Snap while you snack with Jacobs
French group Danone, has launched a new summer promotion on packs
of Iced and Choc Gems which offers consumers a free, re-useable
camera in exchange for three on-pack tokens.
Designed to promote repeat purchases, increase on-shelf visibility and heighten awareness of the popular children's brand, the promotion already seems to be working, according to Jacob's, with initial sales figures showing an increase of 30 per cent for Choc Gems and 21 per cent for Iced Gems since the start of the promotion.
The promotion is running on Iced Gems 6 x 30g and Choc Gems 5 x 30g multi-packs, distributed across grocery, independents, cash and carry and food service outlets.
The free camera promotion is part of a wider marketing strategy for Iced and Choc Gems, which included a makeover for the brand's image, in particular a sporty new look for Topper, the bear character which features on the pack and promotional material.
This strategy will continue into the autumn, when Jacob's will launch a mixed Gems bucket containing 6 x 30g bags of Iced and 6 x 30g bags of Choc Gems.
Sophie Hobbs, sweet biscuits brand manager at Jacob's, said: "By stimulating interest, trial and repeat purchase, we are confident Iced and Choc Gems will continue to be a first-choice lunchbox treat. The camera is set to be a real hit with kids over the summer holidays and we're expecting more great results from the promotion as well as from the bucket launch."
'Jacob's is also increasingly promoting Gems as "a lower-fat alternative to chocolate or sweet confectionery", making them, it believes, a more appropriate treat for its target audience of children aged three to eight. The company said that Jacob's, which also makes Cream Crackers, Club, Thai Bites and TUC Gems, said that Gems sales had risen by 14 per cent this year compared to the previous 12 months, and predicted a further increase during the August/September back-to-school period as parents stocked up for their children's lunchboxes.
