case study: lance snack foods
Challenger Brand issue: Out-spent, in need of makeover.
Lance is one of the oldest and largest producers and distributors of snack food in the United States. Their products can be found in convenience stores, supermarkets and vending machines everywhere. But after years of scarce advertising exposure and the emergence of new competitors and a new generation of consumers, Lance's sales were getting flat and the customer base was dwindling.
gkv was hired in 2001 to help stimulate sales by making Lance products relevant to a new generation of snack food consumers.
Insights
Lance crackers not only provide a tasty, fresh and fulfilling snack, they are highly portable. They travel better than most candy bars, better than chips and can be eaten whenever you have a craving. This product truth, combined with the clear need to appeal to a younger audience, led us to a "totally mobile snack" positioning.
Challenger Brand Behavior: Create a Symbol of Reevaluation
Lance needed to give people a reason to consider them again. To prove its cultural relevance to new consumers. It's ability to satisfy the hunger of a highly mobile target audience allowed it to continue to compete. But creating a memorable, irreverent new radio campaign that essentially re-branded the company allowed it to compete and win. The new theme line is "I got Lance in my pants." Yeah, we know what you're thinking.
The spots feature a quirky musical sting and comedian Adam Carolla, taking the theme line and doing some incredible improv around it. The brand has been reborn under the new theme and new radio.
Results
Since the campaign's inception, recall of Lance radio commercials has been consistently higher than any other snack food brand tested. Same store sales have skyrocketed. Perhaps most importantly, Lance employees have been totally reenergized. They love the buzz created by the campaign and are fierce brand champions.