Dr. Oetker is putting a big investment against The Good Baker, its new frozen brand with better-for-you ingredients.

The Good Baker came to the Canadian market in February. It is expected to bring both incremental consumers to the category, as well as expanded consumption as the guilt associated with eating pizza is reduced, explains Laura Jones, business manager for parent company Dr. Oetker.

The company is executing a shopper blade program across Loblaw, Fortinos, Maxi, No Frills, Provigo, Zehrs, Value-Mart,  Sobeys, IGA, Safeway and Save on Foods with callouts that there is “goodness baked into every bite.”

“POS is especially important [for new] innovation as it ensures we have awareness in-store so that consumers can find the product at shelf,” Jones says. On pack, The Good Baker is eye-catching with an easy to read brand name, plus mouth watering photography that whets the appetite of consumers, Jones says.

The three SKUs being heroed have slightly different appeal, but each with a high source of fibre: Veggie Mix is made with sour dough crust, while Margherita and Spinach & Pumpkin Seeds have a multigrain crust with flaxseeds with a high source of protein. The first two varieties are also vegetarian, while the last is vegan.

The brand is coming to market with top-of-line TV led creative, as well as social and programmatic support to drive awareness. Starting Aug. 12, The Good Baker also started activating its Trattoria sampling program, with two trucks travelling Ontario and Quebec handing out samples over the coming months.

“Tasting is believing and we want to give consumers the opportunity to try our fantastic products,” Jones says.

When it comes to the competitive set, according to Jones, The Good Baker strikes a perfect balance between a healthy pizza and a tasty pizza. She says Dr. Oetker saw a white space in the frozen pizza market, as “healthy” pizzas aimed at those with specific dietary requirements often compromise on taste.

Jones tells strategy frozen pizza sales magnified at the onset of the pandemic and during each lockdown. It wasn’t only about comfort eating Jones maintains, but with consumers working from home, they were looking for quick lunch options. “With inflation hitting the highest point it’s been at in the last 40 years, pizza offers an affordable meal solution,” Jones says.

There is a slight dip in sales over the summer months, but generally, frozen pizza sales follow the index of the grocery shop. Key frozen pizza consumption include the looming back-to-school period.

According to Jones, Dr. Oetker is the top brand in the market with a 47.1% unit share.

The Good Baker worked together with Neptune and Metrospot on the blade program. The TV and social creative was adapted from its parent company in Germany.

Last year, Dr. Oetker came to market pushing its Momenti brand to target a cooking fatigued audience that increasingly desires convenient food solutions that satisfy both taste and health credentials.