Thinkbox
This story reveals how a smart, sustained brand campaign reduced price sensitivity and delivered real commercial impact – making McCain not just a household name, but a powerhouse of brand effectiveness.
With cash-strapped shoppers switching to cheaper brands and own label, promotions were delivering short-term volume, but negatively impacting revenue and margins. To reduce price elasticity, McCain committed to a sustained investment in brand advertising, exploring the brand's role in people's lives and depicting joyful family-meal moments with a richly diverse cast of authentic families.
We set out 10 years ago to build a bonfire that was going to burn brightly for 10 years plus. We weren't interested in firework displays.
Mark Hodge,Vice President of Marketing, McCain Foods
Sales immediately increased, and kept growing, despite rising costs, fierce competition, and macro-economic shocks. Over nine years, the advertising strategy worked to significantly reduce price elasticity, which helped raise base sales.
No wonder this paper won the Grand Prix at the IPA Effectiveness Awards 2024. You can buy the full case study at the IPA website here.
Film Contributors
- Mark Hodge, Vice President of Marketing, McCain Foods
- Roisin Mulroney, Planning Director, adam&eveDDB
