Challenge: Austin is the nation’s largest producer of cracker sandwiches. However, a major part of its distribution has been to club stores and mass merchandisers where its profit margins are low. The company wanted to brand Austin in the supermarket channel where its share of market trails Frito-Lay, Keebler, and Lance.
Solution: Inside Insights© Focus Groups were employed to uncover the “hot buttons” that lead to a consumer purchase. It was discovered that the strongest benefit that motivates consumer use of cracker sandwiches is the benefit of “ending the hungries." The primary reason to choose cracker sandwiches over other snacks is to satisfy hunger cravings until a full meal can be enjoyed.
Results: AQFI launched the first advertising and public relations program in its history in three test markets. On-pack promotions and end-aisle displays touted "End the Hungries." Based on the results, Austin rolled out the program into the 15 markets having the highest proportionate consumption of
cracker sandwiches.
Austin Quality Foods (Raleigh, NC), Brand
Positioning: “Satisfies the Hungries.”
Creative Platform Directives:
- Concept/message: Visual and entertaining 30-second TV concept of a mother driving a car with a hungry child in the back seat. The child’s stomach growls and the mother hears it. The camera zooms into the child’s stomach. They’re in a dreamy fantasy sequence with a hungry lion roaming around roaring. Just as the lion is about to pounce, a hunting party with the mother now in the dream as a safari member, offers the lion a cracker sandwich. The camera is back in the car and the child is finishing a cracker with a satisfied look. Concept identifies with the challenges facing a busy mother taking care of the family and sets Austin Cracker sandwiches up as the solution.
- Design Directive: Shot in an adventure movie style. The spot has a warm and fuzzy feel that appeals to the mother while maintaining an edge that satisfies her sense of adventure and assures her that this product will appeal to her children, therefore, fulfilling the promise and leveraging the Brand Positioning
“Satisfies the Hungries.”