Looking back, the suggestion that eating a Mars bar every day might help one in all aspects of life was a pretty audacious marketing strategy. Nonetheless, the slogan 'A Mars a day helps you work, rest and play', created in 1959, has certainly stood the test of time, despite the brand abandoning the line in its full form back in 1995.
Mars is a global brand, so it comes as something of a surprise to learn that, while other leading chocolate brands boosted UK value sales last year (partly due to price increases related to the rising cost of raw materials), those of the Mars range fell 14.2% to £102.1m.
On the face of it, the brand's activity appears to tick all the boxes when it comes to marketing: cutting levels of saturated fat; expanding its range (in the form of Planets and Delight in recent years); and sporting tie-ups. However, it was the latter that many feel left Mars red-faced.
In 2009, the signing of a five-year deal with The Football Association was a coup for Mars. Yet its bold strategy of switching the wrapper of its core line for white packaging and the St George's Cross, to coincide with the 2010 FIFA World Cup, meant that when England crashed out of the tournament, these bars hung around like an embarrassing reminder of the team's failure.
So what can Mars do to regain its former popularity? We asked Gareth Goodall, head of planning at Fallon, which works on the Cadbury account, and Anthony Hopper, managing director of shopper marketing agency Saatchi & Saatchi X.
MARS SALES
-14.2%
Sales by value yr-on-yr
£102.1m
Total sales 2010
-13.9%
Sales by volume yr-on-yr
Source: Nielsen Year ending 25 December 2010
GARETH GOODALL, head of planning, Fallon
Apparently, that most memorable slogan 'A Mars a day helps you work, rest and play' was the product of a competition - an early version of crowdsourcing, perhaps? The range contained one variant; the positioning was simple.
However, the world got more complicated. Trends in nutrition questioned chocolate's claim to the 'king of energy' title, and there was a sister brand, Snickers, in the 'hunger' space.
So, on paper, shifting the positioning to indulgence probably made logical sense, and in flew a new line: 'Pleasure you can't measure.'
Then a football sponsorship came along, an opportunity to take Mars back to its roots. In came some clever packaging - 'Believe' - and another slogan: 'Work, rest, play' (slightly weird-sounding for those of us old enough to know the original, and weirder still for those too young to get the reference).
Add to all this the news that Mars was reducing levels of saturated fat, and we have a story with many twists and turns.
There is a vociferous group that believes it is the 'product tampering'
that has sent sales falling. My diagnosis is different: confusion. It's a big challenge to nurture the love for a heritage brand while bringing it bang up to date. In this case, we have been left without a strong sense of what Mars is all about, and it fades in the mind as a result.
REMEDY
- Refocus. Define Mars' purpose in life and make it evident in all that the brand says and does, from the product to the advertising.
- Go for major surgery rather than playing around the edges. Change may not have had a positive impact in the past, but without it, Mars will find it impossible to get its mojo back.
ANTHONY HOPPER, managing director, Saatchi & Saatchi X
It appears that Mars is a brand lacking focus and purpose for a modern generation. Its core countline bar still sweats with masculinity, supporting international football (interestingly, both England and Scotland) and claiming to be the bar of substance for those that want to work, rest and play. However, many men seek their energy boost from other places these days, and Mars struggles for relevance when compared with the likes of Red Bull.
In contrast, Mars Delight has a much more feminine feel and tries hard to appear premium, but falls short of the mark. I'm not sure who Mars Planets is appealing to - perhaps everyone and no one? It's a strange collection that doesn't seem to have the budget to be properly heard or understood.
One of the biggest barriers chocolate brands face is the mega-trend of healthier lifestyles. By reducing saturated fats, Mars is taking a step in the right direction, but I would question its range and format strategy. It could learn from competitors that have extended into more permissible categories and created products that are perfect for sharing (and sharing the guilt).
REMEDY
- Understand the modern audience and what they really care about (both when they are shopping and when they are consuming).
- Define a focused core brand proposition that has relevance across the range (with differentiated sub-brand strategies, if relevant).
- Review range and formats to ensure appeal for modern eating habits.
- Consider the brand's role in the category and engage retailers with a platform that develops both the brand and the category.