a2 Milk is set to make a strategic move to the chilled speciality shelf. Aimed at reaching consumers seeking alternatives to cows’ milk, a2 Milk will encourage them to go back to dairy. First to reveal the brand repositioning and new-look 1-litre bottle in-store is Sainsbury’s, having secured a new nationwide listing.
The brand refresh will be supported by a £3m marketing campaign targeted towards the 1-in-5 Brits who believe they are milk intolerant. The recruitment drive to return them to dairy will support the total milk category, with specific focus on the specialist market, which is seeing 20.8% growth.
The multi-channel trade and marketing activity will include shopper marketing, PR, social media, digital activation and a website relaunch supported by high-profile media doctor Dr Hilary Jones. A disruptive ‘Welcome Back to Milk’ TV, radio and digital content campaign will launch in January 2015.
a2 Milk, owned by The a2 Milk Company, was introduced into the UK in 2012 following major success in Australia, where it gained 10% value share of the fresh milk market since its launch in 2000, and sparked a highly debated ‘milk war’.
Originally, all cows produced milk containing only the A2 protein. However, over time, another milk protein emerged (A1), which is in the majority of milk in our fridges and is often the cause of digestive issues for millions of people. It’s from cows specially selected because they naturally only produce milk containing the easier-to-digest A2 protein.
Recent human clinical trials carried out by Curtin University in Australia and published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, show that A2 is significantly kinder on the stomach than A1, reporting reduced bloating and abdominal pain associated with drinking A2.
The 1-litre Semi Skimmed SKU, RRP £1.39, will retail in Sainsbury’s from 19 November 2014. This, and the Whole Milk SKU will then be rolled out to a2 Milk’s other accounts in the new year.
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