Aldi puts focus on quality with Great British Bake Off sponsorship

Aldi is hoping its new sponsorship of Channel 4’s The Great British Bake Off will help to “underpin” its quality positioning as it looks to broaden its appeal amid declining market share.

The grocer will become the exclusive broadcast sponsor of the Channel 4 show when it returns to TV this year, taking over from Amazon. The deal also includes spin-off shows Bake Off: An Extra Slice and Junior Bake Off.

Aldi UK marketing director Sean McGinty says: “The Great British Bake Off is the perfect partner for Aldi. The ‘feelgood’ show appeals to all ages, and underpins Aldi’s quality positioning and light hearted tone. We’re looking forward to celebrating creativity and innovation in the kitchen with some of the best amateur bakers in the UK.”

Aldi has struggled to grow market share in the grocery industry during the coronavirus pandemic as shopping habits shift. Much of the growth in the sector has been in ecommerce, where it does not operate, while a move back to less frequent, bigger shops has also hit sales.

According to Kantar, Aldi’s share of the grocery market dropped to 7.9% in the 12 weeks to 9 August.

The Great British Bake Off has proved a ratings and revenue hit for Channel 4 since it bought the rights to the show in 2017. It previously aired on the BBC.

Series 10, which aired last year, was the second biggest series of 2019 for young viewers, according to Channel 4, attracting a 60% share of the 16- to 34-year-old TV audience. The series also attracted an average of 9 million viewers per episode and a 35.6% share of the viewing audience – peaking at 9.8 million in the final.

The new series will be the first to see Matt Lucas appear as a presenter alongside Noel Fielding, and judges Prue Leith and Paul Hollywood.

To mark its return, Channel 4 is launching a campaign that will air from this evening depicting the nation’s love of baking through their pursuit of flour at a time when stock often ran out in supermarkets during lockdown. There will also be outdoor, social media and radio activity.

Channel 4 CMO Zaid Al-Qassab says: “This year’s Great British Bake Off campaign highlights that baking is about so much more than sustenance – it’s a gift. The film illustrates the nation’s joyous love of baking inspired by our shared experience of lockdown in a typically Channel 4 way and we hope it gets viewers as excited as we are for the return of our biggest show.”