Unilever Repositions Its Mayo Brand

Englewood Cliffs, N.J. -- Unilever's goal for the 2010 "Real Food Project" campaign for its Hellmann's/Best Foods brand was to convince consumers to think of an everyday food item in an entirely new way. A combination of digital and in-store marketing efforts urged consumers to cook at home using fresh ingredients like Hellmann's mayonnaise. The campaign's "real food" message included videotaped demonstrations by Food Network star Bobby Flay that were featured in online ads and highlighted on the Hellmann's website. Recipe ideas, holiday meal tips and retailer promotions all spurred usage and led to a spike in sales for the mayonnaise brand. Research conducted by Unilever and its agency, Wilton, Conn.-based Ryan Partnership, previously revealed several barriers to mayonnaise consumption. Through focus groups and online surveys, the company learned that many consumers were uncertain of the main ingredients in mayonnaise (eggs and oil) and perceived the product as unhealthy. Others worried that cooking "real" food took too long and cost too much money. Hellmann's first introduced the Real Food positioning back in 2007 and saw an opportunity to further leverage these insights."Moms want to feel good about the meals they're cooking for their families," says Gene Tiernan, senior vice president and group director at Ryan Partnership. "More consumers are cooking at home because of the economy, and for several years now, consumers have wanted to know more about what's in their food." Enlisting Flay lent credence to the idea that mayonnaise can be an integral part of a healthy diet using simple, fresh ingredients, adds Melissa Weingarten, senior brand manager at Hellmann's/Best Foods. "Bobby brings an authenticity to the marketing because he's all about using good ingredients," says Weingarten. "His recipes that featured Hellmann's were easy to follow and allowed consumers to be confident that the food would taste good."Webisodes built around cooking demos with Flay and ordinary consumers were conducted in front of "mom" bloggers and the food media. In one holiday-themed demo, a turkey Reuben sandwich was topped with a Thousand Island dressing made from Hellmann's Light mayonnaise. These webisodes formed the basis for online ads that could be expanded or rolled over so that consumers could download the recipes, watch the videos and share the content via Facebook and Twitter. A mobile site provided another entry point to the Real Food Project.Radio ads touting retailer promotions in local markets also drove consumers to stores. Each 30-second spot included a tag with Bobby Flay's voiceover telling shoppers to visit their local grocery store to find recipes and coupons. "This was the first year we tied radio into our marketing and we got great feedback from retailers who saw increased sales during the key drive periods," says Weingarten.Retailers found natural pairings to co-promote discounted jars of Hellmann's with products such as Bumble Bee tuna. Some stores stacked the product near deli counters and baked goods. Flay's recipes appeared on Hellmann's product cap labels and in FSIs, while tearpads and shippers were featured among the in-store merchandising mix. These efforts combined to produce higher sales: For the 52-week period ended Dec. 26, 2010, unit sales of Hellmann's rose 2.15% to $401.1 million in the $1.25 billion mayonnaise category, according to Chicago-based SymphonyIRI Group."There's been slight growth in the category but we've been able to grow our share over a sustained period of time because of the [Real Food] positioning," says Weingarten. "Going forward, you will see more campaigns from us about real, simple ingredients brought to life in different ways."Ryan Partnership was responsible for all digital elements and in-store materials. The agency also used the following companies as part of its efforts: Weber-Shandwick, social applications; Ogilvy Entertainment, Bobby Flay videos and webisodes; Mediaworx, radio spots; Think Integrated, retail.

Unilever Repositions Its Mayo Brand

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