Heinz invests £5m in healthy repositioning of beans
for a decade into repositioning its Baked Beans brand as a
nutritional food.
The move, said to be part of an overall strategy at Heinz that will see other products undergoing a similar repositioning, reflects a drive by mainstream food makers to appeal to increasingly health-conscious consumers. Health has become one of today's 'mega-trends', along with convenience, say industry analysts.
But food makers are not just trying to drive sales with healthier products, but also looking to reduce risk. They are increasingly under pressure to help reduce the tide of obesity, which in the UK has reached worrying proportions.
Over half the UK population is currently either overweight or obese - 70 per cent of men and 63 per cent of women, according to statistics from 2002 - and obesity in two- to four-year-old children almost doubled from 5 per cent to 9 per cent from 1989-1998.
But food makers can use this trend to their advantage. A report produced by Merrill Lynch last year attempted to quantify the opportunity for food companies to jump into a new market if consumer food expenditures shift to a healthier eating pattern.
"Our analysis reveals that for at home consumption, each 1 per cent shift represents $810.1 million in revenue, so even small shifts could mean significant opportunities for companies. These products could come in the form of either a reformulation of an existing product, or new products developed to address this trend," said the report.
Heinz seems to be following this advice. It says it will spend more than £5 million (€7.5m)on marketing the relaunched Baked Beans, which will also come in a reduced sugar and salt variety with 70 per cent less salt than the standard product.
The marketing campaign, to include a five-week run of TV advertising and a further two months on radio, will also seek to highlight the nutritional benefits of beans. One serving of Heinz baked beans is said to provide around a fifth of an adult's daily recommended intake of protein and 40 per cent of the fibre.
A serving also offers over a third of an adult's daily folic acid requirements as well as many vitamins and minerals.
"Creatively, the ads present a Heinz Baked Bean in a state of neurosis, where self-doubt then moves to self-realisation of great nutritional qualities," said Ben Pearman, marketing manager for Heinz Baked Beans.
"We are confident that our fully integrated communications programme, coupled with our new variant, new labelling and increased nutritional focus, will drive category growth and increase frequency of purchase," said Pearman.
Heinz, which has previously been criticised for the salt content of its baked beans sauce, claims to have reduced salt by an additional 15 per cent in the standard product, amounting to a total 30 per cent reduction over the past two years.
Earlier this year the company had to drop its healthy eating logo from cans of baked beans, spaghetti and soups because it said the products would fall foul of health targets on sugar, salt and fat levels being set by the UK government.
