Savoury Pastry Category leader, Ginsters, has recruited more than half a million new households in the last quarter of 2023, affirming the success of the brand’s ‘Taste the Effort’ campaign, which has outperformed all expectations. Further media planned in 2024 will bring the brand spend to over £8 million in the 18th months since October 2023 and sets the brand up for success in 2024.
In August 2023 Ginsters launched a new brand identity which enhanced taste, quality and stand out at fixture, closely followed by the introduction of the ‘Taste the Effort’ campaign in October, staring Merryn, a farmer who goes above and beyond in her efforts to grow the best quality veg for Ginsters products. The campaign saw a £4m investment in TV, OOH, social, PR and shopper marketing, and delivered key messages around the quality, taste and local sourcing of Ginsters products. The campaign delivered positive sales uplifts, contributing to almost a third of the nation buying Ginsters in 2023.
The success story doesn’t end there. Investment in the brand in 2023 has successfully built a larger shopper base, with penetration +3.9%pts & frequency +13%. The +51% volume delivered by these shoppers has helped drive overall category sales too with an increase of +17% volume in slices and pasties, strengthening Ginsters’ position as the Nation’s favourite savoury pastry brand with a consistent 50% market share.
This growth comes despite the ongoing cost of living crisis, and food cost inflation, that has seen shoppers remain under huge pressure to make ends meet. The work Ginsters has done to drive quality and taste messaging has resonated with consumers, successfully demonstrating that Ginsters products are affordable, quality meal options. With volumes declining across most supermarket categories, Ginsters’ success has helped the Savoury Pastry category buck this trend and see the second strongest category growth overall.
To continue to build on the brand’s success, the ‘Taste the Effort’ campaign is back from 16th February on TV, radio, social media, PR, and shopper marketing, with the return of the popular character, Merryn, the humorous, warm, and nurturing farmer. Merryn has resonated with the nation, building affinity for the brand, and the ‘Taste the Effort’ strapline has been well received and understood. The campaign will reach more than 93% of UK households again in 2024, driving relevance and category awareness.
Emma Stowers, Ginsters Marketing Director, commented: “We are thrilled with the success of the ‘Taste the Effort’ campaign since its launch. This has been a significant investment for the brand, and it is really working hard for us, cementing our position as category leaders, and driving home our messages around taste, quality and locally sourced ingredients. We are excited to see what 2024 will bring.”