Lawry's Promotes Seasoned Salt in Movie Theaters

Going to a movie and not ordering popcorn just doesn't seem right. So no matter what they hear about "unhealthy" buttered popcorn, consumers probably aren't going to give it up. But they might be willing to make it more healthy, by substituting seasoned salt for butter and iodized sodium chloride.At least, that's the hope at Lawry's Foods Inc., Monrovia, Calif. The seasoned salt maker believes the movie theater is a perfect place to stimulate consumer trial.In June, Lawry's introduced a sweepstakes, coupon and sampling program at 400 United Artists Theaters nationwide. The program is presented via a corrugated countertop display holding 500 packets of Seasoned Salt and a supply of combination coupons/sweepstakes entry forms. The bottom of the coupon explains the sweepstakes rules and serves as an entry blank. The random-drawing sweepstakes will award a year of free movies for two to 10 consumers."The second largest use of seasoned salt after cooking is on popcorn," explains Lawry's Consumer Promotions Manager Rich Cope. "We wanted to capitalize on that and drive trial among salt users. And we wanted to try providing samples as close to the end usage as possible, rather than sending samples out in the mail or with newspapers."The partnership between Lawry's and United Artists Theaters was organized by MGA Partnership Marketing. The display materials were designed by EF Display. Both are divisions of Einson Freeman, Paramus, N.J. The corrugated display was manufactured by Gage In-Store Marketing, Minneapolis.Lawry's contract with UA was for two months -- the height of the summer movie season -- but Cope reports that the displays stayed up until the samples ran out. Lawry's supplied the display materials free of charge and actually paid a fee to United Artists Theaters to cover the administrative and labor costs involved in setting up and maintaining the display.Following a similar 1995 sampling program, without the sweepstakes, Lawry's conducted theater exit research and found that 35 percent of moviegoers had noticed the Lawry's display at the concession stand. Seven percent had tried the product on their popcorn, and of those, 88 percent liked it. What's more, notes Cope, moviegoers redeemed the coupons.The program also proved popular with the individual movie-houses. After dispensing 1,000 packets per display, a number of managers called to say they wanted to permanently continue the sampling program. "It's probably one of the most efficient sampling vehicles we've ever used in terms of cost per sample actually delivered, but doing it year-round is cost prohibitive," Cope says.The manufacturing of the display, which measures 8 inches wide by 10 inches high by 6 inches deep, and printing the coupon cost Lawry's approximately $8 per unit, not including the cost of samples.

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