Catelli Pasta: Modernizing a Brand to Keep Sales Strong
Catelli Pasta
Consumer & Lifestyle
Catelli Pasta is the brand leader in the market with a focus on quality, but in 2016, it wasn’t enough. So we made a stronger brand connection with consumers, helped build trust and showed that Catelli shared the same values as Canadians. Starting in 2016, Catelli Pasta began to represent the true face of the modern Canadian family.
Where Did We Start?
We were set up for success from the start. The team at Catelli are seasoned marketers and highly collaborative. They trusted our team’s vision and agreed that the brand should stand for something to stand out. That’s how our relationship with Catelli began.
The marketplace was obviously crowded with most consumers shopping by price point. In the past, our main competitor focused on a very antiquated way of life with a more “traditional” family. So we knew Catelli could breakthrough and really change the way people viewed pasta, and even dinner.
We went through a series of collaborative, hands-on working sessions to identify themes and territories to play in. We came armed with insights and data that would lead to some amazing insights that would truly break through. We were all on the same page and ready to hit the ground running.
What Opportunities Did We Identify?
Even though we wanted to move things along fast, we knew the value of having a focus group. So we enlisted the help of our ethnography and research team to quickly connect with some people who fit within our target demographic.
Proof consistently provides strategic thinking and brand building expertise to solve challenging issues and drive our business forward
Doyle Brown, Senior Brand Manager, Catelli
We identified two major insights:
- Canadian families have changed. It’s not just two parents with kids. And with this change in structure, dinners have changed too; it’s not just eating at a table, it’s on the go, with friends, on the couch.
- Dietary needs are evolving and shifting; people want simple meals with healthy options and they don’t think pasta can always fit into their lifestyle.
We could address both of these issues with a hard-hitting integrated campaign. Catelli had the portfolio of products as a proof point: a line-up that reflected the needs of Canadians from gluten-free to whole grain to veggie. The client was open to really shifting their message to something with more substance and emotion. Specifically, the client had a goal: to increase top of mind awareness. We were tasked with leading the strategy, creative vision and execution to help reach that goal.
What Was the Solution?
Although our assignment was to come up with a fully integrated campaign, we did more than that. We came up with a brand approach that could be used in everything from in-store, social media and TV to public relations and influencer marketing.
Our PR, creative and strategy teams worked very closely with the client to come up with a theme for the year: modern pasta for modern Canadian families. We had a tight deadline and we knew involving our client throughout the process allowed us to get better results, more quickly. We could get things done a lot faster.
From there, we created a look, feel and tone in the form of a style guide to guide our agency partners. We had a tagline, a new visual identity and a new way to connect emotionally to our target.
After creating a direction, we executed a TV spot and used both public relations and influencer engagement to show Canadians Catelli stands for a new modern experience of pasta.
The TV spot had to show diverse Canadian families eating dinner together in a more casual setting, a more representative picture of the Canadian family. This spot not only gave families permission to be themselves but it also subtly re-introduced Canada to Catelli’s portfolio of pasta.
Our: 30s spot aired throughout the beginning of 2016 with some great feedback.
Our media buy was only for :15s and :30s spots but we had such great footage we decided to cut together a 1-minute spot to tell the full story online. That way, if people saw the TV spot, they could fill in the blanks after seeing our full 1-minute video.
To amplify our #CatelliFamilies positioning and increase awareness of Catelli’s wellness portfolio, we engaged a diverse influencer network, including food and nutrition-focused influencers and beloved chefs. This network started the conversation with Canadians on modern pasta and modern family meal time. From chef interviews to national features, our PR resulted in national, regional and community focused editorial placement – highlighting our key message that pasta today, made with Catelli, is good for you and great tasting.
How Did We Do?
If our goal was to increase top of mind awareness we definitely succeeded! We generated over 75 MM media impressions via PR and influencer efforts. A combination of our TV spot and PR & influencer efforts during the first half of 2016 spiked a double digit increase on brand awareness when people were asked about dry pasta. Overall awareness of the Catelli brand increased and exceeded expectations for the brand being top of mind when it comes to purchase intent.
But the biggest win was that close to six out of ten of people surveyed would be more likely to consider purchasing Catelli after viewing the TV spot.
