UK crisp manufacturer Tyrrells has seen exponential growth from its international operations, with sales from the division up 50% to GBP7.5m (US$11.9m) in the last year. Sales are set to double this year to GBP15m. In this month’s just the answer interview, Petah Marian speaks to the company’s recently appointed international marketing manager Anne-Laure Follie about Tyrrells’ international ambitions.
just-food: What will be your main priorities at Tyrrells?
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Follie: My role will be establishing and creating a relationship between the brand and consumers abroad. Tyrrells has managed very successfully to create a relationship with their customers and consumers in the UK, and for the moment there hasn’t been as much opportunity to focus as much abroad, so that is my main priority. There will be a focus on France, which is our biggest export market, but there are other markets lined up as well.
just-food: What other markets are you considering expanding into?
Follie: We are looking mainly at other European markets at the moment, Germany is a big one that we entered a couple of years ago. We also began entering the Netherlands and Switzerland at the beginning of this year, so they are also some key markets that we will be looking into and starting to build similar relationships with consumers.
There are other little markets where we are starting to be present like Italy and Spain, but the other big focus is the US and Canada where we respectively relaunched and launched. So in the US it’s a new foray into something we were trying under new circumstances. Canada is a brand new launch that we’ve initiated as well. We’re focusing on the markets where we’ve been already established for a little while, while also trying to create new opportunities for the brand.
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By GlobalDatajust-food: International sales rose by 50% over the last year to GBP7.5m and are set to double to GBP15m this year. How has the company developed its international arm so rapidly?
Follie: For the moment, it’s mainly been distribution and starting to get penetration in those countries. We are now getting to a really interesting and strong level in France. In France now, distribution is nearly 40% or should be nearly 40% by the end of this year, which is a strong position to now be able to talk to consumers from and this will keep on growing. Until now, it’s mainly been distribution and trade and those markets really.
just-food: How will the quintessentially British elements of the brand translate abroad?
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Tyrrells international marketing manager, Anne-Laure Follie |
Follie: I guess that’s the big challenge. The main campaigns that will be launched in different markets, starting in France, and hopefully others will follow, will be completely drawn from the campaigns being launched in the UK. It will use the new positioning from the relaunch of the brand as an entertaining crisp.
The packaging is the same, there is that same identity and personality of being quirky, having the little entertaining stories, asking people to provide a description of English eccentrics they have met. In France it might be people they’ve met while travelling, or English people that they’ve seen coming into the country.
We are really talking very proudly about our quintessentially English character, but obviously describing more about where we’re coming from because consumers will have not heard as much about the brand, but the English personality will be very much present and very much embraced in the other markets as well.
just-food: The value end of the market has enjoyed significant levels of growth in the UK through the downturn – as a premium player, how are you working to compete?
Follie: Tyrrells has a very strong brand identity and consumers are very close to the brand, so we believe that is a real strength, in the downturn some people are turning to value options and offers, but there’s also a lot of people who are indulging a bit more while staying at home and turning at the same time to the high-end of the market with premium, hand-cooked quality crisps, so we’re seeing both ends growing really, and we believe that as a group, we are positioned for good momentum both here and abroad.
just-food: What has been your strategy through what’s been a highly promotional landscape?
Follie: We’re having a very balanced position, we do have to promote, like everybody, but we are trying to constrain that and cap that because the demand is there from consumers and we do want to protect the value of our brand and how consumers see it. Too much promotion would potentially damage that.
For the moment the balance is in maintaining the value of the brand for consumers, more than anything. Price is one tool to create that in the eyes of consumers, so we are not necessarily pushing volumes in order to protect the image of the brand.
just-food: What are the major trends you’re seeing in the crisps and snacking sectors?
Follie: I think there have been some big trends around people looking for a high-quality crisp when staying at home than before the crisis because they’re cutting back on other expenses. As part of that, there is quite a big trend towards finding new flavours and potentially looking for more exciting and exotic flavours.
There have also been more value offers because some consumers don’t have the same purchasing power. We’ve also seen some new entrants in the market trying to diversify the snacking offer, getting into popcorn, getting into pitta crisps. We have launched a range of popcorn, although not really a crisp, that is something we think is growing and will see big activity in the future.
just-food: How does the company engage with health issues?
Follie: Crisps should be, and especially when you’re talking about premium, an indulgent treat and it might not be the best thing to try to find a healthier option that would damage the taste.
For us, taste will always be the priority, because we are making good crisps for those treat moments. That being said, health is a topic that is on the table for everybody and anything that we could do that wouldn’t be to the detriment of taste would be implemented.
just-food: How would you describe your marketing plans for the coming year?
Follie: The plans are going to be much more based on PR and the web to really get to the consumers and get them understanding and discovering the brand. There is a big focus on the web to start engaging with them to create a two-way communication. We’re using Twitter, Facebook, the website in the UK, which has been relaunched to be much more interactive for consumers, and a similar approach is being considered for the French website, which hasn’t been launched yet, but should be in the next couple of weeks. So it is really about trying to talk direct and try to have a more engaging format and attitude.
