Aldi insists customers are ‘not returning to the big four’ as it unveils ‘Everyday Amazing’ campaign

Aldi’s marketing director Adam Zavalis has insisted sales are not slowing down, with the discounter’s new ‘Everyday Amazing’ campaign aiming to move its messaging beyond price.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PsDdf1_w_uk

Aldi is hoping to move the conversation beyond price with its new ‘Everyday Amazing’ campaign, which will focus on themes such as responsible sourcing and employee wellbeing.

Set to debut tomorrow (8 September) during Emmerdale on ITV1, the first ad focuses on ‘coffee table facts’, such as Aldi selling 22,000 free-range chickens, its salmon being RSPCA assured and being voted by UK suppliers as the fairest supermarket to do business with.

It is a noticeable step change for the brand, which usually prioritises pricing in its marketing. Aldi’s marketing director Adam Zavalis admits the shift follows a change in the way UK consumers define value.

He told Marketing Week: “The context of great value and true value has evolved in shoppers’ minds beyond price and to include themes such as fairness, ethics and responsible sourcing.”

Is growth slowing?

Following five years of sustained growth, the new campaign, created by McCann, comes during a tougher period than the discounter is perhaps used to. Market leader Tesco has upped the pressure after achieving two consecutive quarters of sales growth, while Aldi’s sales growth was the lowest for five years during the 12 weeks ending 1 August, according to Kantar Worldpanel.

It is still growing faster than its major rivals, with sales up 10.1% for the period, but this is some distance away from the 17.3% and 29.5% growth Aldi recorded for the same month in both 2015 and 2014. In fact, the last time it recorded similar levels of growth was back in February 2011, when sales also increased by 10.1%.

However, Zavalis remains defiant: “Things are not slowing down, it’s an exaggeration. In value terms we are growing faster than we did in 2011 and we are not seeing customers return to the big four either, it is quite the opposite. We have attracted 652,000 more customers over the last 12 week; Aldi is still going from strength to strength.

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Aldi says the ‘Everyday Amazing’ campaign will retain a sense of humour despite ads now focusing on more ethical issues

He also claimed the discounter has “fully established” itself as a destination where Brits do their weekly shop. “Kantar shows we have the largest basket size at 18.2 packs per visit. In second is one of the big four with 16.2. That demonstrates we are now the destination of choice for the weekly shop.”

Becoming a lifestyle brand

According to Zavalis, Aldi first planned the ‘Everyday Amazing’ campaign late last year, envisioning it as a way to link the brand more closely to a healthier lifestyle.

He explained: “The mission for us has always been about providing customers with fresh, healthy and affordable food that is sourced responsibly. But that is the message people don’t always hear.”

“Our brand is a true force for good and the line ‘Everyday Amazing’ is the embodiment of that purpose.”

Adam Zavalis, marketing director, Aldi UK

Following a successful Olympic Games, Zavalis is particularly happy with Aldi’s sponsorship of Team GB. Citing Millward Brown data, he says the Aldi brand has achieved a 13% increase in its brand association with healthy and affordable living since the start of the Olympics campaign.

One senses it is a partnership Aldi doesn’t want to end. “Things like our ‘Super Six’ veg promotion means customers can afford to live healthily and go on to achieve great things like Team GB have done. Not everyone is going to be an Olympic champion, sure, but we can save a family enough money to take their kids to the cinema. The Team GB association is fantastic for us.”

Retaining its ‘disruptive, agile’ tone

A sceptical set of eyes might suggest Aldi is following in the footsteps of Lidl with ‘Everyday Amazing’. Through the ongoing Lidl Surprises campaign, Aldi’s closest rival has prioritised talking up its farmers and sustainable supply chain in the most recent variations.

But Zavalis insists Aldi’s marketing strategy clearly sets it apart from its rival. He is keen to point to the comedic style of the first ‘Everyday Amazing’ ad, which features surreal scenes such as a man reading a newspaper underwater (see above) next to swimming salmon.

He concludes: “We have not lost our sense of humour just because we’re talking about our supply chain. Our disruptive, agile brand tone is not going anywhere.This campaign is very much its own entity.

“For the family that couldn’t afford a ski holiday, thanks to our special buys they can get their whole family kit for under £250. This is the type of story we want to tell going forward and with this campaign.”

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Morrisons declares war on Aldi’s advertising as ASA bans three of the discounter’s ads

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Morrisons says it is planning to complain about an additional Aldi ad to the ASA after the discounter today (June 28) saw two TV ads and a press ad banned by the advertising watchdog. Aldi, following a complaint from Morrisons, was told by the ASA it had ‘misleadingly’ compared a weekly shop of its own brand products with branded products at the big four supermarkets.