets (and races), we could connect with the health-conscious target audience on their own turf.

Aha’s focused, grassroots product sampling program identified key Austin events and venues where the target audience was likely to be found. The events and venues pinpointed targeted opportunities that leveraged the brand’s health and organic messaging.

In addition, by taking Austin’s Keep it Weird slogan to heart, we were inspired to think of creative ways to give the Weetabix brand a fun, unique personality.

Aha Solution

Aha planned and managed a community-based marketing campaign that distributed over 20,000 product samples and coupons directly to consumers in a three-week period. Aha’s efforts coincided with and extended the local test market media/promotional elements created by Gauger + Associates. Media elements included spot television, outdoor advertising and FSI coupon drop/trip give-away.

Because we knew health-conscious community events were key to reaching the right target audience, we developed tie-ins to local events including the Capital 10,000, Schlotzky’s
Bun Run, and First Thursday Events on South Congress Avenue. At events, a street team of local brand ambassadors wearing bright yellow jumpsuits distributed product samples and interacted with the audience, all the while telling Austinites about the great taste and health benefits of organic Weetabix. To increase the fun factor and extend the outdoor advertising impact, Aha secured and wrapped a large-scale promotional sampling vehicle to transport the brand ambassadors around the city. We also developed partnerships with key retailers such as Whole Foods Market for in-store demos, which increased brand exposure, product trial and purchase.

Outcome

A post-wave market survey revealed that the campaign was a resounding success. Results showed the target audience had a 39% ad awareness (up from 1%). Of consumers polled, 53% were aware of the brand (up from 15%), and 27% said they would definitely/probably purchase (up from 11%).

Materials Produced
Localized test market strategy plan
Customized wrap for a 15-passenger van
Point-of-purchase displays for in-store Promotional events
Event materials

Aha Services
Program planning and management
Public relations and publicity
Graphic design and production services
Brand ambassador recruitment and management