Tesco readies major food push to highlight quality and provenance
Tesco has launched a major effort to improve perception of the quality of its food offering, with ads highlighting the provenance of its fresh produce and encouraging consumers to “celebrate everyday food”.
The supermarket’s campaign launches on TV this Sunday (21 July) and will be supported by print, cinema, outdoor and social media activity.
Part of the creative has been crowdsourced from Tesco staff sharing their favourite recipes, some of which feature in the ads alongside some of its suppliers. The campaign was created by Wieden + Kennedy, which was appointed to its £110m advertising account last June.
The campaign – which depicts foods including strawberries and steaks – comes six months after the horsemeat scandal that dented trust and sales across the supermarket sector.
Last month Tesco chief executive Philip Clarke implied the horsemeat scandal had derailed a previously planned brand campaign but said the supermarket planned to run marketing to communicate the commitments it has made to British sourcing and food quality to restore trust in its ranges. http://www.marketingweek.co.uk/news/tesco-promises-more-brand-marketing-as-analysts-lay-in-to-its-insipid-ads/4006930.article
David Wood, Tesco UK marketing director, says: “So much care goes into the food we eat, from growing to picking, to choosing, to packing and tasting. We want to share our passion for food. The idea behind ‘Love Every Mouthful’ is simple – a reminder in our busy lives to savour every flavour, every scoop, every crunch, every drizzle, every mealtime conversation. Our approach is playful and we hope people will enjoy it.”
Tesco’s share of the supermarket sector fell from 30.7 to 30.1 in the 3 months to 7 July, according to the latest Kantar Worldpanel data. The supermarket reported a 1 per cent drop in sales from stores open for a year or more in the 13 weeks to 25 May, but Clarke claimed his “Building a Better Tesco in the UK strategy” – of which fresh food is at the heart – is “on track”.
Earlier this month Asda CMO Stephen Smith told Marketing Week its Christmas marketing activity will switch to a focus on the quality of its products as the supermarket looks to be known for more than just price.
Elsewhere, Marks & Spencer – which has long championed the quality of its fresh food – recently launched a new food positioning: “Make Today Delicious”.
