Premier Foods has announced its intention to move into the table sauce sector through the launch of brown sauce and tomato sauce that will be marketed under the Branston brand.
The company said in a statement that it intends to “revitalise and add value to the stagnation being seen last year in the table sauces sector,” which declined by 1.3% in value and 3.3% in volume in 2005.
Helena Jevons, Branston brand controller at Premier Foods, commented: “We believe the table sauces category is starved of innovation and, in order to enjoy growth, now needs a second, great tasting alternative to the brand leader.”
Premier Foods hopes to drive growth of 8% in the GBP130m (US$226.84) sector. It is expected that the new table sauces will deliver GBP20m in two years, making a significant contribution towards Premier Foods’ goal to make Branston a GBP70m brand by 2008. The company has forecast that it will control 20% of the brown sauce market and 10% of the ketchup market by 2008.
Branston Brown Sauce is the first top-down brown sauce to be brought onto the market while Branston Tomato Sauce uses 20% more tomatoes than the market leader.
The launch follows in the footsteps of the brand’s successful introduction of Branston Baked Beans, which achieved a 6.2% market share within 12 weeks of the product’s release.
Sales of the table sauces will be promoted by a massive TV advertising campaign as part of a GBP5m advertising campaign, in-store sampling & trial price activity, promotional merchandise to encourage consumers to ‘get saucy with Branston’.
