MORTON WILLIAMS SHOWING NEW IDENTITY WITH AD CAMPAIGN

ROSEANNE HARPER

BRONX, N.Y. -- Morton Williams Associated Supermarkets here has launched a series of image ads that spotlight its new identity as a provider of chef-prepared foods.

The full-page ads, the first the urban retailer has ever run, are appearing in the food section of The New York Times on nine consecutive Wednesdays.

"What we're doing -- our new identity -- represents the culmination of what our family has been involved in over the last 50 years. And what better way to tell people about it than in the New York Times?" said William Sloan, executive vice president of the nine-unit independent.

"We've tried to combine the best of a fine restaurant and a supermarket at one location [at the newest store, which opened this spring in midtown], and the readers of the Times are sophisticated people who would be looking for the finest in foods," Sloan added.

Advertising in The New York Times, where one full-page ad -- even if it appears only in the Manhattan and Bronx editions -- can run nearly $10,000 a shot -- represents a significant investment.

The company made a cooperative advertising deal with credit-card companies and selected manufacturers to share the cost of the ad space, said Avi Kaner, vice president of the company. American Express is featured at the top of the July 15 ad.

Sloan explained that the company's departure from its past incarnation is a sharp one. "Up to 35% or 40% of sales at our newest stores are represented by prepared foods and fresh fish and meat," he said. Just five years ago, that percentage would have been 20% at the most, he said.

Now, with the addition this spring of an executive chef who has put together a menu with a "huge variety of restaurant-quality food," the company is looking to do corporate catering as well as provide lunchtime and dinnertime meals for its customers.

Indeed, the New York Times ads are part of an effort to grab a big bite of Manhattan's lucrative catering market, said Kaner.

"When it comes to catering, we want to become the supplier of choice for Manhattan corporations on an ongoing basis," he said.

He said that since the ads began running the last week in June, the company has seen a substantial increase in its catering business, but he explained that the sales boost is probably the result of a combination of factors.

"It's hard to tell how much of it comes from the ad. I think it's a combination of the ad and of repeat business. With the ad, we're telling people what we stand for, but we also have to deliver on what we promise. That's where the repeat business comes from," Kaner said.

The company's new identity was showcased this spring when it opened a new store that's next-door neighbor to the Hard Rock Cafe on Manhattan's 57th Street. (SN reported on that unit's grand opening in the May 18 issue and focused on the company's new strategy in a June 22 feature story.)

There, an extensive hot-food program has been established, complete with display cooking and a restaurant-like aura that includes seating. The company set out to differentiate itself from other supermarkets in the city outside as well, where a distinctive, curved metal marquee distinguishes that particular store.

The independent is a member of wholesale cooperative Associated Food Stores, Jamaica, N.Y., which supplies 140 supermarkets in the metro area.

Developing the name "Morton Williams" as part of its identity is part of the company's effort to distinguish itself, officials said. Previously, the units operated only under the Associated banner. A new logo unveiled this spring shows off the new name.

Each of the New York Times ads leads off with the new logo and a photo of a company official, with a comment from the official about the company's aims.

All the ads' headlines say, "At Morton Williams Supermarkets, food is on the way!" Underneath the headline, this sentence is printed in large letters: "Now all 8 Manhattan Associated Supermarkets, from 22nd Street to 89th Street, carry the two magic words -- Morton Williams."

Further down on the page, a list of the chain's attributes includes these: "Emphasis on foods-to-go meticulously prepared by in-store chefs in restaurant-quality kitchens -- you now have a high-quality alternative to cooking or eating out," and "Catering for 2 to 300 prepared by our executive chef and his staff, designed specifically for your business or personal entertaining needs. Call Chris Gogos at 212-581-7200."

The list of attributes and offerings also includes "enhanced customer service, multiple payment options, a wide variety of products from around the world, and new and interesting items always."

The headline and wording in the main body of the ad are the same each week "in order to drill the idea of who we are into people's minds," Kaner said.

The first ad in the series featured a picture of Chris Gogos, Morton Williams' executive chef, who previously had served as executive chef at Intercontinental, Sheraton and Marriott Hotels. In addition to supervising all in-store food preparation, Gogos has responsibility for the catering business, which he runs from the 57th Street store.

Gogos told SN he has had several customers call him by name since they saw his photo in the ad, and he said others have told him they decided to try Morton Williams' catering because they saw the ad.

Commenting on the fast growth of the company's catering business, which got its send-off in the spring, Gogos said, "Business is skyrocketing. It's 90% corporate accounts, but I've also already received orders for eight private Christmas parties. Nearly six months in advance!"

In the July 15 issue of the New York Times, the Morton Williams ad featured a picture of Richard Travaglione, vice president of meat and deli.

In a paragraph alongside his photo, Travaglione is quoted thus, "Our deli business has evolved in recent years to offer an incredible selection of cooked foods to save our customers time and offer an alternative to restaurant dining. Morton Williams' chefs prepare fresh meals daily at each store. We are looking forward to serving your individual needs for many years to come."

Kaner said he believes the photos and comments from company officials are an important part of the image ads.

"Introducing New Yorkers to some of our key people adds a personal touch," he said. The company also wants to make sure its identity as a supermarket stays intact even as it reaches out for additional business from corporations and individual meal-seeking customers, officials said.

In that vein, the ad includes weekly specials, but Kaner quickly stressed that the specials are carefully selected and that they take up a relatively small part of the page.

"The specials themselves say a lot about who we are," he said, pointing out that they include upscale items such as extra large fully cooked cocktail shrimp at $12.99 a pound, but also feature such items as Miller beer for $5.99 a 12-pack.

"What's most important though is the tight focus. Notice that there are just five specials of the week, not 50," Kaner added.