Morton Salt aims to increase sales 10% by end of year through new marketing initiatives. They will run an end-of-aisle grocery store display featuring umbrellas and footprints leading to recipe cards and samples. An event called "Flavors to Savor" in Boston will feature local chef stations and a celebrity guest to emphasize great tasting food made with Morton Salt and distribute more recipes. The goal is to promote Morton as the classic salt brand that enhances flavor and creates memorable experiences for families.

1. Morton Salt
La Mask Agency
Lauren Kelly, Molly Ronis, Adrian Adamo, Kathy
Nguyen, Saskia Sumida, Adriana Taboada

2. Assignment
Goal is to increase Morton’s sales 10% by end of 201

3. History
● Has existed for over 160 years (was first
Richmond & Co. before acquired by Joy
Morton)
● First company to brand salt
● In 1911 Morton added magnesium
carbonate, an anti-caking agent
o Inspired “When It Rains It Pours”
● In 1924 Morton added iodine to salt for
health purposes
o Iodine deficiencies were increasing and
adding the necessary nutrient to salt
was the solution

4. Learning/Research
Research Methods:
● Mintel, Morton’s website, & various online articles
Category: Iodized Salt
● Morton’s is largest within iodized salt category
● Iodized salt considered a staple in general health foods
● Morton Salt has nine production facilities covering a broader geographic
footprint than any other North American deicing salt supplier.
The Customer:
● likes to share food or place emphasis on flavor
● Buying decisions driven by recognition, price, size, container (metal pour
mouth)

5. Insights & Discoveries
Market:
● Sales are plateauing
o Mature brand
o Little new customer acquisition
Brand:
● Iodized Salt is a Benefit
o Customers not aware, however
● Personality is a Benefit
o ‘Classic,’ ‘Trustworthy,’ ‘Home-y,’ ‘Family,’
‘American,’ ‘Legacy'

6. Insights & Discoveries, cont.Consumer:
● Health Trend:
o Customers wary of salt/sodium
o Salt consumption, usage down
o “Grab-and-Go” lifestyle, fewer cook at home with own ingredients
● Experiential Eaters
o “Foodie” culture
o Instagram
● Motivated by Celebrity Culture
o Food Network
o ‘Top Chef,’ ‘Chopped,’ ‘MasterChef,’ ‘Hell’s Kitchen,’ etc.
● Less Motivated by Price
o Will pay for quality, long-lasting ingredients -- but need incentive!

7. Creative Brief
● Target: People who want better tasting food
● Purpose: Become aware of the culinary benefits of adding salt to food,
and increase consumption
● Current Response: “I used to buy Morton salt, but then I realized private
label brands are cheaper”
● Position: “We are the time-tested, classic brand, and the original iodized
salt”

8. Creative Brief Cont.
● Benefit: “We have a legacy of producing iodized salt in the U.S. that the
customer can trust”
● Support: “We have a legacy – we were the first brand to iodize salt in
1924”
● Desired Response (after communications program) : “I had no idea
Morton’s was the original iodized salt, I want to keep using it as a tradition
in my family for generations to come”
● Personality (what the communications should look & feel like): “Wise,”
“Trustworthy,” “Home-y,” “Family,” “American”

9. Sales Promotion
● Morton Salt end-of-aisle display in grocery stores using ceiling & floor
space
● Have yellow umbrellas (cardboard, double sided copy) hanging from
the ceiling above at end-of-aisle display
● Blue, watery, glittery footprints leading to display. At the end, show
tagline, “when it rains, it pours.”
● Salt tubs in display as well as recipe cards utilizing Morton Salt
● Cardboard cut out silhouette with an umbrella (Morton Salt Girl) with
slot holding the recipe cards (with a save the date on the back!)

10. Morton Salt
Recipe
Card
Back
Front

11. Morton Salt
End-of-Aisle
Display

12. Event
● Morton Salt Presents “Flavors to Savor”: Boston
o Hynes Convention Center
o One weekend in April (April Showers; “when it rain, it pours”)
● Emphasize great tasting food with Morton serving only as support in order
to have more people from target audience come (people who value flavor)
● Different stations inspired by chefs in the Boston area representing a wide
variety of cuisines
o Tables will have food and accompanying recipe cards
o Chefs will pay a small fee to have their own booth as well as a
merchandise table (inc. items such as gift certificates)
● Women in Morton Salt Girl costume near booths to hand out
samples/recipes

13. Event (continued)
● Food celebrity guest (Curtis Stone)
o Big draw of the event
● Free event but participants must RSVP on a site
such as eventbrite to ensure space is available
● Drinks available for purchase
o Bar with Morton Salt rims
● Raffle ticket sales ($5 p. ticket, $20 p. five
tickets) to win a trip to The Bahamas,
where the winner can spend one day
visiting the Morton Salt production site

14. Success
Sales Promotion
● Point of purchase promotion
● Hitting grocery stores, the best place to reach our target consumers
● Catches attention of children (floor space) and the older consumers
(ceiling space)
● Makes salt exciting & brings on a feeling of nostalgia
● Recipe cards encourage use of Morton’s products (table salt, sea salt, light
salt, etc.)
● Links with Boston Food Showcase Inspired by Morton Salt event with Save
the Date incentive

15. Success
Event
● Creating relationships w/ local chefs (Getting product into restaurants)
● Creating relationships w/ top chefs (Curtis Stone)
● Creating community relationships (reminding families about Morton)
● Creating memories (Maintaining the idea that Morton Salt creates
experiences)
o Raffling off Trip
o Seeing top chefs
o Taste testing & drink sampling
o Hitting all the senses & linking comfort & happiness w/ Morton
● Encouraging salt use & emphasizing the importance of seasoning food
● Easily recreated in other cities if successful

16. Questions
?