When it comes to generating column inches, it doesn’t get much better than this. Aldi Siana Moisturising Anti-Wrinkle Cream has set tongues wagging in the beauty world which is no mean feat given the product comes from a supermarket renowned for its competitive prices and simple approach to grocery retailing. At the time of writing this, Aldi has been selling one pot every 47 seconds in its UK stores and orders are up 1500% to meet demand. All thanks to fantastic coverage, which created this tidal wave of demand.
Rewind a few months, though, and things weren’t looking quite so hopeful. On paper, the odds were stacked against us. Trying to persuade media to trial let alone endorse a beauty product that costs just £1.89 is difficult: this is, after all, a hugely competitive sector worth millions of pounds and one that can be a bit intimidating with all that glamour and high gloss.
To stand any chance of winning market share from well-known mass market and prestige brands, creativity and steely determination were needed in huge quantities. Others in our industry would have been a bit nervous with the lack of a celebrity face, a tome of baffling science or the punch of a multi-million pound ad campaign, but the Kavanagh Communications girls like a challenge!
Since we’ve held the Aldi account, our strategy has been shifting perceptions and driving the quality message. Our mouthpiece for this message has been the media, so a huge part of our remit is persuading the top influencers to open their mind to Aldi so they can then recommend to their readers to trade into the brand. It’s not without challenge; we would be lying if we said elitism doesn’t exist within certain media circles, but the nation is behind us and this is helping us open doors with the press.
And Aldi is getting new customers through its doors. Research shows we are becoming more savvy with our shopping - the proportion of ABC1 shoppers visiting discount stores has risen by 13% over the last four years, according to retail analysts HIM. And the number of shoppers using these low-cost supermarkets has almost doubled in the same period - from 6% of the population in 2003 to 11% today. Read more at http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/news/article.html?in_article_id=422788&in_page_id=2
So with 'discount retailing' favourability on our side, what else did we have to make the story generate the buzz it has this week? A little gem - an independent test in Germany proved the product's efficacy against leading brands such as Helena Rubenstein. The Brits love it when the underdog beats the top dog, and it was this content-rich feature that appealed to some beauty editors. Then followed a fantastic independent tried and tested feature that saw 2000 women vote Aldi Siana Moisturising Anti-Wrinkle Cream the best anti-aging skincare brand in Celebrity On Sunday Magazine - http://www.aldi.co.uk/uk/html/company/what_the_papers_say.htm - and instantly, perceptions shifted and minds were open to this great little product.
Which led us to the Daily Mail - the Holy Grail for our clients! http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/femail/article.html?in_article_id=512340&in_page_id=1879
Well, as they say, the rest is history. The Daily Telegraph, The Sun, The Daily Mirror (x3 hits in one week!), TV stations, radio stations, glossy magazines and websites all followed suit. What have we learnt from this? Media are inspired by other media's journalism. Without credibility and proof that a product works, you cannot create a credible story. Word of mouth and customer experiences really count - we have been truly inspired by the positive blog postings for this product on the back of every article secured this week.
So what does our client think? This sums it up well: "I've never seen anything like it during my whole career," says UK MD of Buying for Aldi. And when family, friends, work associates, clients past and present contact you because they want the inside track on how to get their hands on the product, you cannot help but be chuffed that you helped create that awareness and demand.
For further reading on helping brands become famous:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Connected-Marketing-Viral-Mouth-Revolution/dp/075066634X
To talk about support for your company or product, call Rachel Taylor on 01483 238 840/844.