Health Valley Rolls TV, Sampling Push Styled as ‘Natural Place for Taste’ – Brief Article – Statistical Data Included
Sonia Reyes
Looking to build awareness among mainstream users, Ham Celestial’s Health Valley is launching its first TV ads, with direct mail and a sampling campaign next year that will highlight its varied tastes and preservative-free ingredients.
With creative due in April, via Mad Dogs & Englishmen, New York, Health Valley is shipping Soy Flakes in Raisin and Original flavors to cater to health-conscious female baby boomers. The intro comes on the heels of Hain’s May merger with Celestial Seasonings (Heinz owns nearly 20% of Hain) and an aggressive commitment to growth at a time of increasing demand among mainstream audiences for natural products.
While Health Valley wouldn’t disclose media spending, the campaign marks the first media outlay for its natural, largely organic line of ready-to-eat cereals, soups, cookies/crackers and snack bars.
“This campaign signifies our commitment to start spending marketing dollars on the brand,” said Larry Mass, brand manager. “Consumer demand is going up and we have to meet the intense competition from big companies.”
HV faces a fierce battle as titans General Mills and Kraft have snapped up natural food players Small Planet Foods and Boca Burger, respectively.
Still in development, the campaign breaks new ground for HV, whose last notable brand initiative involved a package redesign in 1997. A 30-second TV ad, likely tagged “The natural place to go for taste and nutrition,” will break in April on A&E, Lifetime and the Food Network, targeting women aged 35-54 in Denver Los Angeles, Miami, New York and Chicago.
“We’re also going after mainstream consumers who perceive natural food as healthy” said Mass. FSIs boast 55-cent coupons, while store sampling and a direct effort in January will reach 1 million consumers.
In its latest quarterly earnings report, HV posted a 28% sales jump to $403.5 million for the fiscal year ended June 30.
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