True Christmas Spirit Thrives in Recession Battered Brand Britain

Last year we published a qualitative research study that showed how Britons were rejecting traditional consumption and wanted to use Christmas to reconnect with the things and people that mattered most and are closest to them. A year on and the evidence suggests that this remains the case as Britons look more to the simple things that encapsulate the spirit of the season, rather than a more naked, commercial approach to Christmas. It is interesting to see how brands and retailers have been using these insights to inform their product and marketing campaigns. Consumers continue to view this Christmas as a buffer against a painful present, a time to recharge batteries, and to reconnect with matters they view as genuinely important. While they do this, they are perhaps thinking more about practicality, planning and early budgeting than last minute magic and spontaneity, at a time when thrift has become more than merely a lifestyle choice. Such insights are also reflected in Christmas advertising this year as Waitrose presents us with a stripped-back television advertisement, for which Delia Smith and Heston Blumenthal have both waived their appearance fees (instead the cash will be spent on Waitrose’s Community Matters charity scheme). John Lewis’s advert, which follows last year’s epic, features the tag line "Give a little more love this Christmas", features a snowman searching for the perfect present for a mystery recipient whose identity is not revealed until the final scene (whilst the choice of “The Power of Love” for the soundtrack should not be overlooked), and ASDA, which supports the contribution of mothers, with the strapline ‘Christmas doesn’t just happen by magic’. ASDA said that the ad reflected the fact that for mums, despite the pressure, their big reward is looking back at the end of Christmas day, at a happy and smiling family, and thinking ‘I did that’. So the themes of Christmas this year are modesty & homeliness, intimacy & love. In the midst of all this Christmas spirit, consumers are making savvy decisions and feeling good about it. Greater effort will surely be invested this year in finding a bargain or in doubling up vouchers, finding a discount code, collecting and using points across all purchases, really checking deals in order to make hard earned money work harder and go further. Recent research by first direct found that 58% of people are looking to save money on the perfect party outfit over the festive period with women more likely than men to shop for a clothes bargain (60% versus 49%) - and more than three-fifths of them get thrifty when it comes to their party attire compared to half of men. The most common ways of saving money, according to the research, are shopping around more than before (46%), using discount codes or vouchers (31%) and retail reward points (29%). Christmas is still about enjoyment and escape, and a certain degree of excess is traditional but, in keeping with the subdued times, the sense of modesty and restraint reported by our respondents last year remains the order of the season. In spite of the jubilympic summer (or perhaps because of it), Christmas 2012 will be a contained affair in many families and so The conclusions for brands appear to be the same a year on: articulate hope and a positive long term vision as consumers are looking for inspirational light at the end of the tunnel; reflect the way that consumers have, in some ways, temporarily lost faith in materialism and focus on values rather than things; focus on the local, facilitate family, be active in communities and, at very least, continue to overtly support the British economy with products created and built locally. Brands should continue to tap into rituals which offer familiarity, comfort and trust for consumers and create promotions which reward planning and effort, as well as “hard to ignore” deals.

Is government plan really a green light for healthy food?

The government has announced that a ‘consistent’ system of front-of-pack food labelling will be introduced next year. This will be based on a traffic-light system showing consumers a combination of guideline daily amounts, colour coding and "high, medium or low" wording to show how much fat, salt and sugar and how many calories are in each product. The move comes after years of opposition from the multiples to a standardised labelling system. Their argument was that labelling was too simplistic and maybe unfairly critical of some products. However, some, including Asda, Sainsbury's and Waitrose, already had their own versions, which others claimed were causing confusion in the market. The government has said, though, that the new scheme will help people choose healthier food options and make more sensible decisions about what to buy. Their hope is that small changes will help reduce the scourge of obesity and improve the health of the nation. But will it? Traffic light labelling is a small step in a positive direction and there is plenty of data to show that grocery shoppers like this style of labelling and find it helpful. Research published last year by DEFRA showed that 80 per cent of people rated health as the most important factor affecting their buying decisions. Most shoppers – 82% - said they actively sought to buy healthy foods. The figures also indicated, though, that people’s preferences don’t always match what they ultimately buy, with price being a major factor in many people’s buying decisions, especially in the current climate. In practise, though, anecdotally it would seem to be further down our list of priorities. However, too much research focuses on one issue - such as labeling - in isolation, rather than looking at it as a whole. One of my colleagues undertook research some time ago with housewives, where each was asked to compare their last supermarket shop. With all of the produce on the table, they discussed what they had bought and why. They became quite competitive and in their efforts to win their impromptu 'supermum' competition, they became strong advocates for their products and the discussion was highly revealing. Health was rarely part of the argument. Price, offers, quantity, shelf-life, convenience came first. And then even when health is considered, the consumer definition of health is still poorly defined. In recent research we undertook, mum spent far more time than you would think possible trying to decide whether potatoes counted as one of your five a day. Milk - vital for child health - is too often restricted because it is seen as a high fat food (even though full fat milk is still only 4% fat). Most of them end up aiming for a balanced plate and call it a day. It is going to be important to ensure that the consumer is educated to understand the information behind the labelling. A knee-jerk reaction to a product with a red label on it could be counter-productive. The word ‘fat’ on a product could turn off the consumer, even though some fat in a diet is essential. Similarly, most products will contain an element of sugar, but some from natural sources like tomatoes rather than synthetic additives. Brands are going to have to adopt a more holistic approach to health; ingredients may not be enough. Brands and retailers may have to work together to create a well-being experience which may involve the in-store experience - display, promotion, training and product presentation – as well as the brand itself. There is evidence of this in some areas. Many multiples have revamped the way they display fresh produce so that it has a more market-like, natural feel and there has also been a move in the UK to balance the consumer’s desire for prepared meals with "semi ready-to-eat" meals. These products, with fresh ingredients that you can see when you buy them, are ready to take home and cook rather than just warm up. Tesco’s has had success with pre-prepared vegetables and meals in its Finest range as well as its City Kitchen prepared meals. However, Finest, City Kitchen and those like them remain premium brands. So now that we are finally getting a universal and comprehensible labelling system, maybe it's time for brands to look at the wider context of healthy eating and be able to demonstrate to consumers that you can buy and eat healthy products on a budget.