Astro keeps it simple at shelf

Astro-yogourt-shopper-marketing

Lactalis Canada is promoting its new Astro Protein & Fibre yogurt with standout packaging and a shopper program that includes straightforward messaging about functional benefits.

The four-flavour lineup has begun rolled out to approximately 1,300 stores nationally. The brand is opting for coupons and aisle blades with straight-ahead protein and fibre callouts to stimulate trial, says Burhan Khan, national marketing director of the cultured division at Lactalis Canada.

Khan tells strategy that added protein is very on-trend for the category, but a combination with fibre does not exist in the marketplace. And as a brand, Astro really believes in simple functional benefits messaging.

“We literally call the product Protein & Fibre, there’s no mucking around with it,” Khan says. The phrase is very prominently displayed both on pack – at nearly the same size as the Astro brand name – and reinforced with supplemental materials.

“[Fibre yogurt] is a new innovation and we need people to trial it,” Khan says, and focusing on the proposition and end benefit to the consumer – that it helps energize people and fill them up – is efficacious.

The packaging architecture had to fit into the Astro portfolio, and Khan says teal was chosen as the main colour as it signifies confidence, but is also not as widely seen at most store shelves.

Astro-yogourt-shelf-blades

In addition to it protein and fibre on-pack, Astro’s oats-based ingredients are another important call out, as Lactalis says adding oat flour allows for a smoother texture than the grain-based competitive set.

“We know that oats, whether it’s an added ingredient or inside dairy, that’s another trend,” Khan maintains.

Competitor Danone Canada, for example, recently launched a drinkable Oikos Morning Oats Greek yogurt to tap that insight.

In order to connect with a better-for-you consumer who is in tune with probiotics, Astro has a PR and on-pack collaboration with the Canadian Digestive Health Foundation (CDHF) to add to the credibility of its value proposition with a CDHC certification.

Once pandemic restrictions ease, Khan says it will look to put in place hard sampling activations in-store. And once awareness is successfully built for Astro Protein & Fibre, Lactalis will consider activating on different platforms, and to work with the likes of online couponer Flipp to further extend the message/reach.

The packaging agency for the campaign is BrandBourg. There is also a TV spot, created by The Hive, running until the end of November.