Scottish Brands Review 2014 by Peebles Media Group

Scottish brands review 2014

Scots favourites soar in c-stores S

COTLAND won’t forget 2014 in a hurry, reckons Kantar Worldpanel business unit director Mark Thomson. The eyes of the world were on us for political reasons, sporting passions, and more. “It has also been a truly significant year within the grocery trade, in more ways than one,” he said. “For shoppers across Scotland, the economy is showing more positive signs of recovery with unemployment falling to 5.5% and overall growth in the economy of 2.6% over the latest year. “Against this, the big four grocers (Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons) have seen sales fall over the latest quarter in Scotland by 3.7%, whereas the discounters Aldi and Lidl have a combined growth of 18.7%, so the smaller channels within GB and Scotland are experiencing the biggest success. “This is also evident on the high street as convenience stores (Co-op and small independents) are collectively growing at 1.7% and now represent 13% of all grocery spend in Scotland (versus 8.5% of GB spend). “Shoppers are generally behaving the same way, yet what is changing is where they do their shopping. The discounters had six in 10 Scottish shoppers shopping in their stores over the latest quarter. Average big-four-supermarkets shoppers in Scotland

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What a year! ONCE again the December issue of Scottish Grocer brings you exclusive coverage of Kantar Worldpanel research on Scottish consumers’ takehome purchasing of brands of Scottish origin. And this year it’s bigger, better and more useful than ever. As in the last two years we have separated alcohol from other products as the sales value of alcohol products is influenced by the high rates of tax charged on those lines. This year you can check out a larger top 50 nonalcohol brands list as well as the top 25 drinks brands of Scottish origin in Scottish homes. In this opening article Scottish Grocer hears from

spent £34 less on their shopping in those big retailers over the latest quarter, whereas Scottish shoppers spent on average £8 more in discounters and £23 more in premium retailers (Waitrose and M&S). “Shoppers are also benefitting from falling grocery inflation, which now stands at -0.2%, as the big supermarkets have cut prices around everyday items such as fruit, vegetables and milk.

Mark Thompson, business unit director Kantar Worldpanel

Mark Thomson of Kantar Worldpanel about how Scottish brands more than held their own in Scotland and grew significantly south of the border, not least in the impressively performing independent convenience channel – all at a time when the wider market, especially the supermarket giants, struggled. An exciting year for Scotland ... and for Scottish brands.

“Overall, Scottish brands have performed strongly across Great Britain up 4.3% in 2014 versus last year, in contrast with all branded products (excluding retailer private label) which grew by 1.7%.” England and Wales are vitally important for the success of Scottish-based brands, he said. Compared to the GB overall growth of 4.3%, sales of Scottish brands in Scotland

were up by a lower but still very healthy 1.8%. In fact Scottish brands have proved vital to several retail channels. While overall sales in the big four multiple retailers were up only 0.6%, sales of Scottish brands in those stores increased by almost five times that rate at 2.8%. Within high street convenience, Scottish brands had their biggest success – up 9.75% in GB overall, including a huge 10.3% sales increase in Scottish c-stores. So who have been the main movers in 2014? “Malcolm Allan has remained the number-one food brand this year by increasing its presence on shelf across its core categories,” Mark Thomson noted. “Bells Pies has also climbed a place to establish its presence as a top-five Scottish grocery brand in Scotland. Tunnocks and Graham’s Dairies continue to climb the rankings, this was before teacakes hit our screen at the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games. Graham’s has taken its brand into wider categories such as cheese as well as having a growing presence within spreads,” he said. New product development and widening distribution have been very important to those brands that have climbed places in the list from last year because there has been very little sales growth as a result of price increases, he added.

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Top 50 Scottish take-home food and drink brands in Scotland – excluding alcohol Brand

Rank 2014

Rank 2013

Moving up

Brand

Rank 2014

Rank 2013

Moving up

Irn-Bru

Marshalls

Malcolm Allan

Paterson’s

Baxters

Brownings

Wiseman

Mackays

Bells Pies and Pastry

●

Tarbert Fine

●

Tunnock’s

●

Buchanan’s

●

Graham’s The Family Dairy

●

Hall’s

Albert Bartlett

●

Lees Cakes

McLelland Seriously

Big and Scottish

●

McIntosh

Glenrath

Simon Howie

Highland Game

Mackie’s of Scotland

McLelland Orkney

●

Rowan Glen

●

Stockan’s

●

Barr

●

We Hae Meat

●

Freshnlo

Swankies

●

Mothers Pride

Dean’s

●

Scottish Blend

Macsween of Edinburgh

●

Highland Spring

●

Brown Brothers Fmly Fvrt

Nairn’s

●

Hamlyns of Scotland

Border Biscuits

●

Mortons (Rolls)

McLelland Galloway

Belchers of Ayrshire

Scotty Brand

●

Kitty Campbells

Scott’s

●

McKechnie Jess

Macb

●

Mull of Kintyre

Great Scot

Grant’s Haggis

●

Source: Kantar Worldpanel take-home sales in Scotland 52 weeks to 25 May 2014 v 52 weeks to 26 May 2013. NE = New entry. December 2014 l

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Scottish brands review 2014

Irn-Bru

OME years ago AG Barr-owned soft drinks brand Irn-Bru developed an advertising and promotional campaign around the term “phenomenal”. By the time 2014 has run its course it will have turned out to have been a phenomenal year for Irn-Bru, which is once again Scotland’s number-one Scottish brand. In its normal everyday performance the numbers have been good, helped along by some welcome decent summer weather, certainly, but ahead of the market too. And then there was the brand’s and the parent company’s involvement in Glasgow’s hugely successful running of the 2014 Commonwealth Games. AG Barr director Jonathan Kemp told the recent SGF Conference that the decision to become a major sponsor

Consumers are heavily inclined to buy Irn-Bru on the go, making it the biggest drink-now brand in Scottish impulse. had probably been the biggest risk the firm has taken. But it was a risk he wouldn’t hesitate to repeat, he said. It hadn’t all been about IrnBru – other AG Barr brands like Strathmore water, the Barr range and Rubicon juices had also been heavily involved. But the activity had been extremely successful by several measures. “During the games we had 36m special packs of Irn-Bru in the market, and they all sold,” he said “If we look at Nielsen figures, in volume Scotland was up 2.3%, the rest of the UK was up 0.7%, so the Scottish soft drinks market through the Commonwealth Games grew

The Irn-Bru Christmas TV ad campaign featuring the Snowman characters developed by Raymond Briggs is back again for 2014, a year that turned out to be fairly magical for Scotland’s most valuable Scottish food and drink brand. 52 l

at three times the pace of the rest of the market. “And that for me is the most encouraging fact that came out of the whole thing. “We sold more as a business, but also the market grew and it grew quicker than the benchmark.” He said he’d also been pleased that the Irn-Bru activity, specifically, had carried the personality of the brand. The company had wanted the Games to leave an impression of Scots as the world’s best supporters. Glasgow 2014 did that, he said. Early Irn-Bru promotions including Cheer We Go proved very successful and the 15,000 pairs of Irn-Bru lucky socks, including a pair for each member of Team Scotland, had become almost like currency. Similarly the ‘buy 24 cans and get an Irn-Bru kilt’ promo had been hugely popular and he’d recently seen the kilts being proudly worn by visitors to the Ryder Cup. His enthusiasm for the brand’s 2014 experience is shared by his colleague Adrian Troy, AG Barr’s head of marketing. “Glasgow 2014 focused worldwide attention on Scotland and its most popular products, providing a really strong platform for stockists of leading Scottish brands such as Irn-Bru and the Barr range,” said Troy. Quoting ad-tracking research he said Irn-Bru is the brand one in every two Scots drinks most often, with the

Irn-Bru Sugar-Free: sales of the IrnBru family’s low-calorie drink are worth more than £1m a week.

number of people aged between 22 and 29 who regularly buy the brand increasing from 55% to 73%. Some 89% of Scots 13-21 year-olds say it makes them feel proud to be Scottish. Quoting Nielsen research the firm says Irn-Bru Sugar-Free is Scotland’s leading low-calorie flavoured carbonate, delivering retailer sales of more than £1 million a week. “Consumers are heavily inclined to buy Irn-Bru on the go, making it the biggest drink-now brand in Scottish impulse,” said Troy. “Retailers should use IrnBru’s strongly-performing 250ml, 330ml, 500ml and 750ml formats to attract consumers to the fixture. “Our sustained investment in Irn-Bru has created a unique brand which is loved and trusted by Scottish consumers more than any other soft drinks brand.”

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B E S T I N-S E A S O E N TH

ONE OF THE BEST IN OUR FIELD

That’s not just our view, Kantar World Panel 2014 showed we’d jumped an incredible eight places to number 22 in its table of Scottish take-home brands. Whether it’s our commitment to a growing range of in-season Scottish produce and foods, or all of Scotty’s hard work in the fields and his canine charm in our TV campaign, it’s a result that’s not to be sniffed at.

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• GOOD FOOD’S BEST FRIEND •

Discover more at scottybrand.com

THEY DO MORE

We’re delighted to be number 8 in the Kantar World Panel table of Scottish take-home brands for 2014. As a family-run business for more than 60 years, we supply over a fifth of the UK’s fresh potatoes - and we couldn’t be prouder. Alongside our popular branded variety, Rooster, we have the unique and nutty, Apache, and perfect for boiling, Supreme Salad.

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Scottish brands review 2014

Malcolm Allan

OW do you become the most valuable Scottish food brand in Scottish retail? Well, Gordon Allan, director at family-owned Malcolm Allan – a company launched by his father 60 years ago this month and which last year moved into second spot in our top 50 behind Irn-Bru, a position it retains this year – isn’t entirely sure. “Last year nobody was more surprised than us,” he said. “We know we shift a lot of stuff, but everybody tells me we’re rubbish at marketing. “So at the end of the day it must be about the product.” There’s a touch of self-deprecatory humour in his comments but there’s a fairly hefty dose of reality too. The company has very successfully developed its supermarkets business in recent years – concentrating on making products that sell well in those outlets, and choosing, said Gordon, to produce the best quality possible at a variety of price points. More recently it has been doing good business in convenience outlets through Nisa, P&H and Spar and has seen success, to a degree that slightly surprised but delighted the manage-

Malcolm Allan has been busy making New Year steak pies since the late summer. 54 l

Scottish food and drink retail’s biggest Scottish food brand Malcolm Allan is known for its Lorne Sausage but the firm has been extending its product range, ensuring it has lines at a variety of prices and has been growing sales in c-stores.

ment team, with better-foryou, lower-calorie burgers and sausages in conjunction with Scottish Slimmers. Its product range now spans everything from those low-cal lines to value sausages, to premium burgers and top-notch steak pies. And underlying all its success is the fact that Falkirk-based Malcolm Allan has become the undisputed champion of the Scottish delicacy, the Lorne sausage. “A lot of firms spend a lot of money on TV ads, our marketing budget is just about nil, really. As we’ve been fairly busy we’ve had to invest in

equipment. “It sounds arrogant but we’ve not really looked at marketing because we’ve been that busy making product, it’s become secondary.” That being said he knows there are things that the company wants to do better – online business for example. And he recognises that the firm, which is so far doing very nicely thank you by trading on quality and tradition, will have to embrace the world of mar-

keting and communication as new generations of consumers become key purchasers. “That’s the challenge for us. There’s a feeling that everybody knows the way that Malcolm Allan makes it. But that’s rubbish. We really need to get that over on our packaging for the next generation.” This month Gordon’s dad, now 95, and the rest of the family will celebrate 60 years since the launch of the company and a year since it moved a short distance to its new headquarters on the outskirts of Falkirk. The early days were affected by a power supply problem at just about the worst time of the year to face such a difficulty. But it was overcome and the firm has since invested in a generator to ensure any similar issue in the future won’t threaten production. That problem aside the move has brought nothing but good. “It’s been night and day for us, it’s worked well,” he said. Sales are up around 10% and that’s mostly a result of volume increases as there’s been little or no scope for price increases, he explained. Some of the volume growth is down to successful new product development. But there’s also been significant sales growth in sales in cstores. “We’re seeing an increase in convenience,” he said. “For a while we were just dodging along but Spar is up, Nisa’s up. If anything they are up while the bigger guys are standing still a wee bit.”

Everybody tells me we’re rubbish at marketing. So at the end of the day it must be about the product.

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Scottish brands review 2014

Baxters

AMOUS family firm Baxters has been taking a taste of Scotland, and indeed the Highlands, to markets in Scotland, the rest of the UK and across the world for generations. Products under the Baxters brand have included soups, preserves, condiments and chutneys. More recently the firm has been involved in significant new product development that included, earlier this year, the launch of new instant hot meal lines. Scotland has been crucial to the Baxters sales perfor-

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mance, especially on its soups where in recent years Scottish sales have been measured at more than 20% of the total. Its soups portfolio includes several ranges such as Favourites, Stay Full and Luxury. This year’s new product development included the launch in June of Baxters meal pots and, under another of the firm’s brand names, Fray Bentos Hunger Bursters into the instant hot meals market, which the firm said was worth £230m and growing 12% year on year. The group said the new lines

were intended to fill a demand it had identified for “a better tasting, more premium offering”. Microwaveable, and ready to eat in two to three minutes, the Baxters Meal Pots range features four flavours includ-

ing: Vegetarian Three Bean & Chipotle Pepper; Malaysian Inspired Chicken Laksa; Smokey Mixed Bean, Chicken & Quinoa; and Italian Style Sausage & Mixed Bean. Each 250g meal pot has an RRP of £2.49.

Müller Wiseman

üller Wiseman Dairies, established in 1947 and once a small fam-

ily farm in East Kilbride, now provides around 30% of the fresh milk consumed in Britain – from six dairies, including Scottish facilities at Aberdeen, East Kilbride and Bellshill. Included under the Wiseman brand is ‘the One’ - low-fat milk with 1% fat. But described by the company as the star of its show is

Müller Wiseman Black and White brand milk. Now worth more that £112m a year the Black and White brand is celebrating its 25th Anniversary in 2014. Müller Wiseman Dairies also says that its regional labels, including Grampian Milk and Milk from Scotland, have been successfully serving what it sees as significant demand for “produce with provenance”. Sandy Wilkie, Müller Wiseman Dairies business and relationship development director said: “Consumers increasingly demand traceability within fresh produce and by offering milk with a clear

link to the area where it is produced, without adding cost to the retailer, we can add value to our milk which can be passed on to consumers in the form of confidence, peace of mind and pride in quality regional milk and products.” “We are proud that we can source and trace all our milk,” a company spokesperson said. “Produce with provenance will remain a key focus for us going forward and we have a number of exciting developments planned, involving a continued focus on regionality and traceability within our Black and White brand.”

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Scottish brands review 2014

Bells

COTCH pie and pastry producer Bells is once again confirmed as one of the top five food and drink brands in Scotland. It’s been a traditional Scotch pie producer for some 50 years, and its traditional product continues to do very well indeed. The company produces more than 400,000 a week. But recent decades have seen innovations designed to widen appeal and meet modern demand for a variety of flavours and styles of cuisine. So, as well as Scotch pies, Bells now also produces mac-

aroni pies, steak and gravy pies and curry pies. This year, as the spotlight fell on Scotland for the Commonwealth Games, Bells released a brand new pie that combined two traditional Scots flavours – steak and haggis. So successful was the launch that, due to popular demand, the firm will re-release the pie in April next year. And as Christmas 2014 approaches Bells is marking the event by launching a venison pie. “Our luxurious venison and red wine filling is complimented with a top crust pas-

try, which makes it perfect for those momentous occasions such as New Year’s Eve and Christmas, yet it is still an affordable indulgence for a lovely meal with loved ones,” a company spokesperson said. Bells Puff Pastry holds a prominent place in its product range and the firm says it’s proud of its natural ingredients, tried and tested production method and popularity.

Its Kirriemuir Signature Gingerbread range, launched this year, is already doing good business at home and has also taken the company into export markets. Significant investment continues and the coming year will see the installation of a second pastry laminator and a significant increase to the company’s blast freezer capacity.

Tunnock’s S

COTLAND’S favourite Scottish biscuit brand is, once again, Tunnock’s. But Tunnock’s sales director Fergus Loudon says the market in Scotland is competitive and challenging and while the firm is pleased that it has brand loyalty across the country it never takes things for granted.

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“We still have a high street shop of our own, right in the centre of Uddingston, and we really do understand the issues many of our retailers are facing,” he said. “Our main lines are very well established and we rarely tink-

er with them. The decision to make a dark chocolate version of Caramel Wafers and Tea Cakes was one we thought about very carefully and it has proven to be the right move at the right time. “Similarly the introduction of Mini Caramel Wafers in their distinctive tubs was very carefully tried and tested before we brought them into full production. “This has been a very busy year for us with the factory quite frequently stretched to do everything asked and we are quietly thankful for the considerable investment we have made in robot technol-

ogy over recent years. “The Commonwealth Games in Glasgow was a very successful event. The opening ceremony was more of an eye opening ceremony and the sight of lots of good-looking young people dancing in large tea-cake costumes was delightful and even if they didn’t actually have our name on them many people seemed to think that they did,” he said. “If it brought the brand to the attention of an even wider audience and helps to keep 500 people in Scotland fully employed then that will be a most valuable part of the games legacy.”

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DS AN

TO S SC ’ OTLAND

N O

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Make sure you’re well stocked up with the all time traditional favourites from

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A big thank you to all our customers for making us the No.1 Scottish Food Brand for a second year running. www.malcolmallan.co.uk

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Scottish brands review 2014

Graham’s

T’S been another busy year for Stirlingshire-based family firm Graham’s the Family Dairy, now the country’s biggest independent dairy company, the second-biggest Scottish brand in the Scottish milk market and a growing force in butter and cheese. Earlier this year the company

announced Kantar research had shown its butter had become the number one brand for block butter in Scotland. In July Inverurie-based, Mitchells Dairy transferred its milk distribution business to Graham’s The Family Dairy. The move saw Graham’s take over Mitchells distribution

The Graham’s the Family Dairy range now includes milk, butter and cheese.

to households, shops, restaurants, hotels and offices across Aberdeenshire. And recently the firm agreed

a deal with Scotmid which sees it supply milk, butter and spreadable butter to stores across Scotland.

Bartlett Michel Roux Jr, Michelin star chef, starring in a current Albert Bartlett ad.

OW do you make the potato sexy? It’s a challenge Scottish-origin firm Albert Bartlett, which now has facilities in several parts of

the UK and Channel Islands, rose to when it saw the challenge for carbohydrate sales being mounted by pasta, rice and other products.

Three 30-second ads entitled ‘Fairlie & Farms’, ‘Pastures New’ and ‘Voilà’ that explain Fairlie and Roux’s use of Albert Bartlett potatoes and their long relationship with the Scottish family-owned firm, began in October and run until just before Christmas. The company stresses its commitment to responsible production and the ads include waste-avoiding recipes.

Seriously Strong

ERIOUSLY Strong Cheddar from Lactalis McLelland retains a top 10 position and its place as the best-selling Scottish cheese brand in Scotland in Kantar Worldpanel’s top 50 this year. The brand began with, and continues to take its cues from, the award-winning Stranraer-produced Seriously Strong Cheddar. But as a brand it has, in recent years, grown to cover a much wider collection of

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Albert Bartlett Rooster Potatoes were backed by television commercials featuring Desperate Housewives stars Marcia Cross and Jesse Metcalfe. More recently the firm has turned to Michelin-starred chefs Michel Roux Jr of La Gavroche restaurant and Scotland’s own Andrew Fairlie of the two-Michelin star Andrew Fairlie at Gleneagles.

of modern products, including Seriously Strong Spreadable. Earlier this year the firm announced that Nielsen research has shown Seriously Strong to be the UK’s number-one spreadable cheddar. The Seriously Strong range has also seen the development of a series of easy-open and resealable packs and a ready-grated product. The Seriously Strong portfolio also features a cheese sauce.

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Scottish brands review 2014

McIntosh

AST year’s Kantar chart covered a slightly earlier period than this year’s table and our article last year showed McIntosh in 13th position. But within a short time the brand had powered into the top 10 position it now holds. It’s another illustration of a strong year for McIntosh in which it also won the Best Chilled Food Manufacturer award in The Food Awards Scotland

and ran an integrated marketing campaign between September and October that highlighted the brand on TV, radio, press and other media and saw activity on its social media sites reach an all time high. This year also saw two new products join the McIntosh range – McIntosh Macaroni with Smoky Sausage, described by the firm as a modern take on its original best-selling macaroni

meal, and Haggis & Mince Pies, which it reckons will make an exceptional addition to the current Burns Night range in January. Next year it plans major marketing activity including a website revamp and further new product development.

Simon Howie 11 P

ERTHSHIRE-based butcher Simon Howie has its own two traditional retail outlets and a significant online presence but the bulk of its sales are achieved through multiple grocery outlets in Scotland. It has seen growth in the last year. In a period when it’s difficult to raise prices that’s largely been down to volume increases. And that, thinks MD Simon Howie, has in turn reflected the firm’s work to develop new lines and to work with its multiple grocer clients on new pack sizes

Mackie’s

ACKIE’S of Scotland, known first for its luxury dairy ice cream, is a brand that now covers three categories – ice cream, chocolate and crisps. The firm says Mackie’s is now the best-selling premium ice cream in Scotland and saw sales increases this year thanks to good weather and a return to TV advertising. The

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and SKUs to suit those firms’ new small format supermarkets and c-store sized outlets. 2013 saw the development of many new lines such as the Simon Howie Wee Haggis and Wee Black Pudding. Recent months have seen the launch of a new sub-brand, the Perthshire range, a collection of sausages and puddings designed to sit alongside Simon Howie products but offer different styles and flavours. Early results from Tesco have been good, said Howie.

range has also widened. Mackie’s Chocolate, made by Mackie’s from cocoa liquor to bar, and to a unique recipe, is set to see significant manufacturing and marketing investment in the coming year. Mackie’s potato crisps, made in the joint venture company Mackie’s at Taypack, saw the addition of a ridgecut variety in November last

year. And Mackie’s has also brought out some particularly Scottish varieties. Two new flavours recently added to the

range – Whisky & Haggis and Venison & Cranberry – are said to be proving popular in Scotland and in export markets.

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Scottish brands review 2014

Rowan Glen

N what looks to have been a very good year, yogurt and dairy brand Rowan Glen jumped three places in the Kantar chart to reach number 13. The dairy itself sits in the heart of the Galloway countryside at Newtown Stewart and the brand uses fresh milk from local farmers to make Scottish yogurt. The brand underwent a makeover earlier

this year with new looks across the range designed to emphasise its Scottishness. The rebranding was supported by significant advertising including outdoor media and national press advertising. Sales performance in recent times is said to have been ahead of the market, with strengths in a number of areas including Greek-style yogurt.

RN-BRU may take the limelight as Scotland’s biggest-selling non-alcohol Scottish brand but its sister brand Barr has actually been around longer. It moves up one place this year and that’s on figures that don’t include the fairly hot summer and the Commonwealth Games sponsorship effect. AG Barr head of marketing Adrian Troy said the Barr brand currently accounts for 10% of ‘other flavoured carbonate’ sales and is growing twice as fast as Scotland’s total soft

Barr

drinks category. “The Barr brand is one of the star performers of Scotland’s soft drinks market, enjoying a huge following among shoppers looking for great taste at fantastic value, as well as fun, exciting flavours,” he said.

Freshnlo

pioneer of ‘better for you’ milk Freshnlo semi skimmed, launched in the early 1980s, is part of the Müller Wiseman Dairies portfolio. The company says it sees health and wellbeing as likely to be a strong continuing trend. And it’s one that it’s confident it can continue to respond to. Sandy Wilkie, Müller Wiseman Dairies’ sales and marketing director, said: “As the UK’s first semi-skimmed milk, Freshnlo has always been associated with health

and nutrition, and has been a family favourite in fridges since its launch in 1981. “We were thrilled to support freshnlo Pedal for Scotland once again for its sixteenth year, which saw almost 10,000 riders take part in the iconic ride from Glasgow to Edinburgh in September. “Our involvement continues to make perfect sense as Freshnlo is not only delicious but nutritious too,” he added.

Mothers Pride 16 M

OTHERS Pride retains its place as Scotland’s best-selling Scottish bread brand and comfortably maintains a top-20 position by listing as number 16 in our take-home chart. Scottish Plain bread is different from most other breads produced in Britain and is produced by a process that is markedly different from other mass

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market wrapped breads. It’s a style that’s especially popular in Scotland. The great majority of Mothers Pride Scottish Plain – which is available in medium sliced and thick sliced versions, each with its own Mothers Pride tartan wrapper – is sold north of the border. It’s especially popular in cold weather when it’s thought to be bought to accompany soup.

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Scottish brands review 2014

Scottish Blend

ART of the extended Unilever tea family, which also includes the major UK brand PG Tips and the internationally successful brand Lipton, Scottish Blend was developed and launched specifically with Scotland and Scottish water in mind. This year it retains the number 17 spot after rising to that position in 2013 from its previous number 19 place. It was arguably the first brand, and certainly the first

brand from a large brand owner, to lead on its suitability for Scottish water. Since then we have seen other brands and some supermarket own-label products do similar things. Scottish Blend is, however, still clear number one among tea brands specially made for Scotland and has in recent years claimed number two position in Scotland overall, behind Tetley Tea.

Highland Spring 18 P

ERTHSHIRE-based Highland Spring isn’t just the biggest-selling Scottish bottled water in Scotland. It’s number-one bottled plain water in Scotland and throughout the UK. “Supplying almost 434m litres annually, we have a 20.2% volume share of the UK unflavoured bottled water market and produce one in every five litres sold,” said Scott Dickson, senior brand manager with Highland

Nairn’s

AIRN’S, a brand historically linked with oatcakes but more recently involved in significant developments in other biscuits and snacks, retains its top 20 position in this year’s chart in

19th place. Among recent activity the company has launched updated packaging for its Oat Biscuit range, highlighting the relatively low sugar content of the biscuits. The biscuit recipe hasn’t

Spring Group. The firm reckons health-consciousness is contributing to growth. Highland Spring was a sponsor of the 2014 Ryder Cup at Gleneagles this year and the firm said the world’s biggest team golf tournament had provided the brand with “the perfect platform to further promote our commitment to healthy active lifestyles.”

changed but Lucy White, marketing director at Nairn’s said: “We want people to know that they can lower their sugar intake without needing to cut out their favourite foods – biscuits included.” Nairn’s has also launched a range of low-sugar children’s biscuits, Astro Bites. “As with the Oat Biscuits, Astro Bites contain 40% less sugar than competitors,” said White.

The tables THE information for the top Scottish brands in Scotland index is provided by Kantar Worldpanel – part of the Kantar Group, one of the world’s largest research, insight and consultancy networks. Kantar Worldpanel monitors the household grocery purchasing habits of demographically representative households in 68 l

Great Britain. Participating consumers scan the goods they have bought with special recording equipment and also fill in diaries that detail the use they make of products. The top 50 Scottish non-alcohol Scottish take-home brands in Scotland index and the top 25 Scottish take-home alcohol brands in Scotland index each

measure the sales value of Scottish brands that are taken home by shoppers in Scotland. Some brands may also have further sales where the goods are not taken home and scanned – goods bought at lunchtime, for instance. For further information please contact Mark Thomson - mark.thomson@kantarworldpanel.com 07943 811715.

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18/11/2014 15:14

A whole new light. Here at Müller Wiseman Dairies we are shining a whole new light on the milk category; bringing fresh insight, tailored innovation and long-term investment to create value for all our stakeholders. By taking our commitment to quality, service and innovation to a new level, we’re determined to be the best fresh milk business in Britain. Here’s to fresh thinking.

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Scottish brands review 2014

Border Biscuits

ANARK-based Border Biscuits made a dramatic entrance into the top 20 this year, after jumping seven places from 2013. New supermarket listings, new product development, and investment in marketing activities have all contributed to a successful year for the brand, but even with all of that, sales and marketing manager Louse Creevy said the firm had been pleasantly surprised by its progress in the Kantar Worldpanel list. “We weren’t expecting to jump that far,” said Creevy, who admitted to motivating herself by keeping a copy of last year’s Scottish brands list on her desk at work. “It was our goal to get into the top 20 in the next two to three years. Most brands only really move up one or two spaces each year. So it surprised us.” This year, the company has celebrated its 30th anniversary with a major marketing push that has included TV, print and online advertising. Specially-designed POS materials, including shelfedge strips and wobblers, were sent to independents and c-stores through the

Major mover Border Biscuits moves up seven places from 2013

Border Biscuits has this year celebrated its 30th anniversary with a major marketing push that has included TV, print and online advertising.

wholesale network, and retailers were invited to submit pictures of their displays to win an iPad Mini, through a competition in Scottish Grocer magazine. Additions to the Border Biscuits portfolio have included new varieties in the

Deliciously Different range like Danishly Caramel Apple and Chocolate Fudgy Wudgies, new “naughty but nice” Oatrageously Tasty varieties and an expanded range of Christmas gift tins. “We’re always working on the development of new

products,” said Creevy. “We want to try and think of things that aren’t already out there in the market. It’s not just a development for the sake of it. “The feedback we get is that people buy them either as a treat that they keep for themselves – and that they don’t share with their family – or they’re buying it as a gift or to take into the office to show off. “We like to call it an ‘everyday treat’. It’s not so expensive that it puts people off, but it is still classed as a bit special. “Special treats have been in decline with most retailers over the past year or so, but we seem to be bucking the trend and that’s a real focus for us.”

Galloway T Galloway Cheddar’s website highlights the Scottish cheese brand’s connections to family activity and shows its new 500g pack. 70 l

OP 10 brand Seriously Strong has its origins in Scotland and has been the biggest-selling Scottish cheese brand in Scotland for some time. But its Lactalis McLelland stablemate Galloway Cheddar is Scotland’s highest-selling Scottish cheddar that states its origin and provenance in its brand name. The company has for some time stressed

the cheese’s uses as an ideal base or ingredient for family meals and snacks. And much of its recent marketing activity, including substantial online and social media work, stresses those family ties. On-pack promotions and online activity have included everything from family recipe ideas and suggestions for days out to money off family meals.

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We’re still hungry. With The Lane’s reputation for marketing creativity and effectiveness, it’s really no surprise that we work closely with growing FMCG brands such as Graham’s The Family Dairy, Border Biscuits and Brodies. So if you’re looking to find your brand’s voice on and offline, we’d be delighted to break bread over an informal chat. Just drop us a line at create@thelaneagency.com

ADVERTISING * BRAND BUILDING * DESIGN * DIGITAL * MEDIA BUYING * SOCIAL MEDIA * STRATEGIC THINKING

thelaneagency.com

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20/11/2014 11:30

Scottish brands review 2014

Scotty Brand

AST-developing Scottish food collection Scotty Brand is another of our major movers jumping eight places from last year to the point where it is knocking on the door of the top 20 Scottish brands in Scotland. It seems like a relatively new phenomenon and developments have been many in the last couple of years. But in fact Scotty brand was first launched in 1948 by Albert Bartlett. Currently the Scotty Brand product portfolio includes tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, lettuce, prepared vegetables, Ayrshire new potatoes, seasonal berries, bacon, burgers and fresh soups. Many of the lines are seasonal and the company has developed a schedule of product launches that runs through a typical year. For example in April Scotty Brand launched its 230g packs of Scotty Brand tomatoes for 2014. It described the Annamay variety tomatoes as firm, with juicy texture and an intense aroma, and packed full of flavour.

Major mover Scotty Brand moves up eight places from 2013 Scottish, seasonal and high quality were among the original remits of Scotty Brand, an umbrella brand that covers Scottish food products in a number of categories. From its original base in fresh fruit and veg it has widened to include meat, chilled soups and more. Two of its recent launches included Scotty Brand Burgers, in the summer, and Highland Baby Potatoes, in September.

Scotty Brand tomatoes are grown by Clyde Valley Tomatoes, based near Carluke. At one time the Clyde area provided virtually all of the UK’s tomato crop, but the industry declined in the face of cheaper imports. Clyde Valley Tomatoes and Scotty Brand say they aim to revive the industry.

In June the brand launched Scotty Brand burgers, sourced from award-winning Ayrshire butcher We Hae Meat using certified Scotch beef with protected geographical indication (PGI) status. And in one of its most recent launches Scotty Brand added Highland Baby potatoes to its product portfolio.

Scott’s 23

COTLAND has a national drink or two. Is there a national food? Thanks to Robert Burns haggis has a strong claim. But as an everyday item porridge might be the food that many associate most readily with Scotland. Scott’s at position 23 in the Kantar chart is the biggest selling Scottish brand of oats in Scotland and, as a result, the brand’s interestingly spelled Scott’s Porage Oats could

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The baby potatoes are Isle of Jura variety and are grown and packed on the Brunton family’s farm in Easter Ross, in the far north of Scotland. The Brunton family has farms in Easter Ross – where Highland baby potatoes are grown - and in the Angus area of Scotland. All of the potatoes are grown within one mile of the sea in light soil and are carefully stored within one hour of being harvested. The potatoes are planted in late March and April and harvested in August and September. The grower has on-site cold storage which allows the newly harvested crop to be cooled immediately.

be seen as the country’s favourite Scottish produced breakfast item. Recent times have been good for breakfasts, and hot breakfast cereals especially, and Scott’s, now owned by Quaker and ultimately by Pepsico, appears to have been taking full advantage. Innovation in recent years has included the development on Scott’s So Easy products including Scott’s So Easy Pots.

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Scottish brands review 2014

Macb

HE Scottish food and drink manufacturing industry has a number of strong categories and soft drinks is one of them. And to add to the giants of Irn-Bru, Barr, and Highland Spring there is Macb, the flavoured water range that earlier this year, quoting IRI figures for all snack outlets in Scotland for the year to February 14, could say that it wasn’t just best-selling Scottish

flavoured water but best-seller overall in terms of unit sales. Macb is available in Pure and a variety of fruit flavours, in still and sparkling, in a number of packs and sizes. Macb marketing activity includes sports sponsorships of Scottish Premiership football club Partick Thistle and Scottish athlete Eilish McColgan.

Great Scot 25

COTLAND, in winter at least, has a reputation as a soup-loving nation. It’s an enthusiasm and a demand that has been met for many years by the Great Scot range of pulses, grains and soup ingredients – aimed especially at the Scottish market, but now also available south of the border. A competitively priced range, it looks to have been well-placed in recent years when economic conditions have encouraged both careful shopping and a new

attitude to meals that encouraged a trend towards cooking from scratch that helped sales of store cupboard goods. Great Scot’s main lines include 500g packs of Red Split Lentils, Scotch Broth Mix, and Vegetable Broth Mix as well as other traditional lines such as Yellow Split Peas, Marrowfat Peas, and Pearl Barley. But in recent years it has introduced other products including items like Cous Cous in a range of flavours.

Marshalls

COTTISH pasta brand Marshalls retains a comfortable top-30 place in the Kantar Worldpanel best-selling Scottish food and non-alcoholic drink brands in Scotland in 2014, achieving 26th position. The Marshalls brand, distributed across Scotland, is available in independents and the cash & carry and wholesale channels as well as in many supermarkets.

The Scottish firm might be best-known for its short-cut macaroni, which was launched in 1935 and became a Scottish staple. On the other hand younger generations of Scots might think first of some of the firm’s Cheesy Macaroni convenience products. The Marshalls brand has been official panda partner to the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland.

Paterson’s 27

LONG with meat products, dairy and soft drinks, biscuits is a particular area of strength for Scottish brands. And Paterson’s is a particularly strong brand. Quoting Kantar Worldpanel figures for the year to 14 September 2014 it says it’s Scotland’s number-one shortbread. The motto on its packs says “Tradition with a twist”. And recent years have shown it’s a brand that’s willing to try new things in terms of 74 l

Telling the Scottish story of Macb flavoured water at www.macb.co.uk

product development, and promotion. in 2013 it became the sponsor to the TV discussion programme Loose Women, on STV. Its shortbread range features a collection of flavours including Chocolate Chip Shortbreak, Doubly Chocolate Shortbreak, and Clotted Cream Shortbread Fingers as well as noadded-sugar shortbread. And it has also produced a series of shortbread fingers and assortment lines in PMPs.

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SCOTS MAKE GOOD GROCERS TUNNOCKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S MAKE GREAT BISCUITS Thomas Tunnock Ltd., 34 Old Mill Road, Uddingston G71 7HH Tel: 01698 813551 Fax: 01698 815691

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Still a family business

18/11/2014 14:37

Scottish brands review 2014

Brownings

HIS time last year we reported that an impressive performance from Kilmarnock-based firm Brownings had seen the craft baker jump from 36th position in 2012 to 31st place. And the success keeps on coming for the family firm that was founded in Ayrshire in 1945, which this year has moved up to 28. It has a developed bakery manufacturing

and wholesale business, serving a wide variety of retailers, including multiples, symbol groups, and discounters. Brownings also has eight of its own retail outlets. One of its best-known products is the Killie pie. But it produces a very wide range of bakery products including meat products, made with Scotch beef, rolls, scones, cakes, biscuits, muffins and tray bakes

Mackays

UNDEE-BASED preserves manufacturer Mackays moved into the top 30 last year when its jams and marmalades brand moved from 32nd place to 29, a position it has held this year. In a city that was famous for jute, jam and journalism Mackays is a business

and loaf cakes and also offers clients bespoke product development.

that has craft working at its heart. The company produces in small batches using traditional methods. All strawberries, raspberries and blackcurrants used in Mackays products come from eastern Scotland. The Mackays range features jams marmalades and curds, including its hand-stirred collection.

Tarbert Fine

ROWNS Food Group now includes a number of Scottish meat products brands including Hall’s, Belchers of Ayrshire and one of the country’s leading ranges of premium cold meats Tarbert Fine. The Tarbert Fine range uses meat that’s produced to stringent Quality Meat Scotland standards and quality, meeting the QMS accreditation marks of Scotch Beef, Specially

Selected Pork and Specially Selected Ham. Following research, the range and packaging was revised to provide what the firm sees as a better fit with today’s consumers. The range includes: Finely Sliced Heather Honey Ham; Finely Sliced Black Pepper Pastrami; Peppered Topside of Beef; Roast Pork; Thick Cut Ayrshire Ham; Topside of Beef; Arran Mustard Ham, and more.

More info on Tarbert Fine at www. brownsfoodgroup.com/tarbert

The timetable KANTAR Worldpanel produces and analyses the top Scottish Brands information just ahead of summer each year. The charts are passed on to Scottish Grocer for use in our end of year edition, each year. This year the figures were analysed a little later than in 2013. That means that we are comparing the 12 months to 25 76 l

May with the equivalent period in the preceding year. In 2013 it was the 12 months to mid-May compared to the same period in 2012. So it’s important to note that when we write today about brands’ positions last year one or two might be a little different from the table we actually published in December 2013, because that index was

for a slightly earlier 12-month period. Brand positions reflect purchases from all types of store – supermarkets, symbols, discounters, independents and specialists. Brands include those produced in Scotland and those of Scottish origin with an established position in the Scottish market that might be produced in a number of sites.

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Scottish brands review 2014

Buchanan’s

UMPING five places from last year to reach position 31 this time around, the traditional confectionery brand Buchanan’s, part of the Greenock-based Golden Casket company, is one of our major movers this year. The brand was established way back in 1856, Golden Casket has looked after it for 40 years and still keeps as much as possible to the original recipes. Traditional weigh-out jars are still a big part of the business but in the past 10 years or so the bag range has seen the greatest growth, the firm says. This year it has added five new lines – Raspberry Choco-

Big and Scottish

THE sale of eggs has been transformed in recent years, partly because of changes to production regulations and partly due to the development of egg brands. Glenrath-owned large free-range eggs brand Big and Scottish moved up four places to become Scotland’s best-selling Scottish brand of eggs, overtaking its stablemate Glenrath in the Kantar list. Another Glenrath eggsbrand, Kitty Campbells, is also in Kantar’s top 50, at number 47.

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Key brands Significant movers and key categories in positions 31 - 50

Two of the five new lines recently added to the Buchanan’s bagged confectionery range. Sweets are meant to be savoured and enjoyed, the brand owner says.

late Delights, Coconut Chocolate Delights, Mini Macaroons, and Edinburgh Rocks – which take the range to 20.

Buchanan’s products are, the firm says, all about indulgence. “Sweets are meant to be a

treat, savoured and enjoyed – yes our range is full of the finest chocolate, fondant centres, whole Brazil nuts, cream, best butter but that is how it should be,” a company spokesperson said. The range is available in all the major multiples and in retail outlets throughout Scotland. The next stage for the brand will be to roll the range out across the UK.

Orkney

HEESE brands showed something of an up and down performance in our top Scottish brands table for 2014. But undoubtedly one of the strongest performances was from the Lactalis McLelland-owned Orkney Cheddar which jumped three places to find itself comfortably in Scotland’s top 40 Scottish food and drink brands. And the 2013-2014 period covered by the Kantar analysis proved an exciting year for Orkney Cheddar in other ways too. In November 2013 Orkney Cheddar was granted protected geographical status (PGI). Now UK consumers will know Orkney cheddar can only ever come from Orkney and the cheese has similar trade protection in the EU to Stornoway black pudding and Parma ham. Gaining the accredita-

tion took four years from application to obtaining the PGI. Key elements that influenced the decision included the special dry stir technique used in production at the Orkney creamery and the fact that the milk used is locally sourced. When the news came through last year general manager at Orkney Tim Deakin said: “It was a long task liaising with the Scottish government, followed by a sixmonth consultation period for Scotland, then again for the UK and finally another six months with the EU. “We were working closely with DEFRA on any issues that came up and I must admit I was delighted when we finally got the accreditation,” he added.

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Scottish brands review 2014

We Hae Meat

IGHEST new entry position in the 2014 Top 50 Scottish Brands in Scotland list was gained by Ayrshire family-run quality meat producer We Hae Meat which actually broke into the top 40 at number 39. The butchery business is based on the Paton family farm, Cairnhill, in Girvan Valley, where a purpose-built, climate-controlled, maturing and preparation site close to the farm was

Macsween

THE long-established, family-owned, Edinburghbased haggis and black pudding maker Macsween moved up a place from 2013 to reach number 42. But it might well be developments since the tables were calculated that make 2014 a very important year for the company. After consumer research, the firm radically overhauled its packaging to produce a range of products to better suit consumer demand, demographic trends, and retailer needs for on-shelf display. Now Macsween provides an ‘In a hurry’ range of microwaveable lines, a ‘Delicious every day’ range of cylindrically packed haggis and black pudding designed to be similar in shape to salamis and to suit shelf display, and a traditional range for Burns Night. It is also producing limited-edition lines influenced by world cuisines. 80 l

opened in 2009. The term ‘We hae meat’ comes from Robert Burns’ poem of thanks to God before a meal known as the Selkirk Grace. The firm supplies retail grocery, hotels, restaurants and food businesses across the UK. Earlier this year it also supplied the burgers launched under Scotty Brand, our number 22 Scottish brand in Scotland in 2014.

The We Hae Meat website www.wehaemeat.com includes consumer education information about meat, including a cut selector and extensive cooking guidelines

Hamlyns of Scotland 44 T HE hot cereals category has been doing well in recent years and Hamlyns of Scotland has been steadily building market share in Scotland to the point that it now takes 44th place in our Scottish brands list. The firm sees healthy eating trends as contributing substantially to porridge’s success. But Hamlyns and others have also been busy developing new ways of retailing and consuming oats, designed to fit in with busy lives. Annual sales of hot cereals in the UK topped £220 million last year, with sales of pots and sachets accounting for a substantial and ever-increasing share, said Hamlyns. The firm entered the convenient porridge sub-category earlier this year, with pots and sachets in three varieties – Original, Golden Syrup, and Mixed Berry. The new lines join a range that includes Hamlyns Scottish Oatmeal, which the company says is firmly established as

Hamlyns of Scotland launched a series of convenient porridge packs in 2014 offering sachets and pots in a range of flavours.

the number-one oatmeal brand in Scotland. The range also includes Hamlyns Scottish Porridge Oats, and Scottish Porridge Oats & Bran, now available in block bottom packaging. Hamlyns Pinhead Oatmeal is available in aluminium tins. The full Hamlyns range is now also available in cash & carry packs. From the New Year, and for the rest of the winter, Hamlyns will be offering ‘one third extra free’ on 1kg packs of Hamlyns Scot-

tish Oatmeal and 750g packs of Hamlyns Scottish Porridge Oats. Hamlyns of Scotland managing director, Alan Meikle said: “Weather forecasters are predicting a particularly cold winter, which, coupled with the general increase in demand for a healthy breakfast, and the fact that we now offer porridge both for traditional and convenient tastes, should mean that we are working flat-out 24/7 over the months ahead to cope with demand.”

McKechnie Jess

GREENOCK-based, family-owned meat products supplier McKechnie Jess was the second new entrant in the top 50 Scottish food and drink brands in Scotland chart,

in 2014 entering at position number 48. The company produces a wide (from value to premium) range of sausages, burgers, puddings and haggis lines.

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Scottish brands review 2014

Good times at teatime

VER the years of the annual SG Scottish brands review a number of categories have shown themselves to be ones in which Scottish consumers, and Scottish retailers, have strong affinities to Scottish brands. Meat products is certainly one, soft drinks and waters is another, a number of Scottish dairy brands do very well in their home market, and porridge brands appear to have stood the test of time. But in and around the top 50 Scottish performers there are also very many biscuit brands. As we saw earlier Tunnock’s and Border Biscuits did very well indeed in the high sections of the top 50. Another teacakes producer that might well do well out of both the international teacake awareness promoted by the Commonwealth Games opening ceremony and the change in VAT status of teacakes is Lees. The firm’s sales director Bert Croll said the firm had seen “excellent growth in the last year with sales up 20%”. He put that down in part to the company’s products being seen as good value for money, in particular the 10-packs

Key brands When it comes to sweet treats, Scots brands take the biscuit

Lees says it has seen sales grow significantly on its teacakes and snowball ranges, which it puts down to a consumer appreciation of the value offered by its multipacks and to improvements in packaging. Walkers recently unveiled its range of Walkers Gluten Free shortbread.

of teacakes and snowballs, and in part to new packaging, which he reckons ensures strong shelf standout for both products. Shortbread specialist Dean’s of Huntly produces a wide range of traditional and ‘traditional with a difference’ shortbread, biscuits, and savoury

biscuit lines under its own name and it markets the Maw Broon’s Kitchen range also. This year Dean’s picked up an important award at the Scotland Food and Drink Excellence Awards when it won the Investing in People Award. At the same awards Alan Hardie, managing director of

Paterson Arran was given the special award for an outstanding contribution to Scotland’s food and drink. Speyside-based shortbread producer Walkers played a major role in Scotland’s big year, launching its dedicated ‘Homecoming’ Range, to mark Visit Scotland’s ‘Year of Homecoming’ as well as releasing a commemorative pack noting the 700th Anniversary of the Battle of Bannockburn. 2014 also saw it partner with the RSPB, supporting the organisation’s ‘Give Nature a Home’ conservation campaign with an on-pack promotion. Walkers says it has an exciting NPD launch calendar in place for 2015 including the roll-out of its recently unveiled Gluten Free Range and seasonal novelty tins.

2015 set to be a year to savour AFTER a remarkable 2014 Scotland’s food and tourism bodies plan to maintain momentum with Year of Food and Drink Scotland 2015. At the programme’s launch cabinet secretary for rural affairs, food and the environment Richard Lochhead set out the aims as promoting 82 l

Scottish produce in tourism and enhancing Scotland’s global reputation as a land of food and drink. There will be a TV ad shown across the UK, a bespoke logo, an event fund, a dedicated Year of Food and Drink Growth Fund, social media activity, industry engagement

and international marketing, designed to connect ‘plate to place’. Scotland Food and Drink chief executive, James Withers said: “Food and drink is now one of the nation’s greatest success stories and the Year of Food and Drink couldn’t come at a better time.”

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Scottish brands review 2014: alcoholic drinks

Spirits companies suggest the increase in home entertaining has seen consumers choose premium spirits and attempt to emulate the bar experience at home with sophisticated serves and cocktails. That being said, while Glen’s Vodka remains the most valuable Scottish alcohol brand in Scottish take-home many traditional brands of whisky take up positions in the top 25.

Vodka and lager lead whisky pack In a big year for Scotland the national drink dominates the top 25 Scottish drinks in Scotland chart but Glen’s and Tennent’s retain the top places

HIS year is the second in which Scottish Grocer and Kantar Worldpanel have separated alcohol and non-alcohol brands in our top Scottish brands review. With alcohol prices so heavily influenced by duty and VAT we think it’s likely to be more informative and useful for alcohol and non-alcohol alike. So, what does the 2014 chart say about Scottish alcohol brands in Scottish take-home? Well we know there’s a huge

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amount of activity in a number of categories and sub-categories, with much of the most interesting product development coming from innovate Scottish firms. Scottish craft brewers have been doing very well in UK and international competition.

The malt whisky scene is full of activity, and that includes interesting marketing developments on large established brands as well as launches by smaller distilleries. And Scotland is finding an important niche in the fast-growing international spirits industry niche

of small-batch gin. But the top 25 brands feature some very well known brands in spirits and beer and cover a wide range of price points – from value lines to premium products that have won worldwide accaim. Today we take a close look at our top two brands, both of which are going through important developments. And we look at some of the wider developments in Scottish spirits and beer.

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Top 25 Scottish take-home alcoholic drinks brands in Scotland Brand

Rank 2014

Rank 2013

Moving up?

Glen’s Vodka

Tennent’s

Famous Grouse

Bell’s Whisky

Whyte & Mackay

Grant’s Whisky

●

McEwan’s

●

High Commissioner

Aberlour

●

Highland Pride

Jura

Drambuie

Glenfiddich

●

Glenlivet

●

Teacher’s

Glenmorangie

Highland Park

●

Belhaven

●

Clan MacGregor

●

Johnnie Walker

●

Glen Moray

●

Black Bottle

●

Glayva

Dalwhinnie

Talisker

●

Source: Kantar Worldpanel take-home sales in Scotland 52 weeks to 25 May 2014 v 52 weeks to 26 May 2013. NE = New entry. December 2014 l

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Scottish brands review 2014: alcoholic drinks

Glen’s

LEN’S vodka has been the most valuable Scottish alcohol brand in Scottish take-home for some time and until recently had a very straightforward strategy. Consumers saw it a very credible brand and it was very competitively priced. Now, however, the brand is under new ownership. Loch Lomond Group is a company that bought the Loch Lomond Distillery and a series of brands that includes Glen’s as well as Scotland’s eighthmost valuable take home alcohol brand High Commissioner whisky and many more. As managing director Colin Matthews explained the new management moved immediately to identify key areas for investment and it decided it was important to realise the strength of Glen’s. First item on the agenda was to have a series of detailed conversations with consumers in Scotland and elsewhere in the UK. “We thought that on both the Glen’s and the High Commissioner brands, the liquids inside were fantastic. And they blind tasted very well,” he said. But he stressed the most important view was the consumer’s. “What consumers have said to us about Glen’s is that it’s a trusted friend. And it’s something they share with friends. “However, one of the things they did want was for us to

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keep the spirit exactly the same but to make the package more attractive. “So we’ve done our best to do that and had that validated all around the United Kingdom. “A significant number of consumer groups have said ‘We absolutely love what you are doing’.” Perhaps one of the most interesting developments on the brand will be that in just a few weeks time there will be not one but two Glen’s that retailers will be able to offer. “Our consumers were also asking us for a premium version so we’ve done Glen’s Platinum.” he said. The new vodka will be made from different grain and will be bottled at a higher strength, 40% ABV. Bottles are in their final stages of development but as the special renders on this page show they will be designed to be complementary and will be quite different from the old style. And they will feature something else that the firm’s research found was on a lot of people’s wish list.

The old Glen’s vodka bottle is shown above, left. And the progress to the new is in the other two images – above, centre an artist’s render of how the new bottles of Glen’s Vodka will look and above, right how the new premium Glen’s Platinum is likely to appear. The new look Glen’s is scheduled to go into retail outlets in January 2015.

“One of the things that consumers all across the UK said to us was ‘It doesn’t say where this is made’,” Matthews explained. “So on the new bottle it says ‘Made in Scotland’. That was considered to be a positive thing by all the consumers.” The new look and the new premium Glen’s Platinum are

On the new bottle it says ‘Made in Scotland’. That was considered to be a positive thing by all the consumers.

scheduled to go into retail at the end of January 2015. “We’re very excited with what we’ve done. We’re very excited to have done it alongside consumers and consumers have said this is what we want to have,” Matthews said. “We listen very carefully to the consumer. We’re going to do a number of consumer promotions during the launch. There’ll be lots of great stuff to win. “And we have also built a digital platform by doing a glensvodka.com web site where consumers can interact with the brand and can interact with us.”

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20/11/2014 08:50

SCOTLAND’S best selling spirit is looking better value than ever.

• Glen’s is launching a brand

new look in Q1 2015 • New label and bottle for increased consumer appeal • Also, Look out for our fabulous new on pack consumer promotions in 2015

Please enjoy responsibly

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18/11/2014 14:42

Scottish brands review 2014: alcoholic drinks

Tennent’s “We were trying to bring a bit more of that Tennent’s personality and Scottish wit to our packaging. So instead of going for a straightforward big bold piece of branding on the front of your pack we’ve actually gone for a range that brings Scottish phrases and colloquialisms onto the pack that somewhere along the line contain a red T,” he said. “And we used an area on top of the pack to do a translation from Scots dialect into English for anyone that doesn’t know what some of the terms mean. “We carried that over into the summer where we had an on-pack promotion that was around the summer of sport. We had packs out there that said things like ‘Armchair Athlete’ and ‘ArmWe’ve now got a couple chair Supporter’. Probably the faof new members of the vourite one, the Tennent’s family. one that went

ENNENT’S is once again not only the nation’s favourite Scottish beer brand but its favourite beer brand overall, ahead of homegrown alternatives and all the multinationals. And 2014 looks to have been a good time for the brand, commercially and creatively. “We’ve had a good year, the brand is pretty buoyant in an overall challenging sector. In particular our performance in multiple grocers has been strong,” Tennent Caledonian Breweries marketing director Paul Condron told Scottish Grocer. “We’ve made a concerted effort to raise our game in offtrade in general. “On the core Tennent’s brand we had a rebrand back in spring.

A new look for Scotland’s biggest-selling beer and an on-pack promo designed to catch the mood and wit of a no-nonsense, sports-mad nation.

down best, simply said ‘Nae Tickets’. “I think that’s something that a brand like Tennent’s can do to resonate with the Scottish consumer. A lot of the brands that we compete against in a very hotly contested segment

Any more for T? Lemon T, cloudy lemonade and light lager, was launched in spring. And Tennent’s released Black T just a few weeks ago, on the day before Halloween. 88 l

can’t do that,” he argued “Another angle we’ve taken this year is to look at range extension. We’ve now got a couple of new members of the Tennent’s family. “Back in spring time we brought Lemon T to market for the first time, a 2.8% ABV cloudy lemonade mixed with light lager in a 300ml bottle served in a four-bottle basket pack. It was targeted primarily at the convenience and impulse shopper and it’s done very well to stretch the Tennent’s brand into emerging categories. “And latterly over the last couple of weeks we’ve brought our new premium range extension to market in the form of Black T. It’s still early days but the anecdotal feedback is positive. “That’s helping stretch what is a very strong and solid brand in Tennent’s Lager and taking it into new drinking occasions and also into the hands of some new consumers.”

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20/11/2014 15:24

WISE MEN STOCK TENNENT’S SCOTLAND’S NO.1 SELLING LAGER

MORE SHOPPERS BUY TENNENT’S AT CHRISTMAS.* SO KEEP YOUR FRIDGE FULL, THE TENNENT’S LAGER COLD AND YOUR CUSTOMERS HAPPY.

*Dunnhumby, 4 w/e Dec 2013. Tennent’s and the red T are registered trademarks of C&C Group.

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18/11/2014 14:40

Scottish brands review 2014: alcoholic drinks

Shelf awareness S

COTLAND’S most valuable single alcohol brand is a vodka. But after that our top 25 is heavily dominated by whisky and beer. And, while the top beer is a Scottish lager, ales of different types have been doing well recently. The McEwan’s brand moved up a place from eight to seven in the chart and Belhaven was up too from 19 to 18. Both brands sell significant volumes of canned ale with McEwan’s Export and Belhaven Best but both have in recent years been introducing new premium bottled ales to the market. And premium bottled ale is currently one of the most buoyant parts of take-home long drinks in Scotland and elsewhere in the UK. One of the leading Scottish premium bottled ale providers is Caledonian Brewing Company, the firm behind Deuchars IPA, Caledonian 80/- and Flying Scotsman. Managing director Andy Maddock told Scottish Grocer he thinks it’s a time of real opportunity but that range and shelf management will be crucial to success.

The McEwan’s brand moved up one place in the top 25 this year. Most of its volume comes through the country’s biggest-selling take-home ale McEwan’s Export. But it has also extended its range of premium bottled ales.

“Total bottled ale is growing ahead of ale, which to be honest comes as no surprise,” he said. “The interesting thing is when you look at the numbers it’s still being driven by what we would call premium bottled ale and by what a lot of the grocers are starting to call ‘discovery’ ale.” The company will look to do more in ‘discovery’ or specialist ales in the future, he said. “When you delve in a bit further you see that the bottled

ale market is still 90% dominated by the grocers. We’re looking to develop good relationships with the grocers in Scotland but we’re also looking at the other 10% as an opportunity that’s untapped. So we’re developing a convenience strategy as well.” Part of that will about discussing the opportunities and logistic challenges of premium in general and ‘discovery’ beers. “If you look at total Scotland, and the mults in Scotland, val-

Caledonian Brewing Company chief Andy Maddock sees opportunities for c-stores in premium bottled ales.

ue is outgrowing volume. It’s seen as a premium category by shoppers and it’s a high value category for the retailer. “It is an opportunity to premiumise your offer as a convenience store so long as you get the right shelf space. It’s a very dynamic and progressive category. “But just by doubling your SKUs in premium bottled ale doesn’t meant you double your sales. There’s a danger that you get too much pick and mix,” he said.

The whisky shuffle T

HE Famous Grouse, Bell’s and Whyte & Mackay retained their positions as third, fourth and fifth placed Scottish alcohol brands and as the top three take-home Scotch whiskies in Scotland in our 2014 chart. Whiskies make a big impression on the chart in general. Below the top three, however, there’s

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more jostling for position. Grant’s whisky moved up a place to six in 2014 while value brand High Commissioner, imminently to be relaunched by Loch Lomond Group, moved down to eighth. Aberlour was top take-home malt in the Kantar list and several malts moved up in the chart, most notably HIghland Park which was up from 21 in 2013 to

17 this year. Interestingly, a number of what might be seen as robustly flavoured island malts were down. The Skye malt Talisker dropped from 18 in 2013 to 25 this year. And powerfully peaty Islay malt Laphroaig, which was 24th last year, slipped out of the chart this time round. Blend Johnnie Walker and malt Dalwhinnie were new entries.

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20/11/2014 08:51