Page 47 - Demo

a “large focus” on PR and digital marketing and is working with influencers to help educate consumers on how to incorporate dairy-free milks into their diet. “Emphasis will be on social media advertising, especially during the warmer summer months, and if 2021 should allow it, we’ll be doing sampling and events,” Ms Goorjian said. “All our marketing efforts are focused on driving people to store and supporting retailers both in-store and online to encourage product trial.” A B-fitting beverage This year, B-fit is investing heavily in both BTL and ATL marketing activities. “\[Organic plant-based hydration beverage\] B-fit is a relatively new brand to the water category,” B-fit National Sales Manager Niki Carlino said, “and brand awareness will be key for the brand in 2021.” Mr Carlino lists safety, price sensitivity, sustainability and a local orientation as some of the attributes on which consumers have increased their focus since the Covid-19 outbreak. “We’ve managed the changing global circumstances well and will continue to pivot as a brand when required,” he said. Mr Carlino says it’s now time for retailers to revisit the fundamentals and sharpen their offers to target the more considered, mindful consumers, whether Gen Zs or millennials. “Brands that are sustainable, organic and natural will be key to unlocking their purchasing decisions,” he said. Coke’s Covid considerations Coca-Cola Amatil’s Mr Donnelly says 2020 was an “extraordinary period” given the “far-reaching” impacts of the pandemic across all aspects of the economy. “For the beverage category,” he said, “we’ve seen changes in consumption occasions and shopper trends, resulting in portfolio, location and channel shifts. “The demand for different beverage categories has changed due to the impacts of Covid-19. Categories such as our carbonated soft drink large-can packs are showing very strong growth at 8.6 per cent ahead of the category, as people stock up on their favourite beverages to enjoy at home \[IRI Australia Grocery Weighted excl ALDI, $ growth, MAT To 22/11/20\]. “However, some categories, like sports, have been negatively affected, at -4.3 per cent, impacted by the closure of gyms, fitness centres, sporting events and competitions (IRI Australia Grocery Weighted excl ALDI, $ growth, MAT To 22/11/20\].” Mr Donnelly also notes that the business has observed a “significant structural shift” to online buying, and a transition of volume away from CBD areas to suburban and regional centres with a large proportion of employees shifting to working from home. “Performance has also been highly differentiated across states, depending on the level of restrictions,” he said. “These shifts pose both challenges and opportunities for the beverage industry. “For Amatil, it's important that we’re closely watching our markets in terms of impacts on customers and our supply chain, and any insights on changing consumer habits – being able to quickly assess which of these trends become permanent structural changes and to then be agile in our response to capitalise on the opportunities. “We’ve worked extremely hard to support our customers during this time and will continue to do so.” For example, Mr Donnelly cites: • For many of Coca-Cola Amatil’s smaller on-the-go customers, the business has helped them “pivot and quickly reshape” their businesses, facilitating e-commerce and aggregator opportunities to help sell online. • Adapting the business’s logistics network to deliver direct to stores and locations not typically part of the network. • In Australia, Coca-Cola Amatil has established a free 24-hour customer "We’ve managed the changing global circumstances well and will continue to pivot as a brand when required." support and counselling service to provide confidential counselling and financial coaching to all Amatil customers. Mr Donnelly says that for retailers the drinks aisle still has lower levels of visitation in the supermarket than other categories with “only one in two” including the aisle in a shopping trip. “Retailers can still capture the drinks shopper by using off-location displays with impactful activation and execution that disrupt shoppers during this mission,” he said. “Much loved displays like ‘Share a Coke’ can capture the attention of a shopper and encourage an unplanned purchase as shoppers try and find a nickname they love. “The category will continue to pick up, especially as sub-categories like sports and packaged water make a turnaround in sales, as we’re out and about more and back to our usual sporting habits. “The health trend will also continue, based on the macro trends being reported in Australia, so the share of diet segments will continue to grow over the next year. Retailers can capture a disproportionate share of this growth by targeting activity and share of space in store clusters that have stronger demand. As demographic analysis shows, this trend is stronger in more affluent suburbs.” BEVERAGES JAN/FEB, 2021 CONVENIENCE WORLD 45