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Market
Bread has been a staple food item for many since 1000BC, when the first truly modern bread was made in Ancient Egypt. Today, with more than 200 varieties available in the UK, bread is probably the one food eaten by people of every race, culture and religion. It is naturally packed with more essential vitamins and nutrients than any other single source. Bread is an excellent source of protein, complex carbohydrates, calcium, iron magnesium, potassium and zinc, as well as the B vitamins.
The UK bread and morning goods market is worth more than 拢3 billion and is one of the largest sectors in the food industry (Source: IRI). Hovis commands the number-one position within the wrapped bread market and is bought by more households than any other bread brand (Source: IRI). Although white bread has traditionally been the UK's firm favourite, brown bread has been gaining popularity over the last few years. Hovis is the clear leader in the brown bread market with over 30% value share and continues to grow by 17% year-on-year (Source: IRI).
Achievements
The brand has an illustrious history as one of the UK's oldest bread brands. Throughout its existence, Hovis has been synonymous with high quality and has developed many different products in line with a changing society. Keeping abreast of changing consumer demands, Hovis has continued to lead the way in innovation, not only producing bread for most sectors of the market but also creating new segments.
In 1999 the brand introduced Hovis Crusty bread (which maintains its crusty outside and soft inside for up to four days) and in 2001 it launched Best of Both, a white loaf with the amount of wheatgerm found in wholemeal bread. In less than four years, Best of Both has become a 拢52 million brand, driving the Healthy White segment and making itself the clear market leader.
In addition to new product development, Hovis, as the leading bread brand, has challenged the category norms. Against a background of long-term volume decline in the bread category and with low retail bread pricing, Hovis knew that a step-change was necessary for the new millennium in order to grow the value of the bread category.
It is essential that consumers value bread, both financially and for its healthy qualities. In summer 2001 Hovis introduced a radically new packaging design across its core lines that disrupted the fixture and made consumers take note and so the now-iconic Hovis 'beans' and 'tomatoes' packaging was born.
The relaunch, plus the new product development of Best of Both, drove category value growth and double-digit growth for the brand. Following the major re-launch of summer 2001, Hovis was awarded the IPA Effectiveness Award (silver) and the Brand Design Gold Award for packaging and advertising. Further endorsements were received in the form of the FAB Awards for packaging and advertising in 2002.
History
Hovis bread began life in 1886 with the cumbersome name of 'Smith's Patent Germ Bread'. It was the brainchild of Richard 'Stoney' Smith who had long considered discarding the wheatgerm in wheatgrains because of its instability as a wanton waste of the most nutritive properties of wheat. He experimented and perfected a method of steam cooking which preserved the wheatgerm without destroying its nutrients.
Fitton & Sons, Millers of Macclesfield, was charged with marketing Smith's invention. The company held a national competition to find a new name for the product. It was won by a London student named Herbert Grime, who took the Latin 'hominis vis' ('strength of man') and shortened it to Hovis. Much of the early success of Hovis can be attributed to John Figgins Morton who set about devising advertising campaigns that firmly established Hovis as a household name. The earliest Hovis advertisements were aimed at the trade in an effort to attract bakers to become Hovis agents.
Three years of trading gained widespread acceptance of wheatgerm bread and by 1890 the name Hovis had been established and elaborate plans to promote the name to the fullest extent had been introduced. By 1895 Hovis was claiming that sales of Hovis bread had exceeded 1,000,000 loaves per week.
In 1916 the earliest reference to 'Don't say Brown - say Hovis' first appeared. Hovis advertising in World War I was not prolific and mostly reflected the economy. During World War II, slogans such as 'Make Hovis Your Ration for The Duration' were introduced, while a booklet entitled 'Sandwich Suggestions for the Shelter' was produced.
After the war, Hovis advertising became more co-ordinated and a consistent theme and slogan were produced and adhered to. Commercial television began in the UK in 1955 and Hovis made a tremendous impact by revisiting the slogan that became famous:' Don't Say Brown - Say Hovis'.
A highly successful series of short sharp commercials followed featuring George Benson. This slogan was in use until 1960 when it was changed to 'The Golden Heart Of Hovis' and 'Home Is All The Better For Hovis'. Today, the great success story for Hovis is truly reflected in its value sales, which have grown from 拢20 million in 1980 to more than 拢293 million in 2005 (Source: IRI).
Product
Hovis has come a long way since the days of Richard 'Stoney' Smith's original wheatgermflour. Although renowned for its wheatgerm bread (renamed Hovis Brown in 1997), Hovis also makes white, wholemeal and Granary loaves, along with a whole range of other products.
Never afraid of innovation and always ready to respond to the needs of its consumers, Hovis introduced its innovative square rolls, the Hovis Cobble, in 1994 and the Half Loaf in 1995.The following year saw the launch of the Hovis Luxury Fruited range, including a Fruit Loaf, Toasting Buns and Scones. Hovis also produces Hovis Farmhouse, a loaf with all the flavour of a traditionally baked farmhouse loaf but the convenience of modern wrapped, sliced bread. Following the ground-breaking success of Hovis Crusty White in 1999, a Crusty Golden Brown version was introduced the following year. At the same time, in July 2001, Hovis Best of Both was launched, spearheading the drive into creating the new healthy white bread segment.
Recent developments
Moving into the 21st century saw Hovis boldly entering a brave new world with the introduction of its revolutionary and much prized 'big food' packaging -- featuring baked beans, tomatoes, cucumbers and melted cheese imagery covering the whole pack.
Supported by a completely new 拢7 million advertising campaign, which featured cartoons that reflected the rather hectic nature of modern family life, a far cry from the sepia 'tinted' imagery of yesteryear, the re-launch clearly established Hovis as the nation's favourite bread brand. Since the launch, Hovis White Square Cut, proudly displayed in the iconic 'beans' packaging, has become the bestselling loaf.
The following year, in April 2002, Hovis focused its attention to the Rolls category, developing and launching a unique range of Square Rolls suitable for the lunchbox occasion and packed to prevent damage in transit.
Based on the brand truths of 'family values' and 'good for you', Hovis has continued to highlight and drive the healthy qualities and nutritional benefits of bread to an increasingly more 'health-conscious' consumer, introducing appropriate new products to meet consumer needs, across the various bread sectors. These include Hovis Best of Health in 2003, two versions of Hovis Lower Salt, in the ever popular Square bread format - in White and Wholemeal varieties and also a Hovis Lower Carbs, a white bread that contains 25% less carbohydrate than standard, all in 2004. In between, Hovis continued to build on the health message by ensuring that all products with the entire bread range were 'free from artificial preservatives and flavourings'; becoming the only brand to do so.
Things you didn't know about Hovis
The first Hovis advert appeared in 1888, in the form of an analyst's report on the nutritional value of bread baked from germ flour. Professor William Jago said: "The prepared germ meal and flour yield a bread far superior in nutritive value, flavour and texture."
The founder, Richard Smith, died in 1890 and is now buried in Highgate Cemetery. His grave is marked by a special headstone in remembrance of his particular contribution to the British diet.
During World War II, Hovis donated a spitfire to the RAF. It was named 'Hominis Vis', Latin for 'the strength of man', which in its shortened form became the brand name Hovis.
In 2000 Hovis 'Boy on a Bike' was voted as one of the nation's favourite advertisements in a poll carried out by The Sunday Times and Channel 4. 110 years after Hovis flour was first introduced, Hovis is the number-one bread brand in the UK. Hovis
Promotion
The 1970s signalled Hovis' commitment to modern advertising. The brand changed its advertising agency and within two years had introduced the nostalgic theme by Dvorak that became such a prominent feature of the 1970s and 1980s.
Together with the famous film director, Ridley Scott, the agency produced a series of commercials that won their way into the hearts of the general public. The now famous 'Bike Ride' commercial made in 1973 won five awards and became part of national television history. The nostalgic Hovis commercials produced during the decade 1972-1982 won more than 30 international awards.
By 1994, the slogan on the TV adverts was changed to 'Raised The Hovis Way', reinforcing Hovis' emphasis on tradition and the family. In 1997 the adverts continued under the 'Raised The Hovis Way' banner but focused on people and their partiality for different Hovis loaves. Hovis has ensured that it remains the number one bread brand into the 21st century.
New advertising with heavyweight media spend featured a cartoon family depicting real-life situations and the role that Hovis played in providing everyday goodness for busy, modern families. This re-launch had a dramatic effect, with share growing - particularly in white bread - to increase Hovis' brand leadership.
In 2003, Hovis became the only major brand to remove artificial preservatives and flavourings from its bread. This was supported with TV advertising until 2005. The Best of Both product has also been consistently advertised from launch in 2001 and is now worth 拢52 million in terms of value sales.
2005 has seen further improvements to the goodness delivered by Hovis products. All Hovis white bread is now the 'Healthiest Ever' with extra wholewheat goodness, lower salt and no artificial preservatives. This has been supported with new advertising and packaging, ensuring that Hovis remains at the forefront of consumer expectations.
Brand values
For more than 119 years, since Richard Stoney Smith found a way of retaining the wheatgerm goodness in flour, Hovis has been a bread brand synonymous with goodness. Providing 'everyday goodness' is at the heart of the brand and, through consistent marketing support and innovation, consumers still believe Hovis provides the most goodness of any bread brand.
It is also the most trusted bread brand, with 78% of the consumer vote in the Reader's Digest Most Trusted Brands survey and perceived to be the highest quality (78%), demonstrating it's enduring appeal and the virtues of a long heritage.
(c) 2005 Superbrands Ltd
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