Coupons have proved one of the most effective promotional methods to get consumers to try a product new to that shopper. The discounted offers provide enough of an incentive that the consumer feels like he or she can make the leap to try the product without too much risk, and hopefully become loyal to that brand.
True Lemon, a challenger brand to the well saturated $1 billion powdered soft drink market, is doing just that; using coupons as a major component of a new $5 million national campaign to encourage consumers to try what it promotes as a “natural alternative to products like Crystal Light.”
“For a relatively new brand like us, one of our goals is to drive awareness and trial and couponing is an important part of that,” said Heidi Carney, vice president of marketing at parent company True Citrus.
The brand came to be in 2003 and will approach sales of $18 million this year compared to $4 million just two years ago. It has greatly expanded distribution to 20,000 supermarkets and 3,000 supercenters, including Walmart, allowing for its first major national summer campaign this year. The program includes a host of marketing, including TV, social and digital media, all swirling around a trustworthy character named Trudy, who pitches True Lemon by “keeping you true.”
More than 1 million coupons will be in circulation via in-store promotions, FSIs and other mailings, retailer magazines, health fairs, community walks and runs, weight loss events and through guerrilla marketing.
For example, in June at Walmart's, an instant-redeemable coupon will be included on product boxes. In July, Kroger’s organic newsletter to 500,000 loyalty members will include a coupon. Two national FSIs with 45 million coupons will drop at the same time product shippers reach stores. At Harris Teeter stores, racks holding True Lemon products and coupons will be placed in the aisle where bottled water is sold.
“People have less disposable income and they are more cautious about what they buy, so if you give consumers a coupon they don’t feel like they’re putting as much on the line for a product they are just finding out about or have never tried before,” Carney said.
Last year, marketers pushed out $470 billion in coupon value and consumers jumped in, redeeming $4.6 billion in savings, a 12.2% jump over 2010.
In addition to the coupon programs, three contests and sweepstakes are planned for this summer. The first, “Who’s Your Trudy,” launched today asking players to share who in their lives keeps them “true” with a grand-prize trip to South Beach Miami that includes a spa package and True Lemon products. The second, “What’s in Your Pocketbook?” plays on what Trudy is seen carrying around in her purse. Players take photos of their purse’s contents for a chance to win gift cards. A third, a recipe contest, is a replay of a similar promotion two years ago that drew 500 submissions. Participants incorporate True Lemon or True Lime 32 count sachets, which can also be found in some spice sections, into a recipe for a chance to win gift cards and have their recipe promoted on the True Lemon website.True Lemon’s Facebook page with more than 72,000 fans is hosting the sweepstakes and contest.
“The contests are fun. A good way to connect consumers to your brand and a great play off of our brand personality,” Carney said.
Two TV spots from Roth Partners featuring Trudy will run through August on cable networks such as TBS, Bravo, A&E, HGTV, the Food Network, Lifetime and Oxygen.
In the run up to the program, Trudy traveled through New York’s Central Park, Time’s Square and near Battery Park intercepting people to tell them about True Lemon. The antics were videotaped and placed on YouTube.
“We wanted people to get to know Trudy outside of the commercials,” she said. “She embodies who we are as company. She’s fun. She’s real.”
In the past, True Lemon marketers relied on strategic sampling programs, blogger outreach and public relations to market the products. It also has what it calls the “True Crew,” a team of stay-at-home moms who call their local health clubs and health care professionals to offer free samples and copy stands that tell consumers where they can purchase True Lemon products. The products are sold via retail, the Internet and food service companies.
“We didn’t have a lot of money, so that’s how we grew our business for a long time, it was grass roots and it worked,” Al Soricelli, chief executive officer of True Citrus, said.
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