The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has released findings that confirm loyalty-priced promotions at major supermarkets offer genuine savings to shoppers, providing reassurance amidst ongoing cost-of-living pressures. After conducting a comprehensive investigation into the pricing practices of five leading UK supermarkets—Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Waitrose, Co-op, and Morrisons—the CMA found little evidence of inflated ‘usual’ prices used to exaggerate loyalty discounts.

Genuine Savings Backed by Rigorous Analysis

The CMA analysed approximately 50,000 grocery products featured in loyalty price promotions and concluded that 92% of these items offered a legitimate saving against their usual prices within the same store. On average, shoppers can benefit from a 17-25% discount when purchasing loyalty-priced products.

George Lusty, Interim Executive Director of Consumer Protection at the CMA, said:

“We know many people don’t trust loyalty card prices, which is why we did a deep dive to get to the bottom of whether supermarkets were treating shoppers fairly. After analysing tens of thousands of products, we found that almost all the loyalty prices reviewed offered genuine savings against the usual price – a fact we hope reassures shoppers throughout the UK.”

However, Lusty highlighted that loyalty prices aren’t always the cheapest option available, stressing the importance of shopping around to maximise savings:

“While these discounts are legitimate, our review has shown that loyalty prices aren’t always the cheapest option, so shopping around is still key. By checking a few shops, you can continue to stretch your hard-earned cash.”

Key Findings from the CMA Review

The CMA’s investigation aimed to address shopper concerns about loyalty pricing, transparency, and accessibility. Key takeaways include:

• Genuine savings: 92% of products analysed offered true discounts against their usual prices.
  
• Average savings: Loyalty-priced products provided savings of 17-25% across the five supermarkets.
  
• Comparison shopping matters: Loyalty prices, while competitive, are not always the lowest available.
  
• Limited impact on shopping habits: While 76% of shoppers said loyalty pricing has not changed where they shop, 24% now compare prices more actively.
  
• Mixed perceptions of fairness: 43% of surveyed consumers felt it was unfair that loyalty members benefit from lower prices, while 55% suspect non-member prices are inflated.
  
• Data concerns minimal: Only 7% of shoppers cited personal data usage as a reason for not joining loyalty schemes.

Accessibility Challenges: Room for Improvement

The CMA also examined the accessibility of loyalty schemes, particularly for groups who may struggle to participate, such as elderly shoppers or those without smartphones. While no breaches of consumer law were identified, the review found that some supermarkets could improve inclusivity by offering offline sign-up options, such as in-store or telephone registration, and by reconsidering age restrictions for membership.

Trust and Transparency: A Positive Step Forward

Importantly, the CMA’s review alleviates concerns around the use of customer data, confirming that supermarkets’ loyalty schemes meet consumer protection standards. Despite lingering perceptions around fairness and pricing strategies, the findings provide much-needed clarity for shoppers, reinforcing that loyalty prices are, for the most part, genuine deals.

What This Means for Shoppers

For consumers, the message is clear: loyalty schemes can deliver meaningful savings, but smart shopping remains essential. By comparing prices across stores and remaining vigilant, shoppers can make the most of their loyalty memberships and stretch their budgets further.

Next Steps for Supermarkets

The CMA’s findings call on supermarkets to:

• Improve accessibility for shoppers without smartphones or under-18s.
  
• Offer alternative sign-up methods, such as offline registration.
  
• Ensure transparency around loyalty pricing and data usage to build greater trust.

As the cost-of-living crisis continues to impact households across the UK, the CMA’s findings serve as a reminder that while loyalty schemes offer real benefits, shoppers must remain proactive in seeking the best value for their money.

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Checkout.com’s latest research on Black Friday and Cyber Monday (BFCM) trends reveals shifting consumer interests in the UK. Drawing from the broader Digital Economy: Peak Season Trends 2024 study, the data shows that bargain-hunting Brits are looking beyond traditional categories like clothing, beauty, and electronics, with new interests in air travel and health products, especially among younger generations. As British consumers gear up for peak season sales, this report offers valuable insights for marketers looking to capture attention in an ever-evolving digital marketplace.

• Air travel is forecast to see increased sales during BFCM this year, with 14% of the population intending to buy during peak season in 2024, up from just 8% saying they have purchased in peak season in the past (a 75% increase compared to previous years). Younger generations are driving this trend, with nearly a third (28%) of Gen Z (an 87% increase compared to previous years) and a quarter (24%) of Millennials intending to buy air travel during BFCM this year. 
  
• A third (32%) of Millennials are looking to buy streaming services during BFCM deals – nearly double the UK average (17%). In fact, streaming is the most popular category for Millennials ahead of usual favourites clothing (31%), Beauty (30%) and electronics (29%). 
  
• Healthcare and wellbeing is also high on UK consumers’ BFCM shopping lists, with 16% intending to buy products in this category, rising to nearly a third (29%) of Gen Z consumers. 
  
• Clothing remains the most popular category, with a fifth (21%) UK adults planning to make a clothing purchase during BFCM, almost doubling to 40% of Gen Z adults intending to buy clothes during the peak sales.  

“Traditionally Black Friday Cyber Monday deals have been focused on clothing, beauty and electronics. However, with a growing digital economy, we’re seeing this evolve. The increase in planned flight spend is fascinating – particularly when it comes to the younger generations, even in an era of conscious consumerism. Travel experiences rate high in priority and they are explored, discovered and made using social platforms. This reflects a growing cultural trend when it comes to travel – and how Gen Z takes a social-first approach to planning trips abroad.  
 
It’s incredibly positive to see how British consumers are planning to spend around health – from private medical, to investing in their own wellbeing.” 

Rory O’Neill, CMO at Checkout.com

Half of Brits Buy Gifts During Sales 

• When it comes to buying for others, UK consumers are also looking to sales to purchase gifts. Half (50%) of Brits are now buying presents for their partner when they see a bargain. 
  
• Two thirds (34%) of this group buy gifts for their partner all year round when they see a bargain, with the remaining third (16%) specifically waiting for BFCM to buy gifts for their partner.  

“While BFCM is still a significant shopping period, we’re also starting to see a trend towards always-on retail sales. By understanding consumer shopping habits based on spending data, merchants can tailor deals to reach specific consumers at the right time and encourage conversions. In short, every day is a peak season sale opportunity – and retailers need to remember that during this peak season.”

Rory O’Neill, CMO at Checkout.com

BFCM subscription deals emerge as a strong customer acquisition tool for merchants 

• Subscriptions are a good acquisition tool during BFCM, with half (49%) of Brits remaining subscribed after the deal ends because they wanted to keep the service.
  
• Gen Zs are the most forgetful at cancelling subscriptions, with 38% intending to but forgetting, compared to just 19% of Baby Boomers. 

Generational split on deal discovery, with TV ads losing their impact with younger generations 

• UK consumers are still fairly traditional in how they discover BFCM deals, with a third (32%) finding out about deals via TV ads, followed by browsing marketplaces (31%) and using a search engine (29%).  
  
• However, looking at younger generations, 40% of Gen Z and 43% of Millennials find out about deals via social platforms (compared to 24% across all UK adults).  

“This data speaks to the need to ensure marketing strategies are always built in mind with the right audiences in mind. Given Gen Z and Millennials are the most likely to buy during BFCM, it’s important to make sure marketing piques the attention of this group, in terms of both the message – and the channels. A tailored, not broad brush approach is always needed, as is remembering the critical role that social platforms play in engaging this community. This research is a stark reminder that merchants need to constantly review and refine their selling channels to avoid missing out on sales when targeting specific demographics with the deals that will appeal to them.”

Rory O’Neill, CMO at Checkout.com

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UK supermarket Sainsbury’s has debuted their exciting new Christmas advertisement today, featuring Roald Dahl’s universally beloved character the BFG.

Set to premier on ITV1 at 8:15pm on Friday 1^st November during Coronation Street, the ad follows the 24-foot friendly giant as he embarks on a new adventure with Sainsbury’s employee Sophie. In a TV first, real-life Sainsbury’s colleague ‘Sophie’ embarks on a journey with the Big Friendly Giant (the BFG), showcasing the delicious flavours of Sainsbury’s festive Taste the Difference range.

The deal was negotiated and managed by Born Licensing, licensing agent for Roald Dahl Story Company. RDSC engaged Born Licensing to bring to life their global partnership and licensing strategy, facilitating ATL campaigns which truly harness the unique storytelling qualities of their IP in an authentic way.

Born Licensing, in collaboration with the Roald Dahl Story Company, worked with Sainsbury’s creative agency, NCA, to ensure this new iteration of the BFG came to life with authenticity. Fans of the beloved book will be delighted to see famous references from the story including snozzcumbers, Frobscottle, and dream jars feature in this magical Christmas campaign. 

The extensive partnership will see the BFG appear across TV, print, outdoor, social media, direct mail, and PR.

“Christmas is the most competitive period for British advertisers and licensing a generationally adored character like the BFG is a sure fire way to capture attention. This is a brilliant example of how powerful advertising can be when combining cherished IP with brilliant creative.”

David Born, Founder and CEO of Born Licensing

“At the Roald Dahl Story Company storytelling is at the heart of what we do and we’re always on the lookout for opportunities to bring our beloved characters and stories to life in new ways, through bespoke and authentic partnerships and marketing campaigns. The BFG is the perfect fit for Sainsbury’s in creating a big Christmas.

Alice O’Brien, Head of Global Commercial Partnerships at the Roald Dahl Story Company

The power of Roald Dahl’s unique stories and characters is evidenced in Sainsbury’s desire to collaborate on the biggest marketing moment of the year. The partnership provided the opportunity to tell their story in a new and innovative way, harnessing the nostalgic love that the BFG brings to generations of audiences.

NCA and Ogilvy were behind the Creative with Rogue Films producing the TVC. The longform” film with cutdowns was directed by award winning Director Sam Brown. Post-production and VFX were done by Electric Theatre Company.

“By collaborating with Sainsbury’s to bring Roald Dahl’s beloved BFG to life in a new story, we hope the nation is as captivated as we are to see two old friends back together this Christmas.”

The BFG is perfect for Sainsbury’s mission to create a Big Christmas for all. Having only snozzcumbers to devour in Giant Country, his curiosity for good food leads to an adventure of discovery and wonderment with Sainsbury’s Sophie in order to bring the magic of Christmas to everyone.”

Natalie Hopkins, Director of Global Product and Partnerships at the Roald Dahl Story Company

This brand-new campaign comes as more and more audiences are enjoying Roald Dahl’s iconic stories being brought to life. Recently, stage adaptations of The Witches and The Enormous Crocodile opened to critical acclaim and sell-out shows, Paul King’s Wonka became an international box-office smash and Wes Anderson’s cinematic adaptation of Roald Dahl’s adult short story The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar received numerous plaudits including an Academy Award. Brand new publishing inspired by Roald Dahl’s The Twits by Greg James and Chris Smith landed in the Top 10 Children’s Hardback charts upon release, and fans the world over continue to devour Roald Dahl products and enjoy partnerships like The Twits and Charlie & The Chocolate Factory Afternoon Teas in London.

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Meateors has landed with a playful brand identity and a powerful digital strategy aimed at revolutionising the meat snacking category. This launch goes beyond a simple product introduction. It represents a strategic campaign designed to cater to health-conscious consumers seeking tasty, convenient alternatives to traditional snacks.

Out-of-This-World Experience

The launch of Meateors is supported by a dynamic marketing strategy developed by Activation. This creative campaign draws from the product’s name to deliver a playful, space-themed brand identity that stands out in a crowded snack aisle, offering an “out-of-this-world” experience.

Digital Discovery and In-Store Visibility

Activation’s strategy combines impactful branding with strong positioning across digital platforms such as Meta and YouTube. With more than 2.4 billion active monthly users, YouTube remains a dominant platform for younger audiences, offering brands unparalleled access to engage this demographic. Meanwhile, Meta reports that 73% of Gen Z users are more likely to discover new products on its platforms, making it a key player in driving awareness and consideration.

“Meateors will appeal to a younger target audience, and we have chosen to launch on digital platforms that will catch their attention in a way that is customised to their interests and habits. This demographic love YouTube and Meta, and these working together has proven to be the ideal recipe for increasing awareness and consideration, resulting in the ideal launch combo for newcomers like Meateors.”

Matt Ramsay, Co-Founder & Managing Director at Activation

The seamless blend of digital discovery and in-store visibility creates a 360-degree experience, enhancing brand awareness and driving impulse purchases. The presence of Meateors in selected Morrisons Daily and SPAR stores further strengthens its visibility, inviting shoppers to grab a pack on-the-go.

“The meat snacking category is continuing to show impressive growth. However, there is a high demand from shoppers for more variety, with chicken being the most common protein, meaning pork is a relatively untapped opportunity. This is where our Meateors come in.”

“We’re proud to fill this gap in the market with a tasty, convenient option that boasts all the functional benefits of being protein-packed, therefore keeping consumers fuller for longer, as well as maintaining a great texture. We’re incredibly excited to be launching these new products under a vibrant new brand, Meateors, which is sure to disrupt the category with its fun and tasty range packed with flavour.”

Yvonne Adam, Chief Marketing Officer at The Compleat Food Group, home of Meateors

Aiming for the Stars

The Meateors campaign highlights a critical strategy in today’s retail environment: winning the battle for attention both outside and inside the store. According to a YouGov study commissioned by Activation, pre-shop digital touchpoints are instrumental in priming shoppers before they even step foot in a store. “If we can’t win in-store, we must create advantages outside,” says Co-Founder Dan Hirons. This philosophy shines for Meateors, as the brand leverages Meta and YouTube to engage its target audience before they even step into a store. By leveraging vibrant visuals and engaging content, Activation has successfully created a captivating brand world that resonates with its audience, ensuring that Meateors stands out in-store and on-screen.

The post Is the High-Protein Snack Category Ready for a Cosmic Shift? appeared first on IPM Bitesize.

Get ready for a summer of surprises as tpf deposits prize lockers across the UK. Typically associated with dropping-off parcels, these sleek safes allow shoppers to unlock exclusive prizes tailored to the summer of sport. Over three weekends in White City, Southampton, and Liverpool, tpf will blend digital and physical interaction to increase footfall into specific retail locations and drive brand engagement.  

• 

This interactive experience demonstrates the art of anticipation in brand activation. Positioned prominently at the front of John Lewis stores, the prize lockers immediately catch the eye of incoming shoppers. To participate, simply scan a QR code displayed on the prize lockers, which provides a unique entry code. Enter this code into the screen on the prize locker and the moment of reveal arrives, holding your breath to see if you win one of the prizes provided by John Lewis partner brands. This seamless build-up, infused with the possibility of winning incredible prizes, transforms a routine shop into an exhilarating rush. 

“The importance of brands interacting with their customers can’t be underestimated. To stand out from the crowd, retailers need to engage with their customers in innovative and unexpected ways. We’ve loved working with one of the UK’s most trusted brands, John Lewis, to deliver unique prize-winning competitions in their branches across the country.” 

tpf

Maintaining brand relevance in an evolving retail landscape is crucial. By combining a physical prize locker with a digital entry process, the campaign offers a modern consumer experience. Blending the convenience of smartphone technology with the tactile pleasure of in-store shopping, this hybrid model exemplifies the next generation of promotional activities.  

The selection of prizes, provided by John Lewis partner brands, is designed to celebrate the summer of sports. With the Ooni Fyra Pizza Oven, winners can enjoy outdoor gatherings and homemade pizzas while watching their favourite sports. The Therabody massage guns are ideal for recovering from intense sports activities, while the Caudalie Oil Elixir bundle offers a luxurious remedy for self-care. This selection not only complements the sporting season, but also encourages customers to trial new products.

Through the endowment effect, shoppers participating in this activation feel a stronger sense of ownership and value toward the prizes as they interact with both digital and physical elements. This effect ensures that shoppers not only cherish their prizes but also develop a lasting bond with the brand. 

A simple yet unique scan-to-win mechanic saw prize lockers placed in prominent store locations. It was uplifting to see the delight on peoples’ faces when winning a prize. The genuine reactions exemplify the opportunity to drive true brand affinity.

tpf

The possibility of unlocking a prize drives shoppers to John Lewis stores, boosting footfall and creating a lively shopping environment. This engagement strategy not only increases immediate sales but also reinforces John Lewis’s reputation as a premier retail destination. tpf’s prize locker demonstrates the shift towards experiential retail, combining digital convenience with in-store excitement.

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Activation teams up with Tilda for a flavourful campaign promoting their ready-to-heat flavoured rice pouches. Tilda is a much-loved, multicultural British brand, and Activation jumped at the chance to elevate their latest product range.

The aim? To grab shoppers’ attention along the path to purchase with a creative idea that combines ease and convenience with the exciting possibility of unlocking a world of flavour.

CREATE TA-DAA! WITH TILDA!

The concept is simple: Tilda flavoured rice adds the TA-DAA! to teatime. Looking to create something new and inspiring? Count on Tilda to transform dinner into a plate to be proud of. Easy experimentation meets remarkable results. The idea needed to be light-hearted, snappy, ownable, and inspirational. But most importantly, visually exciting and engaging!

The concept is built on the insight that millennials, the target audience, are adventurous and keen to try new things. However, they fear failure and don’t have time for experiments that might not work. Tilda offers a solution, allowing them to explore new flavours and cuisines, elevating their mealtimes.

Activation Across the Shopper Journey

At the heart of the promotion is the chance for shoppers to win a flavour-filled holiday for two! Choose from flavour adventures in Jamaica, Mexico, Portugal, or Greece, perfectly linking back to Tilda’s product flavours.

They also gave away 80 individual prizes to be won over 80 days, including everything from air fryers to Tilda bundles, all centred around the brand campaign ‘Elevate your plate’. Consumers simply need to purchase a pack of Tilda ready-to-heat flavoured rice to enter.

Activation has worked across the entire shopper journey, utilising various touchpoints both online and offline:

• In-Store: FSDUs, retailer magazine ads, aisle fins, and more.
• Social Media: Paid and organic social creatives alongside TikTok-specific content.
• Out-of-Home (OOH): 14 and 6 sheets at key locations and on the Tube.

The campaign launched on 1st May and runs until 19th July, and can be seen at https://www.tilda-tadaa.com

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Following the success of last year’s “No More Hairy Moments” campaign with Wilkinson Sword, Activation is thrilled to announce their latest collaboration. This time, Wilkinson Sword has partnered with Morrisons to launch an exclusive free razor offer for Morrisons More Cardholders. Cardholders can choose between the Hydro 5 from Wilkinson Sword’s men’s line or the Intuition Moisture from the women’s line. 

“A ‘Free’ offer hadn’t been activated through the Morrisons More Card before so we were excited to be involved in this retailer exclusive, working closely with both teams for maximum creative output in bringing the retailer and brand together.” 

Dan Hirons, Co-Founder of Activation

The key objective was to continue to encourage consumer trials of their male and female products in a market category that is primarily driven by routine purchase decisions and brand loyalty. This meant they needed to stand out and attract attention so shoppers would choose Wilkinson Sword over competitors. 

Since the offer could not be communicated directly on the packaging, Activation leveraged retailer media and point-of-sale (POS) materials to deliver the message. The creative team developed engaging radio scripts, fully branded shipper designs, and co-branded floor stickers, barkers, and hanging flags to ensure maximum visibility in stores. 

This collaboration between Wilkinson Sword and Morrisons demonstrates the power of strategic brand partnerships. Both brands benefit from the crossover of their audiences; Morrisons More Cardholders gain access to high-quality grooming products, while Wilkinson Sword reaches a broad and diverse customer base through Morrisons’ extensive retail network. 

The success of this campaign highlights the potential for extraordinary brand partnerships. By leveraging each other’s strengths, Wilkinson Sword and Morrisons have created a compelling offer that enhances customer loyalty and broadens market reach. This is just the beginning of what is expected to be many more exciting collaborations in the future. Shoutout to IPM Members Activation for their exceptional work in bringing this campaign to life. 

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Cat Among The Pigeons work with Pipers Crisps to launch new marketing campaign, exclusive to wholesale and the on-trade, rewarding stockists with the chance to instantly win Red Letter Day Prizes.

The Savour the Moment campaign runs from April through to June, and offers the opportunity to win experience day prizes worth £500 or £100 with every promotional case. The campaign will follow last year’s hugely popular and successful of on-trade promotion, The Great Taste Tour, which helped Pipers become the fastest growing premium snack brand^{[1 ]} and win multiple IPM awards!

Savour The Moment is being comprehensively supported with digital and trade press advertising, social media and tailored wholesaler promotions and point of sale material. Along with creating the campaign and supporting comms, Cat Among The Pigeons also created a new promotional microsite. To enter customers simply visit the microsite or scan the QR code on case to find out instantly if they have won a Red Letter Day experience. Additionally, every entrant can claim 15% off any Red Letter Day experience, regardless of whether they win.

Chiara Boscarato, Brand Manager for Pipers Crisps at PepsiCo, comments: “The last few years have been a challenge for wholesalers and on-trade outlets, so this promotion is solely aimed at giving back to operators. We want to offer our support to stockists through some fantastic prizes that are up for grabs. As confidence returns and more consumers resume visiting outlets, we want to support operators optimize their cash margins by offering the customers a diverse range of flavours from a sought after premium snack brand. 

“Just like last year’s Great Taste Tour campaign, the Savour The Moment campaign also celebrates the great taste and special combinations of ingredients that go into our crisps. Last year’s campaign set a real benchmark for us, so we have also extended the promotion by a month, giving the on-trade even more chances to get their hands on a winning case.”

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By Carrie Chappell, Associate Director Haygarth.

“Thank you for delivering us the most comprehensive shopper tool kit the business has ever produced. I have no doubt this is going to help us shift the dial in sales across our markets.”

Lovely words to read from a happy client when you open your email inbox in the morning!

Gone are the days when a global tool kit consisted of a key visual, some POS examples and a ‘dos and don’ts’ section. These days, the complexity of markets, brands and shopper missions means that delivering something that is going to inspire, guide and deliver results, requires the right combination of strategic insight, creative brilliance, and practical application. But how do you achieve this?

The path to purchase has become more complex than ever, with shoppers able to buy their favourite goods with the sound of their voice as well the click of a button, anywhere and everywhere. As a result, consistency not only of a brand’s visual cues but message out of store through to shelf (virtual or otherwise) has never been more important and the drive for global consistency of communication never more sought after.

Listen, don’t impose

The starting point of any good shopper tool kit is insight and understanding. Not only of the applicable markets but of the different shoppers, their missions, their needs, the barriers and of course the reason they should care enough about your brand to put it in their basket or trolley.

In any strong and comprehensive shopper tool kit, this should all form part of the business context. What is driving brand performance, the business opportunity, the brand, and its objectives.

A valuable part of this insight gathering process is to talk to the key shopper contacts in each relevant market. Understanding the nuances of each market, their pain points, their shoppers, and their needs is critical, not only to ensuring the end shopper tool kit is fit for multi-market purpose, but also that markets feel they have had input. That they are on the journey with the global shopper team, rather than having a tool kit land in their laps, that they have had no or little role in. This also helps with local market buy in and compliance.

Focus on the shopper and context

It is important to help local market agencies to understand the mindset of the shopper in different stages of the path to purchase, and therefore the role of the types of point- of- sale assets they might generate. Taking into consideration whether a shopper is in their pre-store mindset or their at-shelf mindset, will help ensure that if assets are adapted, that they are still doing the necessary job. That might be emotionally engaging the shopper or overtly driving purchase conversion at the moment of truth – when the shopper is faced with the plethora of choice at shelf.  And, as importantly is the digital shelf. Ensuring there is a strong e-commerce path to purchase will help guide markets in creating this seamless journey.

Same brand, different challenges

As strategy is developed, it is important to consider different market types. For example, when considering alcohol brands, whether a market is ‘dark’ and therefore the only form of communication about your brand will be what a shopper sees in store, versus an ‘open’ market, where they will see ATL and OOH before they get in store, will potentially have an impact on the imagery and the copy used on POS items. The market status, be it emerging or established will also have an impact.

Likewise, there are category considerations. Certain pharmaceutical, aesthetics and beauty products, or anything which could be considered in any form controversial, may require different visual and copy options, depending on how conservative or liberal a market it is. Giving guidance and options on this ensures markets aren’t forced to adapt on their own terms, which in turn drives greater inconsistency. Equally for beverage brands, particularly alcohol, it is important to ensure that the strategy is evolved to work for the on-trade, so that there is a consistent suite of comms across both channels.

From complexity to simplicity

This may all sound hugely complex, but the ideal toolkit provides simplicity. Ultimately it is about helping local markets with Global shopper solutions that are straightforward to deploy and solves local challenges. One necessary but often over-looked aspect is the guidelines around what can and can’t be removed, altered, positioned differently and indeed the key aspects of font, colour references and photography style.

The winning formula is hitting the balance between delivering enough information for the markets to get what, why and how to deliver best in class shopper assets, but not so much that it becomes overwhelming. The best tool kits need to be simple to follow and easy to use.

Successful shopper tool kits can be a labour of love but certainly worth investing time, money and energy in. When you think that they can end up setting the strategic direction and creative look and feel, for how a brand is communicated and perceived in store, for what is often a number of years, it is time well spent and immensely rewarding.

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Swizzels have launched fantastic ‘Find the Golden Love Hearts’ on-pack promotion featuring across millions of Swizzels variety bags.

Five golden Love Hearts rolls have been hidden inside bags of Swizzels sweets for people to find!  The lucky five who find a golden roll will win a wonderfully fantastical VIP tour of the Swizzels factory. Now open to the public, this is a chance for lucky winners to be the boss for the day, see how Swizzels’ sweets are made, and create their own marvellously magical sweet treats!

For everyone who isn’t lucky enough to find gold in their bag of sweets, there’s also a chance to win one of 10,000 exclusive Mr Swizzels cuddly toys to be won instantly via the promotional microsite – swizzels.com/vip

The promotion, which was created by Activation, runs from 1st June 2021 – 31st May 2022 and is communicated by bold and bright promotional pack design, and will be supported with wider campaign comms on social plus in store and PR activity.

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