Strategic Communication and Advertising Planning

Maltesers

Ryan Barrass (15084134)

Advertising and Brand Management (With Overseas Study) 09/11/2018

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1.0 Introduction:

The UK chocolate confectionary market which is estimated to be valued at

£5.84 billion (Winter, 2018) has stagnated over the past five years (2012-17). During this period of time, confectioners have seen the overall market

decline by 4% - losing a total of £78.3 million (Quinn, 2018). Forecast predicts that the market will see little growth by 2022, with analysist predict

a rise of 9% to bring an annual gross of £5.5billion (Winther, 2018); there is however a growing concern regarding what impact issues such as changing

consumer habits will have on this growth. This section will outline further trends and issues which Maltesers must be

aware of and how they will affect the brand.

2.00 Key Trends and Issues

2.11 War On Sugar: One of the main issues regarding the industry is the continued ‘war on

sugar’. Findings from NHS Digital (Fat, 2018) revealed that as of 2016, 26%

of UK adults and 16% of kids were classified as being obese. As a result of these findings, the British Medical Association has called for a minimum price

on confectionery in order to reduce ‘…the rising obesity and burden of type 2 diabetes on the NHS’ (Foster, 2017). The move would see a minimum price

on confectionery set in order to deter adults and children from purchasing them. This would have a big impact for Maltesers as Harris Interactive poll

(2018, as cited in Halliwell, 2018) reveals that a sugar tax may be effective in reducing consumer consumption of confectionery as respondents stated

that price was the number one consideration when deciding on confectionery.

However, the price of confectionery is not the only issue regarding sugar as there is pressure for manufacturers to reduce the sugar content in their

chocolate. Public Health England (2016) has set voluntary targets for manufacturers to cut sugar content by 20% by 2020, with 5% being in the

first year. As of May 2018, an update from PHE shows that the chocolate

confectionery category has made no progress in meeting the initial 5% decline of sugar (Boseley, 2018). Should confectionery manufacturers

continue failing to meet the targets set out by PHE’s, this would support the argument of expanding the sugar tax introduced in 2018 on soft drinks into

confectionery (Quinn, 2018). There is an emerging interest in low-sugar chocolate, a Harris Interactive

Poll (2018, as cited in Halliwell, 2018) of 2036 consumers showed that 70% of respondents would be interested in trying low-sugar chocolate. However,

Halliwell (2018) argues that ‘sugar is [the] key to creating the structure of the product. You can’t simply replace it’. There has been limited success

from confectioners being able to reduce sugar content. Nestlé has developed a new technology which ‘sugar crystals are hollowed out to allow them to

melt more quickly on the tongue’ (Quinn, 2018). This technique would allow

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manufacturers to reduce the sugar content by up to 40% without compromising on taste, however, Nestlé have stated it could take years

before products manufactured using this method enter the UK market (Quinn, 2018).

2.12 Change in snacking:

As previously discussed, there has been a change in the way consumers are snacking. Society is becoming increasingly health conscious as Baptista

(2017, as cited in Wright, 2017) suggest ‘health has become increasingly important to consumers and is currently driving category development’.

Clifford (2018) findings support this view as revealed 52% of UK adults deemed sugar content the most important factor when seeking out food, this

ranked higher more than any other nutritional concerns. There has been a growing trend amongst consumers towards fruit, nut and

seed mixes which have seen triple digit growth over the past 24 months with

the industry now valued at £2.8 million (Kanter, 2016 as cited in Thomson, 2016). According to Thomson (2016), consumers are purchasing an

average of 6.5 snacking items per month; due to consumers have an increasingly choice for snacks that cater to different nutritional needs. This

impact is being felt by confectioners as Woolf (2018, as cited in Tatum, 2018) suggest, consumers are ‘snacking more than we did last year but

chocolate is being chosen less’. Despite this, Nielsen’s (2018) figure shows the average consumer has spent

more on confectionary than the previous year, with the average consumer totalling £135 annually – this was £2.75 more than 2016-17. Therefore,

there is a potential for further growth to the market if confectioners are able to meet PHE targets by 2020, as this would appeal to a health conscious

society, as sugar will be reduced by 20%.

2.13 Smaller Sizes:

Another key trend regarding the confectionery industry is the introduction of smaller portion sizes. This is a risky tactic in terms of public perception,

more so than changing recipes (Quinn, 2018). Maltesers’ pouches have seen a total 23.14% reduction from 121g down to 93g (Tesco, no date). Mars

(2017, as cited in Horton, 2017) stated that due to a rise in raw materials, the decision to reduce the size of Maltesers is to enable consumers to

continue ‘to enjoy an affordable treat’. However, Quinn (2018) states ‘the reality is that portion size alone is not

going to be anything like enough to hit the 20% target’. Maltesers contain a staggering 48g of sugar per 93g pouch (Tesco, no date) and therefore will

not meet targets. As suggested, brands need to develop new health products which

consumers are willing to pay slightly more for. Maltesers’ Parent brand Mars, have had some success in this market with the launch of trail mixes under

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the galaxy, bounty and M&M’s brand. This development moved established brands into the fruit, nut and seed mixes, which essentially combined the

sweet treats consumers have come to know with a salty twist (Yu, 2016). This has enabled Mars to create products in an emerging market with a

premium retailer-selling price of £2.99 for a 150g pack, this is £1.99 more than store own (ASDA, no date).

2.15 Premium Chocolate:

The final key trend that confectionery manufacturers need to account for is the rise of premium confectioners. Chocolate makers, who concentrate their

production more on the quality of key ingredients, have seen a rise in sales in recent years despite an unstable confectionery market (Tatum, 2018).

At the forefront of this emerging trend is Hotel Chocolat. Established in London 2004, Hotel Chocolat has expanded to over 103 locations focusing on

retail stores, cafés and restaurants (Hotel Chocolat, no date).

The brand’s mission statement focus entirely on three key areas, which are (Hotel Chocolat, no date) originality - there is a focus for innovation from

Hotel Chocolat products, this has expanded their portfolio from Easter eggs, to giant slabs which are ‘inspired by the shape of molten chocolate’ (Hotel

Chocolat, no date). Authenticity- Hotel Chocolat is one of the few chocolate makers, which grow their own cocoa for the products they make. Finally,

strong ethics - reducing waste is a key part of their mission statement with the brand using every part of the cacao bean and not throwing chocolate out

in stores in efforts to reduce the impact they have on the environment. The Hotel Chocolat’s focus on the premium chocolate market has seen

profits rise by over 100% during 2017 (Baker, 2017); suggesting trends have turned towards ‘smaller quantities of better chocolate’ (Baker, 2017).

This could affect Maltesers greatly as Brassington and Pettitt (2013:86) suggest ‘individuals are influenced by current trends in society’.

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2.20 Selected brand and competitors Maltesers, introduced in 1936 by Mars Inc. have become one of the leading

confectionery brands on the UK market. The brand currently hold a 3% market share in the UK confectionery industry (Ebiquity, 2017), which is a

2% decline from 2014/15 (Faughnan, 2015). During 2017, Maltesers’ reported sales of £165.6 million, this was a decline of 3.4% from the year

prior (Ebiquity, 2017), showing a Maltesers are in need to adapt in order to remain relevant.

Mars as a parent brand to Maltesers primarily focuses on the production and distribution of food products worldwide (Marketline, 2018). Mars Inc. is the

largest confectionery manufacturer in the world (Walker, 2016); offering 29 brands that are available in 180 different countries (Marketline 2018).

However, several of the confectionery brands offered by Mars compete directly with Maltesers these include: Mars, Snickers, Twix, Milky Way and

Galaxy (Mars, no date).

In terms of the BCG Matrix (Procter, 2000), Maltesers can be shown as a dog as their

market share has decreased in a low growth market. However, as Mars Inc. is a strong

parent brand they have the ability to invest in further marketing in order to drive sales, as

shown with an increase of £8.4 million in advertising budget for 2017 (Ebiquity, 2017).

Brand Personality: (Aaker, 1997)

Applying the brand personality framework (as shown in figure 2.0) as proposed by Aaker

(1997), Maltesers can be seen as an excitement brand. The brand most noticeably depict this through their advertising by which, disabled consumers

retell stories of awkward situations such as a disaster at a wedding (The Fab

Awards, 2017) and a spasm during a sexual encounter with a boyfriend (Maltesers, 2016). This campaign broke down boundaries of conventional

advertising with a risky narrative; ultimately

making Maltesers daring and up-to-date

on trends as opposed to other confectionery

brands.

Figure 1.0: BCG Matrix (Procter, 2000)

Figure 2.0: Brand Personality Framework (Aaker, 1997)

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Brand Identity Prism: Adapted from Kapferer (2012) The brand identity prism as

shown in figure 3.0 evaluates Maltesers’ brand identity. The

overall opinion of the brand was positive (YouGov, no dateA) with

consumers stating the brand as being trustworthy and engaging.

Consumers were likely to see themselves as health conscious

and responsible, which would reflect the trends outlined in

section 2.11 and 2.12. However, despite this self-reflected image,

Maltesers’ has made no attempt

to reflect trends with sugar content remaining the same.

Brand Essence Wheel: Adapted from De Chernatony (2006)

The brand essence wheel, adapted from De Chernatony (2006), is used to understand why consumers buy into a particular brand. This model is

comprised of both intangible and tangible elements.

Consumer’s perceptions of Maltesers was positive, key words identified the

brand as being: fun, light-hearted and vibrant (Thorp, 2017). However, as stated in the section 2.15, chocolate makers who concentrate their

production more on the quality of key ingredients have seen a rise in sales. Despite this, Maltesers have been Fairtrade certified since 2011 (Wallop,

2011). Therefore,

suggesting that manufacturers

have to take further efforts in

order to be deemed by

consumers as ethical.

Figure 3.0: Brand Identity Prism. Adapted From Kapferer (2012)

Figure 4.0: Brand Essence Wheel. Adapted from De Cherantony (2006) Sourced: YouGov (no dateA), Mars (no date), Thorp (2017), Marketline (2018)

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Cadbury’s Dairy Milk: Cadbury’s introduced the Dairy Milk onto the UK

market in 1905 (Cadbury, no dateA). Since the launch of the product, the Dairy Milk has become the leading

confectionery brand on the market; currently holds a 16% market share. During 2017, sales of Dairy Milk stood at £512 million,

which was a 3.1% decrease from 2016 (Winther, 2018). Brand Personality: (Aaker, 1997)

Applying the brand personality framework (as shown in appendix 1.0), Cadbury Dairy Milk can be seen as sincerity. This is shown with the brand

focusing on ‘genuine acts of kindness and generosity’ (Roderick, 2018) showing the brand as both honest and wholesome.

Brand Essence Wheel: De Chernatony (2006) (as shown in appendix 2.0) Through analysis of Dairy Milk, there were many similarities to Maltesers.

Dairy milk have an extremely strong core brand, which is reflected by the

market share that the brand hold. Most noticeably, research from Thorp (2017) found that consumers were proud to be associated with the brand

with 18% of consumers stating this as their favourite chocolate confectionery brand. The brand was deemed by consumers as responsible,

this is reflected with the launch of the Cocoa life plan introduced in 2016 (CocoaLife, no date). The plan meant that all ‘Cadbury products in the UK

and Ireland will be covered by a single sustainable sourcing program.’ (CocoaLife, no date)

Brand Pyramid: Adapted from De Chernatony (2006) Cadburys is a classic brand which has been enjoyed for generations

(Cadburys, no dateA); which has resulted in a strong emotional connection from consumers. As suggested by Thorp (2017), Dairy Milk is eaten almost

universally with 18% stating Dairy Milk as their favourite brand.

Logical benefits go beyond fulfilling basic

needs, due to quality of the product consumers are finding comfort as a result

of eating the chocolate bar. As of 2019, the brand is launching Dairy Milk with

30% less sugar (Cadburys, no dateB), therefore not only meeting PHE targets

but adapting to emerging trends. This has potential raise emotional benefits further

as the brand is being responsible to look out for consumer health and wellbeing.

Figure 5.0: Brand Pyramid. Adapted from De Cherantony (2006)

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Green and Black’s: Green and Blacks are a premium chocolate brand

launched in London at the start of the 1990’s (Green and Black, no date). Despite, Tatum (2018) suggesting that

chocolate makers who concentrate their production more on the quality of key ingredients, have seen a rise in

sales; Green and Blacks have reported sales were down £0.4 million in recent years (IRi, 2017).

Brand Personality: (Aaker, 1997) Applying the brand personality framework (as shown in appendix 1.0),

Green and Blacks can be seen as sincerity. Despite the brand being taken over by Cadbury Schweppes (now Mondeléz) in 2005 (Muspratt, 2005);

Green and Blacks have still stood by their routes and continued to produce honest Fairtrade chocolate using organic ingredients – which is key to their

brand identity.

Product Life Cycle: As opposed to Maltesers who are entering a decline period, shown with a

decline in both sales and market share. Green and Blacks can be shown in the growth stage despite stagnated sales. Baptista (2017, as cited in Wright

2017) suggested that consumers are becoming increasingly health conscious despite on average spending £2.75 more than 2016-17 (Nielsen, 2018). As

Green and Black’s production centres on both Fairtrade and

organic produce, it is perhaps seen that Green and Black’s will

see future market growth due to a premium brand centring ethics

at the core of the business.

Brand Essence Wheel: De Chernatony (2006) (as shown in appendix 2.0)

In comparison to Maltesers, consumer perception are mixed towards Green and Blacks. YouGov (no dateB) findings show that only 52% of consumers

had a positive opinion on Green and Blacks. As shown in the brand essence wheel, stated that the brand was deemed exclusive to a more premium

market. This was reflected in the self-aware section of the brand essence wheel, as consumers were likely to see themselves as professional,

sophisticated and affluent as a result of purchasing Green and Black products.

Figure 6.0: Product Life Cycle: Adapted from Brassington and Pettitt (2013)

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2.30 Competitors and their communications activities:

Maltesers:

Maltesers have focused their communication heavily through traditional media with 95% being television (Selwood, 2017). Working with AMVBBDO

to launch the ‘Look On The Light Side’ campaign. The advertisements

produced were ‘inspired by real stories from consumers who are disabled (Mitchell, 2017) with the focus on showcasing awkward situations like a

disaster at a wedding (The Fab Awards, 2017) and an unfortunate situation with a new boyfriend (Maltesers, 2016). The use of humour in these ads

aims to break down cultural norms of disabilities and change people’s perceptions (Mitchell, 2017).

The campaign launched after Maltesers was awarded £1million of commercial airtime by Channel 4 after presenting their campaign as part of

the Superhumans Wanted competition (McCabe, 2017). However, the look on the light side campaign caused some controversy amongst consumers

with the ASA receiving 151 complains, making it the 10th most complained about advertisement of 2016 (ASA News, 2017). The campaign was not

upheld as the ASA stated ‘… although understandably distasteful to some, would not cause serious or widespread offence to viewers in general.’ (ASA

News, 2017).

Maltesers can be criticised for their lack of social presence, with very limited use of platforms; most implemented was their YouTube where the

advertisements for the ‘Look On The Light Side’ campaigns were uploaded after broadcast. The launch of the ads on video sharing platform YouTube

Maltesers: Dairy Milk: Galaxy: Kinder: (Brand) Lindt: (Brand)

Advertising spend in 2017: (Ebiquity, 2017)

£8.4 Million £11.6 Million £6.4 Million £5.9 Million

£13.2 Million

Change year on year (%)

69.3% 24.8% -44.9% -38% 13.2%

Sales: (£M) 165.6 512.8 208.8 123.5 115.4

Change (£M) -5.9 -16.5 -5.7 0 17.2

Change (%) -3.4 -3.1 -2.7 0 17.6

Market Share: 2017 (Winther, 2018)

3% 16% 7% 9% 10%

Platforms implemented by selected brand

Sourced: (Selwood, 2017)

Cinema % 4.6%

Outdoor % 0.2% 40.1%

Press % 0.2% 0.4% 5.7%

Radio %

TV % 95% 59.5% 100% 94.3%

Social: Followers

Facebook: 1.5 Million 16.9 Million 1.9 Million 11.9 Million 7 Million

Twitter: 4,402 296,000 10,800 512 (Kinder Bueno) 22,200

Instagram: 196,000 4,601 14,700

YouTube: 3,011,848 Views

79.9 Million Views

149,202 Views 13.9 Million Views (Kinder Bueno)

1.1 Million Views

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broke the two million view barrier within the first 24 hours, this was higher than the brands one million views target (Oakes, 2018)

However, the effects this campaign had on Maltesers should perhaps be re-evaluated. Through analysis, it can be argued that Maltesers are not using

communication channels effectively in order to engage with their consumers. Despite an advertising budget of £8.4 million in 2017 (Ebiquity, 2017), sales

continue to be down with a decline of 3.4% during 2017 (Winther, 2018) Dairy Milk:

Cadbury’s have implemented a wide range of communication platforms in order to advertise Dairy Milk. Most noticeably the brand has seen success on

Facebook amounting 16.9 million followers (Cadbury Dairy Milk, no date). In 2017, Mondeléz appointed VCCP as their lead global agency replacing former

agency Fallon, who had success with the drumming gorilla campaign (Jardine, 2018). In 2018, Cadbury’s ditched their joyful positioning of the

Dairy Milk (Roderick, 2018) after a 6-year campaign. The new campaign

launched January 2018, focuses on ‘genuine acts of kindness and generosity’ (Roderick, 2018) which founder John Cadbury valued.

The new TV campaign tells the story of a young girl wanting to purchase a bar of chocolate for her mum’s birthday however, could not afford so

attempts to pay with just toys which the shop assistant accepts. The ad ends with the strap line ‘There’s a glass & a half in everyone’ (Cadbury, 2018B).

This was part of a wider campaign which saw Cadbury set up a pop-up store in London handing out 10,000 free bars of Dairy Milk (Hosie, 2018). The

focus of the campaign was to stay on top of consumer minds to ensure sales do not fall further (Roderick, 2018) however, as Winther (2018) shows sales

for Dairy Milk were down 3.1%. Lindt:

Lindt had the largest advertising budget in the confectionery sector for 2017, with a budget of £13.2 million (Selwood, 2018). Unlike other

chocolate manufacturers, Lindt produces all their communication activities

in-house as the Lindt recognises brand management and communication as ‘… the most important tasks of the business management.’ (Lindt Spruengli,

no date). Lindt has the most diverse use of communication platforms, with the brand

focusing 14.5% of activity purely on print-based ads (Selwood, 2017). In comparison to other confectionery manufacturers, no other brand has more

than 6% of communication activity dedicated to print. In 2017, Lindt launched a new TV for Lindor in the run up to Christmas, as

part of the ‘in the moment campaign’ (AdRepeat, 2017). The advert sees a woman eating the Lindor ‘encouraging the viewers to take a moment to

experience bliss’ (Winther, 2018). Through focusing advertising on the emerging trend of premium chocolates, Lindt has registered a 17.6%

increase in sales

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2.40 Target Audience: Fennell and Allenby (2004:31) suggest that ‘the purpose of market

segmentation analysis is to understand where prospects are coming from’. Maltesers currently have a 97% awareness amongst consumers (Thorpe,

2017). Thorpe (2017) further identifies that nearly every demographic eats Maltesers, with 61% of consumers stating they had eaten the product in the

past year. Thorpe (2017) suggest that Maltesers’ key demographic are predominately

in ABC1 segment. According to the National Readership Survey (NRS), this segment consist of professionals and consumers situated in managerial

roles; this segment accounts for 55% of the British people (National Readership Survey, no date). Essentially, showing that Maltesers have over

half of the British population in which they can target through their communication campaigns.

Simpson (2017) defines audience personas as ‘semi-fictional characters that

personify your ideal customer’. Developing a persona is essential as it shows what is important to the average consumer of a brand. As outlined in

appendix 6.0, the current consumer of Maltesers is typically female, fits into the ABC1 category and is health conscious.

Thorpe (2017) and YouGov (no dateA) both suggest that baby boomers are a key consumer segment for Maltesers who are more likely to see the brand

as traditional. Whilst it was suggested in section 2.20, that Maltesers’ brand personality can be seen as an excitement brand; which is not likely to appeal

to this demographic. Thorpe (2017) further suggest that the number of 16-24-year olds engaging with Maltesers will decline by 2021, this demographic

therefore needs to be the key focus for Maltesers moving forward to ensure competitiveness.

2.50 Marketing Expertise: As outlined in section 2.30, Maltesers commissioned Abbott Mead Vickers

BBDO (AMV BBDO) a communications agency based in London to produce

the ‘Look on the light side’ campaign (Mitchell, 2017). AMV BBDO have worked with a total of 70 brands throughout their 40 years of operations,

with their focus on ‘creating powerful brand platforms that propel them forwards’ (AMVBBDO, No Date).

As Selwood (2017) figures show, Maltesers faced a 7.6% decline during 2017, although the ‘Look on the light side’ campaign broke social barriers

AMV BBDO have not delivered on their mission statement of ‘create [a] powerful brand platforms that propel them forwards’ (AMVBBDO, no date)

As Lindt have shown, managing communication efforts in-house can be extremely effective as there is a greater passions regarding the brand. Mars

Inc. certainly have the resources to successfully implement an in-house team however, as Vizard (2018) states the standpoint is ‘companies should

only do what they do best, and for most brands that isn’t creative work and media buying.’

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3.00 Key Issues: 1. War On Sugar: Consumer trends indicate an increasing rejected of sugar from diets. The PHE (2016)

calls for a minimum price on all confectionery. This move could deter

consumers from purchasing the product affecting sales further

2. Change In Consumer Snacking: The average consumer purchases around 6.5 snacking items per month (Thomson, 2018); the issue is whilst

consumers are snacking more ‘chocolate is being chosen less.’ (Woolf, 2018, cited in Tatum, 2018) showing a

change in consumer attitude towards chocolate.

3. Rise In Premium Chocolate:

Chocolate marker who concentrate their production on the quality of ingredients have

seen sales rise in recent years. Hotel Chocolat are leading the industry by growing their own cocoa for the products

4. Marketing Through Traditional Media:

Despite an advertising budget of £8.4 million (Ebiquity, 2017), Maltesers have focused their campaigns

predominately through television which accounted for 95% of total advertisement (Selwood, 2017). The brand has not made effective use of digital platforms despite

having a large following (as shown in section 2.30) 5. Targeting the wrong audience:

Thorpe (2017) identified baby boomers as a key demographic for Maltesers, however in accordance to the brand personality framework (Aaker, 1997) the brand can be shown as an excitement brand, which does not fit the traditional view of baby boomers.

Thorpe (2017) further suggest the number of 16-24-year olds engaging with Maltesers will decline by 2021. This demographic therefore needs to be the key focus for Maltesers moving forward to ensure

competitiveness.

4.00 Marketing Communications Objectives:

Objective: Justification: 1. To refocus Maltesers’ target audience

within the next 12 months by raising

approval ratings 10% amongst 18-

24-year-olds through a social media

campaign.

It is suggested that by 2021, the number of 16-24 year olds

engaging with Maltesers will decline. YouGov (no dateA) suggest

currently the brand have an 82% approval rating amongst the

demographic, further increase is needed to ensure future

competitiveness. Maltesers would need to target this campaign to

over 18’s to comply with new regulations regarding HFSS products

as outlined under section 15.18 of the CAP code (ASA, no dateA).

2. Within the next 12 months,

reposition Maltesers as one of the top

3 ethical brands for confectionery,

achieved through a national

integrated communication campaign

appealing to all socio economic

groups.

Consumer’s regard ethics as an important factor within the industry

(Winther, 2018). As shown manufacturers who concentrate their

production on the quality of ingredients have seen sales rise. The

aim of the campaign to raise awareness of actions taken by the

brand to ensure they have less of an impact on the environment;

actions taken includes the ethical sourcing of cocoa (Lucas, 2011).

3. To convert in store customers into

purchasing Maltesers by increasing

point of sales (POS) across

nationwide stores in the next 12

months

Maltesers have focused majority of their communications activity

using traditional media. However, with fast moving consumer

goods (FMCG), consumers have a limited decision making process

and are likely to act on instinct; as shown ‘chocolate is being

chosen less’ (Woolf, 2018, cited in Tatum, 2018)

4. To establish a greater online

presence through a 3 month social

media campaign aimed at engaging

18-45 year olds of all socio economic

groups. The purpose would be to

increase online conversation and

awareness of the product.

The purpose of the online communication campaign would be to

establish a greater online presence across key platforms identified

in section 2.30. Bell (2015) suggest the rise of social media,

‘brands now have a direct channel in which they can communicate

with their target audience’. Therefore, Maltesers need to establish a

greater presence to engage with their target audience.

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5.00 Voluntary Code: The Advertising Standards Authority are a self-regulated organisation which

ensures advertisements published in the UK stuck to the codes and conduct (ASA, no dateA). Although the voluntary advertising codes set out by the

ASA is not legally binding, it is important that they are abided by to ensure that the industry remains self-governed.

This section lays out the codes, which Maltesers must abide by when planning future communications campaigns.

Definitions:

HFSS: Throughout this section, HFSS will refer to products that are ‘high in fat, salt

or sugar as identified using nutrient profiling’ (ASA, 2017A). Using the framework proposed by the Department of Health (2011), Maltesers had a

nutritional profiling score of 36, therefore classifying the product as HFSS.

Nutritional Claim: A nutrition claim is defined by the European Commission as any claim that

states, suggests or implies that a food has particular beneficial nutritional properties.’ (Council Regulation, 1924/2006:28)

Key Points Of The Code:

There are many rules, which Maltesers must abide by; this section will give an overview of the rules that apply to Maltesers. Under section 3.1 of both

the CAP and BCAP guidelines (ASA, no date B) (ASA, no date C), Maltesers must not materially mislead in their advertisements. Maltesers have

previously breached this regulation with their 2008 campaign that depicted the product as having less than 11 calories each. The ASA stated that the

use of ‘less than, gave the misleading impression that a Malteser was low in energy’ (ASA, 2013). Ultimately, the campaign was upheld by the ASA.

Under section 12.10 of the BCAP code (ASA, no dateC), low-calorie food if

advertised using a slimming or weight-control theme, must make clear that the product merely helps weight loss. This is important for Maltesers as the

brand has previously advertised the product as less than 11 calories each (ASA, 2013), although this is not directly using a slimming theme the

implication that it is low calorie can be beneficial to consumers than competitor products. Similarly, under sector 13.10.1 of the CAP code (ASA,

no dateB) health claims that ‘refer to a rate or amount of weight loss are not permitted.’

Industry Specific:

The European Union has established regulations on nutrition and health claims made on foods, these regulations must be used by the food business

when highlighting any beneficial effects of using their products ‘in relation to health and nutrition on product labels or in its advertising’ (European

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Commission, no date). Under section 15.1 of the CAP code (ASA, no dateB), ‘marketing

communications that contain nutrition or health claims must be supported by documentary evidence to show they meet the conditions’. The European

Union rules state ‘food is low in energy, may only be made if the product does not contain more than 40 calories per 100g for solid food’ (Council

Regulation, 1924/2006:28). Maltesers currently have 503kcal per 100g of solids (ASDA, no date); therefore, this would need to be considered before

publishing further nutritional claims on their products. Under 15.4 of the CAP (ASA, no dateB) and 13.4 of BCAP (ASA, no dateC)

regulations state that ‘marketing communications must not condone or encourage excessive consumption of a food’. Although Maltesers have

positioned themselves as a ‘healthy’ confectionery alternative, communication should state the product is to be eaten in moderation as part

of a balanced diet.

Following a 2016 consultation of HFSS products, ASA announced new rules, which stated ‘HFSS product advertisements are subject to media placement

restrictions’ (ASA, 2017B). Noticeably, this implies that under section 15.18, where the audience consists of more than 25% of under 16’s, the platform

cannot be used to advertise HFSS products. Although outlined in section 2.40, Maltesers’ current target audience mainly consist of older

demographics, media planning is essential to ensure Maltesers do not fall under this category where young audiences are exposed.

Compliance With The Code: The marketer holds the responsibility to act in accordance to ASA

regulations. Outlined in section 1 of both the CAP and BCAP the principle is that all marketing communications should be ‘legal, decent, honest and

truthful’ as outlined in section 1.1. The ASA (No date, D) outlines the sanctions which could be faced by a marketer if they are in breach of the

code.

Broadcast sanctions: (ASA, No Date D) Although broadcasters are licenced by Ofcom, broadcasters are required to

follow ASA regulations sanctions can include: - Face bad publicity generated by an upheld complaint

- Wasted hundreds of thousands of pounds - Possibility of losing prime advertising slots in which a banned as had

been booked to appear. Non-Broadcasting (ASA, no date D)

- Withhold to advertising space: CAP can issue alerts to members to ensure space is withheld.

- Pre-vetting: Offenders can be required to have material vetted before publication

- Withdrawal of trading privileges: CAP can issue members to revoke trading privileges such as Royal Mail bulk mail discounts.

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Appendix: Appendix 1.0: Brand Personality Framework (Aaker, 1997)

Appendix 2.0: Cadbury’s Brand Essence Wheel. Adapted from De

Chernatony (2006)

Sourced: (Green and Black, no date), (Thorp, 2018), (YouGov, no dateB)

Brand Personality: Aaker (1997)

Sincerity: Excitement: Competence: Sophistication: Ruggedness:

Down to earth

Honest

Wholesome

Cheerful

Daring

Spirited

Imaginative

Up-to-date

Reliable

Intelligent

Successful

Upper-class

Charming

Outdoorsy

Tough

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Appendix 3.0 Green and Black’s Brand Essence Wheel. Adapted from De Chernatony (2006).

Sourced: (Cadbury, No Date), (Thorp, 2017) and (Roderick, 2018)

Appendix 4.0: Audience Persona for Maltesers

Sourced: (Winther, 2018), (Thorpe, 2017), (Maltesers UK, no date), (YouGov, no dateA), (Indeed, no date)