Store Brands 2012: Facebook Friendly

4. Testing Shopper Knowledge

SCARBOROUGH, Maine — Hannaford Supermarkets quizzed shoppers on how much they know about private label.

A “price check quiz” featured at Hannaford.com let shoppers see for themselves how much they can save by switching to private label.

“We’d like you to switch, but how much do you really save?” Hannaford said in promotional materials.

The quiz featured two questions comparing a national brand to a private label. Players were asked to guess how much they save — 5%, 15% or 35% — by buying the private label vs. the national brand.

“We saw the quiz as an opportunity to educate customers about just how much money they can save through private-brand products,” Hannaford spokesman Eric Blom told SN.

Players learned that Hannaford-brand kettle chips cost 15% less than the Cape Cod brand, while Hannaford extra sharp white cheddar costs 35% lower than Kraft’s Cracker Barrel.

“People were surprised with the size of the savings,” said Blom.

After taking the quiz, players were rewarded with a downloadable coupon for $1 off any Hannaford-brand item.

“It is important to help customers understand that they can save a significant amount of money — and be assured of good quality — with private-label products,” said Blom. “This message is particularly valuable today, given economic conditions and consumer focus on finding value.”

 

5. H-E-B’s Beauty Shot

SAN ANTONIO — H.E. Butt Grocery Co. has tapped into the power of bloggers by creating its very own online beauty blogger panel.

The panel consists of 10 mom, coupon and other bloggers from Texas. Several H-E-B beauty employees also contribute.

H-E-B sends each blogger a sample of its “Beauty Pick of the Month.” Each is asked to review the item on her blog. A link to each blogger’s website is posted on heb.com.

While the bloggers write about national brands, they have also reviewed H-E-B’s new Orchid private-label products, including antibacterial hand soaps and sanitizers and nail lacquer

Orchid nail polish is described as professional quality, chip-resistant polish that is free of ingredients such as formaldehyde, tolunene and DBP.

 The polish is available in 64 shades that carry fun names like “So You Think You Can Salsa,” “Cougarville” and “Girls Night Out.”

 Members of the beauty panel recently touted the quality and value of the line.

 Among the comments:

 “Orchid nail polish seems like an easy and affordable way to quickly spruce up your look.”

 “Orchid has a great brush that provides for an easy application.”

“I am really picky when it comes to nail polish. I usually go for OPI or a very similar brand. I was really surprised at how much I liked the Orchid Nail Polish at almost half the price.”

“The brush is the best part — it’s wider and shorter than normal brushes with an angle, which makes it easier to apply without getting the color all over your skin.”

Beauty panel bloggers also run an H-E-B-sponsored contest that lets two readers get the item for free

The blogger panel comes at a time when H-E-B is building its beauty department. To do so, the retailer employs beauty advisors in select stores, and has brought in premium brands like Bare Escentuals foundation, O.P.I. nail color, and the Essence beauty line of eye shadows, foundation and lip gloss.

 

6. Loblaw Gets Reality Show

BRAMPTON, Ontario — “Recipe to Riches” is a new Canadian reality television series featuring home cooks competing to have their recipes become a President’s Choice product at Loblaw Cos.

“Recipes to Riches,” running on Food Network Canada, features 21 home cooks competing to have their recipes made into a President’s Choice product. Contestants compete in various categories, including appetizers, pies, frozen treats and entrees.

 “The ‘Recipe to Riches’ gives Loblaw the opportunity to further enhance the connection that President’s Choice has with our customers, said Allan Lindsay, Loblaw’s vice president of brand marketing.

Each week, top three finalists in each category fight to have their recipe become a President’s Choice product, and to win the weekly cash prize of $25,000.

Among the recipes that became President’s Choice products: President’s Choice Luscious Lemon Pudding Cakes; President’s Choice Rock n’ Peach Bliss Cheesecake; President’s Choice Gluten-Free “The Smart Cookie”; and President’s Choice Kulfi Karma Ice Cream.

The top finalists competed in the Dec. 14 season finale for the grand prize of $250,000

The series was born after Temple Street Productions, a television and film production company, approached Loblaw about the idea. Loblaw was immediately receptive.

 

7. Safeway Hits the Road

PLEASANTON, Calif. — Nancy Cota, Safeway’s vice president of innovation for consumer brands, not only spearheaded the development and launch of the new Open Nature natural product line, she traveled the country to market the brand.

She and her family traveled state-to-state in a custom recreational vehicle over the summer to sample Open Nature natural granola, peanut butter and other products. Stops included San Francisco, Idaho and Yellowstone National Park.

“The RV has crossed many state lines and we’ve really enjoyed bringing Open Nature to folks nationwide,” Cota wrote on the official Safeway blog.

In addition to Cota’s road trip, the Open Nature brand was the subject of other unique promotional efforts.

For instance, the brand sponsored a Facebook contest to find “America’s Most Natural City.” Portland won with more than 1,000 votes for its exemplary natural-living practices. The city’s Parks and Recreation Department won $20,000 and 25 picnic tables for its parks.

The tables are from Safeway’s recent World’s Longest Picnic Table promotion held this past June. The retailer built a 305-foot-long picnic table in San Francisco. The table was so long that it earned a Guinness World Record.