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Ensure aims to transform its brand image from a supplement for older adults to an effective drink for active people of all ages. Ensure Original is a nutritional drink containing protein, vitamins, and minerals. It aims to provide balanced nutrition to support an active lifestyle. The target audience is physically active men and women ages 25-40 who may not get adequate nutrition from meals alone. The strategic message is that Ensure Original provides the satisfactory nutrition needed to support a busy, active lifestyle.
SMP
- 1. Strategic Message Planner: Ensure Original Nutrition Drink Advertising Goal To transform the brand image of Ensure® Original from a nutritional supplement drink used solely by people older than 50, to an effective and delicious drink for people of all ages and all activities (athletes, people on the go, young parents, etc.). Client: Key Facts • Ensure is headquartered in Granite Falls, MN • Ensure makes nutritional supplement drinks (primarily nutrition shakes) •Among doctors who recommend liquid nutritional products to their patients, Ensure markets itself as the number one recommended brand (Ensure) • Ensure was introduced to the market in 1973 • Slogan: Take Life In • Ensure is owned by their parent company, Abbott Nutrition, headquartered in Chicago, IL • Abbott has a global team of scientists who work to find nutritional advances in order to develop better nutritional products for people of all ages (Abbott). • Abbott is behind these other brand names: Glucerna, Similac, PediaSure, Pedialyte, EAS and ZonePerfect • Annual Sales in 2014 for Ensure was estimated at $343.5 million, according to Statista. Product: Key Features What is the product? • Ensure Original is a nutritional drink • Ensure has a range of flavors and models of their original drink, catering to a wide range of dietary needs such as: o Wanting to maintain an active lifestyle o On the path to getting well o Caring for someone special • Ensure original is sold in 6-count packages, each plastic bottle containing 8 oz. and selling for $7.97 a package or $1.32/bottle. Compared to competitors in the nutritional drinks market, Abbott Laboratories (Ensure’s parent company) is ranked 2nd, making up 18.4 percent of the market share, behind PepsiCo Inc. (Gatorade’s parent company). • Ensure claimed 37% of sales of nutritional drinks in the 52 weeks ending Oct. 5, 2014 (Mintel). • Ensure Original comes in 6 flavors: milk chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, dark chocolate, butter pecan and coffee latte • Ensure Original also comes as a powder, to put into other drinks What is the purpose of the product? • Ensure created Ensure Original to provide a “complete, balanced nutrition for everyday health”
- 2. What is the product made of? • Ensure Original contains 9 grams of protein, 26 essential vitamins and minerals, including antioxidants, 220 nutritional calories and 25 percent of the daily value of B vitamins (B12 and folate) to support brain health. • It contains 22 grams of sugar and 6 grams of fat •Ensure Original is made up of primarily water, corn maltodextrin, sugar, milk protein concentrate and soy protein Who and what made the product? • Ensure Original is made in the U.S. and is sold in U.S. • It’s contents/recipe was formulated by Abbott Laboratories Target Audience: Demographics and Psychographics The target audience for this ad is men and women ages 25-40 who are physically active (runners, bikers, swimmers, hikers, climbers, walkers, etc.) and often turn to supplements to gain the proper nutrition they need for a balanced diet. They are people who do not always get the adequate amount of nutrition they need from the meals they eat on a daily basis (Medical Daily). We are aiming to target those who are, for the most part, more physically fit/conscious of their health than others in their age group. The average age of the target audience is 32.5. We consider our target audience to have a median income of $65,000. We see most being married and having on average, two children. We are targeting those who have been physically active for 15 or more years and have made it a priority to remain healthy by getting physical exercise and consuming a relatively healthy diet. More are non-Hispanic, white adults. More (52.1 percent) are men (CDC). Most have college degrees(CDC). Adults with more education are more likely to meet the national Physical Activity Guidelines (CDC). The target audience is more likely to live in the West, Northeast and Midwest regions of the country due to the fact these regions consist of more physically fit individuals (CDC). Product Benefits • Ensure Original is wholesome in its ingredients, providing one with a complete and nutritious diet. • Ensure Original is pre-made and ready to drink, providing consumers with a meal supplement that will do away with hunger. • Ensure Original will save one the time involved with preparing a meal. • Ensure Original may help dieters for short-term support (Diet Spotlight). Direct Competitors and Brand Images Direct Competitors are other supplement drink brands:
- 3. • CytoSport’s Muscle Milk brand held nearly 37 percent market share in 2012 (Mintel). The target audience views Muscle Milk drinks as a good source of protein (25 grams/bottle) and therefore a good way to recover after a workout in order to rebuild muscle tissue/strength. It is said to be an ideal blend of protein, healthy fats, good carbohydrates and 20 vitamins and minerals. Price is $3.39/bottle (14 oz.) (Lucky Vitamin). • Carlyle Group’s Pure Protein shake showcases its flavor variation and high amount (23 grams/bottle) of protein. It is said to be a drink for athletes but also for use as a snack and as part of a low-carbohydrate diet. Price is $2.28/bottle (11 oz.) (Amazon) (Diet Spotlight). •The target audience views Coca Cola’s Core Power as a strong recovery drink for post-workout. Core Power contains 26 grams/bottle and the target audience enjoys the range of flavors offered: honey, strawberry banana, chocolate and vanilla. Price is $2.68/bottle (11.5 oz.) (Walmart). Indirect Competitors and Brand Images • Buying and preparing nutritious meals from scratch: The target audience believes this is the best way to get their balanced diet to go along with their active lifestyle, however, there is not always time to do so (NCBI). • Pre-made meals that can be delivered or store-bought. Brand examples are Plated, Sweet Roosts NYC, Hello Fresh and Blue Apron (Greatist). These offer the same nutritional benefits, however, require more preparation time. They can be seen as being less of a supplement to a prepared meal than a supplemental drink is and can therefore be more appealing to consumers. They could possibly be seen as a middle ground between prepared meals and supplemental drinks. Product Brand Image • Current brand image: the target audience believes that Ensure Original may be effective but also that the product is not meant for their age range and lifestyle. • Desired brand image: Ensure Original is a great-tasting, nourishing supplemental drink that provides one with the necessary nutrition required for an active lifestyle while providing an easier alternative to having a traditional meal. • Brand image challenge: The target audience does not realize that Ensure can be beneficial as a nutritional supplement for people in their age range and those that live active lifestyles. Strategic Message: The Promise The target audience should buy Ensure Original because it provides the satisfactory nutrition that is needed to best live a busy and physically active lifestyle. Supporting Evidence: The Proof
- 4. • Ensure Original contains 9 grams of protein, 26 essential vitamins and minerals, including antioxidants, 220 nutritious calories and 25 percent of the daily value of B vitamins to support brain health (Ensure). • Ensure Original is the number one doctor-recommended brand among doctors who recommend liquid nutritional products to their patients (Ensure). •Ensure Original received a 4.6/5 star rating under the “Reviews” section on its webpage. • Ensure Original is “ready-to-drink” (Ensure). • Ensure “fights off hunger pangs while providing nutritional support” (dietspotlight.com).
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