Casserole Study 2014/15

Transcription

1 Casserole Study 2014/15 Mike Whittemore EBLEX Head of Trade Marketing

2 Agenda Overview Phase 1 - Purchase/Analysis Phase 2 - Consumer Research Phase 3 - Cooking evaluation Phase 4 - In home cooking test/labelling concept Summary/Next steps

3 Overview

4 Key Headlines - Struggling long term volume performance for stewing/casserole cuts - Shoppers have bought in smaller volumes and less often impacting the category - Drive for convenience places emphasis of quick/easy meals - Opportunity remains for casserole/stews as hearty meal providing cost effective meal options

5 Category is very seasonal - with clear peaks in winter. There has been a long term pressure on volumes. 52 week levels 12.5% behind last year. 20% lower than 5 years ago

6 - Long term movement from meat centred to dish based cuisine - Drive for convenience - Time pressure in the home to cook and prepare evening meals - Consumer hunt for good value for money - 43% UK adults own a slow cooker but slow cookers are high on the list of unused kitchen items.

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8 Beef Plan The Carcase Value An opportunity to address the yoy decline in the consumption of casseroling and stewing cuts, by educating the consumer in terms of value meal options, ease of cooking and making stewing and casseroling fashionable again

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11 Phase 1 Purchase/Analysis

12 Phase One Purchase/Analysis of current offer A 3 week trial early 2014 highlighted that the majority of products bought were not consistent throughout weeks. Different cuts were being used. Cuts were poorly butchered and many had excess fat and gristle On-pack product information was very inconsistent with each multiple stipulating different cooking methods and times many product s cooking methods did not match with product name e.g. braising steak - cooking instructions oven cook in casserole dish. These issues are confusing the consumer. Inconsistent cuts and cooking methods only leave consumers with negative perceptions which need to be changed.

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14 Product descriptions Stewing/Braising/Casserole..What is the difference.? Different retailers different descriptors Majority label Braising steak. One retailer labels as casserole. However, when diced this becomes casserole.. or in premium range same cut that appears in standard becomes casserole steak?

15 Phase 2 Consumer Research

16 Phase 2 - Consumer Research Qualitative research undertaken May 14 6 Consumer focus groups Objective of exploring consumer attitudes and opinions on stewing/casserole beef and lamb categories in light of heavily declining retail sales Key barriers and opportunities that may exist to expand the category. Online quantitative research was also conducted in July 2014 and consisted of 1000 primary shoppers who have used beef stewing/casserole cuts in the past 2 years Results from both surveys echoed the same findings

17 Positive and negative associations stews/casseroles Evocative - emotional Functional 17

18 The loudest finding Consumers are confused through a basic lack of knowledge The difference between stewing/braising/casserole On pack descriptions Best for usage They therefore use them interchangeably thus diminishing cooking results and with it category potential 18

19 Phase 3 Cooking Trial

20 Phase 3 Key findings from cooking and tasting trial A cooking/tasting trial was conducted to identify any issues with on-pack cooking times and instructions and to establish which cut suits a specific cooking method and time. 9 products (from a range of different multiples) were tested. 8 of the 9 products were poor and did not receive good feedback from the panel of tasting judges. Products scored very low due to poor/inconsistent cuts of meat and inaccurate cooking instructions and times.

21 Examples of poor cooking instruction and times All cooking instructions and times were different in every multiple. 8/9 cooking instructions/times were too high in temperature and too long in cooking time. Our recommendations for this product would be to cook at C, gas mark 3, for 2-2½ hours. The on-pack instructions which we followed produced over-cooked, dry, flavourless meat. The instructions did not quantify how much liquid to use as well. More modern serving suggestions should be included.

22 What would we do? Clearer signposting to direct to category within the fixture Information and graphics to inspire at the POP with emotional prompts not just functional ones Segmenting the category to simplify and to maximise potential with a logical pricing ladder/quality hierarchy Consolidation and consistency of descriptions of cuts Re- look at on-pack cooking instructions to modernise serving suggestions and for accuracy Tackle consumer confusion Simplify the category Give lighter and lapsed users the reason to fully re-engage 22

23 Casserole revival available on trade website Placed under Reports & Publications tab then click Catergory & Industry Reports

24 Phase 4 In home/label Test

25 Objectives To understand consumers in-home cooking experience with stewing and casserole dishes, following the EBLEX product cooking guidelines, in order to encourage consumers to buy more red meat (beef & lamb) and return the category to growth To explore consumers reactions to the new proposed logo and signposting on products, and recommend suggested communication improvements at the instore fixture 25

26 Methodology & sample Qualitative research amongst 5 key targets in Stockport, Birmingham & Hertfordshire; January 2015 Experienced / confident current stew / casserole cooks (using hob / oven / slow cooker) Inexperienced / less confident current stew / casserole cooks (using hob / oven / slow cooker) Lapsed slow cooker users but current stew / casserole cooks (using hob / oven) Non-slow cooker users Non-stewing; cook with beef, but do not use stewing cuts Combining 3 methodologies, to create synergy to reply in full to all the objectives Combining 3 methodologies, to create synergy to reply in full to all the objectives 1. In-home depth interviews: 10 x 1.5 hour depths (3 men, 7 women) 2. Group discussions: 5 x 1.5 hour groups (2 men in each group) 3. Pre-task before the depth interviews and groups comprising cooking a beef casserole on hob/oven/slow cooker, provided by EBLEX (4 cooking times: 2 hour, 2.5 hours, 3 hours, slow cook) 26

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28 Logo Likes Dislikes Clear Simple Bold, suitable colours States slow cooking Likely to become familiar with their preferred cooking time / logo colour (over time) Does not explicitly state stew / casserole / oven / hob which confuses less confident cooks Is it suitable for the oven / slow cooking? To some, implies only hob cooking due to steam from pot To some slow cooking implies slow cooker and so creates confusion e.g. I wouldn t slow cook for 2 / 2.5 / 3 hours Is it only suitable for slow cookers? (particularly for slow cooker novices) The logo needs to clearly & simply state that the beef is suitable for all cooking methods 28

29 Recipes: overall On sleeve Most preferred Tear off Liked by many On logo Least preferred The ideal place to spot a recipe on the product itself Good stand out If want more detail e.g. ingredients, easy to check the back of pack and buy in-store (Some) will keep the recipe for re-use If sited on shelf edge, more likely to pick up than if at store entrance Easy to check ingredients list, for purchase during shopping (Minority) may look too flimsy (cheap) (Minority) pick up, but then get lost in handbag (Minority) abused by some, making the section look untidy Unlikely to look at small print on logo for a recipe Recipe needs to be specific or no reason to look further Unable to see the recipe without folding it out, prior to purchase (the fixture would look messy if shoppers fold out the recipe then don t buy) Potentially too small to read Recipes can stimulate purchase, and encourage purchase of additional ingredients; may be kept for potential future use 29

30 Recipes: single recipe vs. 3 in 1 Single 3 in 1 Simple and easy to view, from front of pack Ingredients & method font is large enough to read in-store (if desired) Off-putting if the recipe is unappealing Really liked, as gives shoppers lots of flexibility Mix of traditional and new liked; other recipe suggestions included: Beef in red wine (not beef bourguignon) Beef goulash Beef Rogan Josh (a traditional Indian curry rather than a Thai curry) Beef stroganoff Some queried suitability of Beef Thai Curry (felt chicken would be more suitable) but others liked the idea, as not previously considered How to fit all the 3 recipes on the back of pack & still be readable The 3 in 1 recipes gives shoppers more choice; more likely to find something to inspire them 30

31 Stewing & casserole beef quality the eating experience Good experience Good experience Bad experience Bad experience Tender Tasty Flavoursome Melt in the mouth For some, reminiscent of stews cooked by mothers / grandmothers Wholesome Healthy (if cooked in stock, with herbs and real veg) Hearty Warming (winter meal) Chunks of beef (not falling apart) Tough Chewy Too much / too little liquid Tasteless For a few, reminiscent of (tough/scraggy) stews cooked by mothers / grandmothers Dull (not exciting enough for teenagers) Takes too long to cook My mum & nan make stews, and theirs are really good Group 3 (Lapsed) After a 12-hour shift, I ll come home to a thin gravy, watery chicken & vegetable soup Group 3 (Lapsed) A good experience leads to re-purchase If my family love it, I m happy! 31

32 Price Typical price expected for 500g (2.5 hour cook time) in e.g. Asda / Morrisons / Sainsbury / Tesco: Many expected to pay less if on offer e.g. 3 for 10 Many stated that different cook times would be the same price: Why would I pay more? On reflection almost all expected to pay: More for a 2 hour cooking time Less for a 3 hour cooking time You re paying for a quicker cooking time does that mean a better cut of beef? Typical price points for 2 hour / 3 hour cook time were: 50p (to 1) / pack more for a 2 hour cooking time (than 2.5 hour) 50p (to 1) / pack less for a 3 hour cooking time (than 2.5 hour) Majority unable to articulate the differences in different cuts of stewing beef, and why they might be less or more expensive 32

33 Meat aisle: current & proposed section Current Lots of choice Too much of the same all looks similar how to choose? A sea of meat; apart from the sections depicting species, there is very little recall of segmentation beyond this Confusing Clinical Cold (emotionally) Austere Proposed All really liked the idea of a dedicated section Many use the aisle to give them inspiration and welcome retailers who can help shoppers choose good wholesome meals at good prices Does not encourage browsing; grab & go, particularly swayed by offers The combination of the header panel, bus stop and shelf edge labels clearly identify the section 33

34 In-store communication: Slowly does it Slowly does it is liked as a concept, with very few negative connotations, the key negative being it takes time however you look at it Most appreciate that these (cheaper) cuts of beef take time to cook properly The most important messages to convey are: If you cook this beef for this length of time, with this recipe, you will have a meal that is: Tender / tasty / flavoursome and really good VFM The key in-store communication needs to emphasise the benefits of cooking slowly, rather than the time it takes to cook 34

35 In-store communication tools Bus stop Shelf edge labels Header panel 1 impact The sign flags up the section 90 angle gives prominence Demarcates the section, separating it from other beef & protein Looks different to the rest of the meat aisle (Minority) likely to bump into it would get in the way of people shopping 1 / 2 impact Colour-coded logos on each shelf clearly demarcates the cooking times Recipes on the shelf edge give meal solution ideas Shelf edge colour is recessive; needs to be the logo colour to bring prominence to each cooking time 2 impact Large Impactful Demarcates the section from the rest of the aisle Unlikely to look up when shopping More likely to look ahead Shorter women even less likely to claim to look up All proposed communication helps to bring this section together; THE place to look for stewing and casserole beef 35

36 In-store communication prioritisation RECIPES Tear off is considered a different / interesting approach, however the concept of encouraging the shopper to look at different ways of cooking and new dishes is of real interest to all (particularly inexperienced cooks) HEADER PANEL The bus stop will get the shopper to the right section, the header panel confirms the section (so does a similar role although cannot so easily be seen from the top and bottom of the aisle)..however it does create an impact once seen 2nd 3rd 1st 1st BUS STOP Allows for identification of the slow cooking section from the top and bottom of the aisle, so a good sign post to get the shopper to the right section A new / different idea for the meat section and potentially could prompt shoppers to consider cooking using this this type of meat / approach SHELF EDGING Shelf edging is appreciated for assistance in finding the right cooking duration (most feel once they have found the right section they will be able to find the right products for them via the colour logos / identifiers The current treatment is a little bland and harmonises with the wider meat aisle and hence does not stand out (a more prominent treatment could have more stand out and replace the header panel) The bus stop and on-shelf recipes have most impact; they help shoppers to identify the right section as well as potentially inspiring them with new ideas 36

37 Key in-store messages for this section Shoppers are only spending seconds at the fixture, so messages need to be This section is for stews & casseroles Explicit, Clear, Simple The end result will give you a tender / tasty / flavoursome meal The product is really good value (about) 5 worth of meat for a family of four Healthy; using seasonal vegetables that take minimal preparation (peeling) or no preparation (pre-prepared) Choose our recommended recipes, your family favourites, or add your own packet mix Equivalent of Chosen by You i.e. cook it our way for the right length of time and you won t be disappointed Pop in the pot and it cooks slowly for tender & tasty results (hob / oven / slow cooker) Focus on the BENEFITS of cooking slowly 37

38 Revised logo

39 Summary/Next steps

40 Summary Mass confusion/consumers lack confidence in product and their ability to cook Focus on the BENEFITS of cooking slowly rather than takes a long time to cook Proposed signposting cooking instruction helps bring section together Recipes at fixture can stimulate purchase, looking for inspiration Logos need addressing but loved the idea Good experience leads to repurchase

41 Next steps Communication to trade February meetings arranged March/April 2015 Support packages discussed Development of concepts pre September 2015 Consumer and trade marketing support pre Winter range implementation For more information contact Trade website

42 Thank you