Hot Cross Buns For Christmas
I’ve never been a big fan of the ‘look how early the Christmas / Easter decorations are coming out this year’ conversation, and it’s not something I thought I would ever post about. That was until I was shopping in a supermarket on January 5th 2009 and saw Easter Eggs and Hot Cross Buns from Cadbury on display. Does anyone know what sales of Cadbury’s Hot Cross Buns are like in January, or why they would be promoted so early (on a valuable stand alone display)?
Fritz Bachen is a Consumer Psychologist and Founding Partner at Naked Communications. Fritz can be seen, read or heard at; The Gruen Transfer, ABC Radio (Sunday nights), Adnews columnist, as well as The Australian, Cleo, Mumbrella, Shop Till You Drop and so on. He speaks at numerous conferences on marketing, ideas, contemporary culture, and consumer behaviour. Fritz has degress in clinical psychology and commerce (marketing). A registered psychologist and has worked in private practice, forensic settings, advertising (Saatchi & Saatchi) and marketing consultancy (Added Value). He was also state under 12 chess champion on WA, and has a board game called The Analyst selling well in the Benelux countries.
Comments
Mick
Jan 6th, 2009This is a symptom of promotional planning gone mad. Retailers are having to plan their promotions further in advance to allow for the creation of a ‘Sales History’. You can see it blatantly with seasonal products such as this
Essentially they will sell a few hundred units @ $5.48 before Easter. Then they will promote them for ‘$3 Save $2.48′ the week of, or before, Easter. Selling absolute thousands.
This makes the ‘save’ legally defensible. It is a tactic I feel we will see far more of in the next 12 months as the consumer spend is perceived to be elusive.
Fritz Bachen
Jan 6th, 2009Mick,
I appreciate the reply – thanks. It’s interesting stuff.
Fritz
jemster
Jan 6th, 2009Over here you’ll also see Creme Agg advertising round about now, this is to support the trade ‘sell in’.
The critical factor for success in the run up to easter is leveraged distribution, the sell-in to the trade happens early January and brands use advertising as a tool to drive early sales, so whet the appetite of the retailers and so encourage them to up their orders for Easter.
Has little or nothing to do with the Consumer apart from the fact that they are probably sick of the sight of them by Easter
Kate Richardson
Jan 7th, 2009Maybe the Easter Bunny will bring Christmas decorations this year
mumbrella
Jan 8th, 2009Is it bad that having seen the photo, I really fancy a hot cross bun now?
This isn’t secretly a word-of-mouth effort for Cadbury’s is it?
Tim
Fritz Bachen
Jan 8th, 2009Tim if Cadburys were a client of our beleive me you would know about it. Saw your site mUmbrella – will be sure to send PR Releases your way!
Jemster your comments are spot on. With more marketing dollars going to trade partners than consumers it makes me wonder why creative/media agencies put suck little focus on these extremely important stakeholders.
kate – it’s a twisted world
Tony Thomas
Jan 9th, 2009Fritz. It’s when you see a christmas tree at easter is when we all have to start worrying!
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