Supermarkets have reported strong Christmas results despite economic headwinds, but analysts say for the traditional grocers, this good fortune is unlikely to last.
Lidl GB’s marketing director Claire Farrant says the Lidl Bear “stands apart” from other Christmas characters because of its “hilarious, deadpan expression”.
Peter De Roos will join Lidl GB in April from Lidl Netherlands, where he is currently director of purchase and marketing.
After posting strong Christmas trading results this week, the UK’s major supermarkets are pledging to keep their prices low this year even in the face of dramatically rising costs, driven by inflation, higher wages and the cost of living crisis.
From grocery minnow with a perception problem to stealing chunks of market share from the ‘big four’, Lidl flipped the script in 2013 by ditching its established leaflet marketing strategy in favour of long-term creative idea ‘Lidl Surprises’.
The festive campaign sits within the supermarket’s ‘Big On’ creative framework, which aims to make Lidl as famous for quality as it is for price.
Rather than getting caught up in an “unrealistic” vision of Christmas, Lidl hopes its twin message of value and quality will resonate with consumers in search of a good time.
After brands’ more ‘real’, product-focused approach to Christmas last year they have switched back to emotional advertising; but there are as many winners as losers in the brand-building game.
Lidl is delivering ‘a Christmas you can believe in’ as it continues its strategy to be known for more than just price.
Marketing Week columnist Mark Ritson explains how generating excess share of voice enabled Lidl to accelerate sales and market share, and tackle brand perceptions.
Lidl is focusing on the ‘big on quality’ aspect of its brand strapline, rather than ‘Lidl on price’, as it looks to make its points of difference clearer and convince more shoppers to “keep coming back”.
Many retailers moved away from the big brand campaigns in favour of product-focused ads this Christmas but as retailers reveal their festive performance there are signs this may not always have been the right strategy to take.
Lidl is hoping its comical ads will convince customers it has everything they need to “upgrade” their festive celebrations.
Having increased digital investment as it raised its marketing budgets, the discounter has since scaled spend back to “more appropriate levels” after finding it wasn’t as effective as other channels.
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