Truvia Renews Focus on Trial

Wayzata, Minn. — Having already run several campaigns to educate consumers about its Truvia natural sweetener, Cargill launched a new effort in September that pushes consumers to experience the product. The campaign is supported by a money-back guarantee and Truvia’s largest in-store push to date.Mark Brooks, global business director for Truvia Consumer Products, says this new campaign, which will run through the second quarter of 2014, required a heavier push at the shelf. “We have probably doubled the weight of our marketing media mix at store vs. previous years.”Truvia was introduced in 2008, and early marketing focused mainly on the stevia plant (of which Truvia is made). But ongoing consumer panel research and shopalongs helped show that the sugar/sugar substitute category is very “low involvement,” Brooks says, often housed in the low-involvement baking aisle. “So we’ll really be pushing shopper marketing through,” he says. “When you get to the aisle, there will be many more retail demos than we’ve ever done before – 4,000 this year. We will be giving away 1 million samples. We’re really trying to get that point of purchase, even with the early-stage media, the awareness-driving media, TV, digital, social media. When you’re in the aisle, you have an opportunity to see the product.”The campaign includes two 30-second TV spots and two 15-second cut-downs. The ads end with a call to action: “Love us or your money back,” referring to the money-back guarantee that’s pushed hard in-store. Shelf signage and every 40-count box of Truvia will call out the money-back guarantee. The packages carry a sticker that folds back with directions on how to receive money back, should the consumer go that route.In addition to the increased sampling and retailer demonstrations using Truvia brand ambassadors and the retailer’s staff, custom displays will be placed at top national retailers. Truvia will participate in existing programs at retail, such as Walmart’s baking display, and freestanding shippers will be customized to each retailer’s needs. Co-branded displays and shared demos with the likes of Folgers, Seattle’s Best and Smuckers will complement the promotion.Truvia’s social media effort includes Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. The impetus is user-generated content, with coupons and samples as incentives. A #sweetswitch hashtag will accompany posts. The brand will spread FSI coupons along with digital coupons. Digital banner ads will support the effort, along with video on sites such as Hulu. Behind-the-scenes footage of the commercials can be found on YouTube and the Truvia website (the commercials use stop-motion animation). Martha Stewart will have videos featuring recipes for the holiday on the Truvia website.Throughout the integrated campaign, there is a strong sense of design, Brooks says. “The clean, negative white space of the packaging runs throughout.” Truvia has a 75% unaided awareness rate with consumers, he says, so the look and feel of the packaging and brand already communicates a lot.Truvia felt confident offering the money-back guarantee because panel research told them that once consumers try Truvia, they love it. He knows not everyone will turn. They like their coffee a very specific way, and on average it takes 10 tries before a consumer may change, he says. But this new campaign is engineered to get consumers to try.“There’s much more generous couponing here than in the past,” Brooks says. “There are so many choices ahead of ours. How do we become a staple on the list? We think this campaign will help encourage people to take that moment, reconsider and then switch.”Mars Advertising, Southfield, Mich., led the charge in-store. Other campaign partners included: Creature, Seattle; Universal McCann, New York; and Periscope, Minneapolis.

Truvia Renews Focus on Trial

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