Research helps Grant/Jacoby develop new advertising for Stokely USA

A fresh approach

Editor's note: Pamela Nagel is account research manager for Chicago-based Grant/Jacoby advertising.

If you're planning to update the image of an old line brand, you need to find out a few things first. For example, what does the manufacturer know about the brand and its competition? What do consumers want from the category? What do consumers believe about the brand? And what is the competition saying?

Answers to these basic questions provide the foundation for developing strategically sound advertising messages. Our agency's work for the canned vegetable division of Stokely USA, Inc. is a case in point. Based in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, Stokely USA processes, packages and markets a broad range of food products including vegetables, fruits, and juices.

Originally known as Oconomowoc Canning Co., its name was changed to Stokely USA in 1983, after it acquired the Stokely brand name, to reflect the importance of the branded grocery business in the company's strategic development. Prior to Oconomowoc Canning's purchase of the brand name, advertising for the Stokely brand had been inconsistent. And for the past several years Stokely products were advertised only via retail flyers and free standing inserts, counting on trade deals to move product.

In March, 1990, when Grant/Jacoby was given the assignment to develop an advertising campaign for Stokely USA, we knew we were in for a challenge.

What made this assignment especially exciting was the fact that Stokely had recently refocused its mission to revive the brand and its managers were eager to break new ground.

During the next six months, we at Grant/ Jacoby used our Strategic Development system. Through this comprehensive, systematic process we used research to guide the strategic thinking that lead to our current campaign for Stokely USA.

Grant/Jacoby's immersion in the canned vegetable category for Stokely USA began with a collaborative agency/ client review of internal research, published category information and competitive advertising. From Mediamark Research Inc. we learned that more than 90 % of U.S. households purchase canned vegetables. However, consumers on the whole have very little brand loyalty, often switching between a few brands within an acceptable set.

We also knew from primary research that while consumers want fresh taste, they don't believe canned vegetables can taste as good as fresh. Our claim would have to link Stokely with fresh taste but not overpromise. And it would have to be supported in a believable way.

In further discussions with our client we learned that Stokely cans have a white, "Flavor Guard" lining. Stokely pays a premium for the lining to help preserve the natural taste of its vegetables. National competitors don't have this white lining. And while some regional competitors do, they don't talk about it in their advertising.

Brand equity

In the mid-1970s a campaign had run for Stokely which took place in the town of Stokely USA. But since then only sporadic advertising had been run. So we needed to examine Stokely's brand equity and ultimately determine ways to leverage it to our advantage. If consumers held certain perceptions about Stokely vs. the competition we would have to account for them in our marketing efforts.

Grant/Jacoby and the people from Stokely became intrigued by the potential range of images which could be associated with the entire brand name, Stokely USA. We all felt there might be a renewed opportunity to link it with fresh taste, the key category attribute. But without consumer input we'd be operating blind. Our next steps would be critical.

Focus groups

We conducted several focus groups and through a series of projective techniques consumers told us about their images of Stokely vegetables and "a place called Stokely USA." In half of the groups we exposed a written concept of Stokely USA and the people who lived there. We then asked consumers to select from about 50 pictures of people and places that best matched the concept.

In the other half, consumers chose pictures that best represented their view of Stokely USA based solely on the name.

After comparing their choices, with and without exposure to the written concept, we knew we were on to something.

In all the groups, regardless of the order exposed, consumer perceptions were remarkably consistent:

"Stokely USA is a farming community." "It's made up of people with strong moral values, but they're open to new ideas." "They're hard working, family and community-oriented...the kind of people you'd enjoy knowing."

For consumers, these images translated directly into the types of vegetables they'd expect from Stokely USA. "They'd be fresh, wholesome...the kind of foods you'd feel good about serving your family."

These findings convinced us that working with the theme of Stokely USA could help create positive perceptions for the brand. But strategically we knew that whatever we did had to be unique to Stokely. In any case, a me-too "heartland" campaign was out of the question.

The Grant/Jacoby creative department came up with a variety of different storyboards embracing this position. Then through a series of discussions with our client about key brand issues we narrowed the field to two. The next question was, how would consumers react to each campaign?

Animatic research

Animatic research would help us decide which of the two executions best met our objectives relative to each other, and on an absolute basis against other advertising in the category. We selected Video Storyboard Tests, New York, to conduct the research because of its basic methodology, extensive bank of normative data and reasonable cost.

Both executions fared well among consumers for communication, but one clearly stood out when compared to the norms. "Corn Demo," as it was called, is a lighthearted spot set on a farm in Stokely USA in which actor Sterling Robson explains Stokely's philosophy on picking corn at the height of freshness, canning it immediately, and preserving that freshness with each can's special white liner.

The spot significantly exceeded category norms for many key measures. What made these results so unusual was that typically, when an execution scores well on uniqueness it is less likely to have broad appeal. This one had both. Our position supported by Stokely's white Flavor Guard lining was seen not only as unique but also of wide importance.

Diagnostic information further confirmed the execution's competitive strength. Consumers were quite taken with Sterling Robson, the primary spokesperson for Stokely canned vegetables and with what he had to say. Grant/Jacoby selected Sterling because he's a down to earth kind of guy but with his own unique style. He tells our product story with the conviction we'd expect from a farmer who grows vegetables in Stokely USA.

Extensions of the campaign came right from the tone of the original spot. Four of the extensions were, "Mabel Hays and her husband on peas from Stokely USA," "Sterling with a word and a song about Stokely USA," "Erie Hug with an explanation of Stokely's new Gold 'N White corn," and "Charlotte Tressler with a poem about Stokely tomato juice."

The remaining question became, "But will the campaign move product off the shelves?"

Tracking methods

While Stokely began planning for test markets Grant/Jacoby began developing advertising tracking methods. The first wave of research would provide a benchmark measurement of brand equity prior to any advertising. Successive waves would gauge movement based on advertising exposure.

Ideally we would have liked to compare the findings with actual sales data, but our client has not obtained the data yet. Instead, we're paying close attention to claimed past three month purchase and attitudinal shifts.

So far the news looks good. With the introduction of television advertising, unaided purchase recall of Stokely vegetables increased significantly. Stokely also achieved significant improvements in attitudes toward our primary message as well as strong improvements for all other key attitudinal measures.