We all know he ensure brand of Nutritional Supplement drinks... they have high visibility in traditional media such as television. Ensure appeals to the growing Baby Boomer generation as well as a segment of people within health care that require special dietary needs.
Ensure was looking to develop new products that were not the traditional "shake based" oral supplements.
A key driver was this: in 2011, a portion of the 78 million baby boomers were turning 65, yet still wanted to live an active lifestyle. They want to control of their health and need solutions help them get and stay healthy. But the traditional milk based Ensure was becoming, well... dated in light of the growing
category of functional drinks with better flavor profiles without the stigma of something just for "older people".
So recognizing and unmet need (the market problem) of baby boomers for the benefits of traditional Ensure in a modern clear, fruit based format, Abbott Labs developed Ensure Clear.
Product Positioning
First thing you see from the packaging is the positioning and image are drastically different from the regular brand. It is colorful, uses contrast and looks really tasty. They also used a Pre-Launch Strategy six months prior to the product launch date. Going to each of their key retail accounts that planted the seed using a Business Case outlining a 2 pronged strategy:
(1) Retain existing Ensure customers with the new format drinks they desire and (2) Expand the category brining in new customers that never considered Ensure as part of their health diet
Expanding the category ALWAYS gets the buyer's attention... buyers want something "they don't have" and they get far more value adding something new vs. taking on a product that is just a swap-out for an existing product.
New Product Launch Techniques You Can Use for Your Food Brand
Part One of Ensure Clear New Product Launch shows you how they got the buyers excited well before they were in their launch phase, insuring they would be on the shelf in time to support their brand with traditional and social media. Part Two I cover all of the Ensure Shopper Marketing Tactics, most of which you can adapt to a smaller food business marketing budget.
Remember to follow the "big guys" and practice Borrow what you see as successful, Adapt it to your small food business budget and Adopt it as part of your new product launch strategy.

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