Anchor Butter: Until the Cows Come Home

Anchor Butter: Until the Cows Come Home

This paper illustrates the value of consistent, single-minded advertising investment to support a brand for the long term, even in a very unusual market. The butter category was suffering due to a report which announced a direct link between saturated fat and heart disease. Anchor butter was also operating under marketing constraints (it couldn't exceed a share of 25-30%). Objective was to maintain a price premium and increase market share to the permitted ceiling. TV was sole medium with initial tests in London and Central regions. National roll out came later. Evaluation: positive improvements in awareness and purchasing in advertised versus non-advertised areas. Higher brand loyalty than competitors. 1.9% increase in volume sales. Due to the recession Anchor became more price-sensitive, but also more sensitive to advertising, which became more effective.