BACKGROUND
Fentimans have been Botanically Brewing award-winning premium soft drinks since 1905. In a throwaway economy, where cheaper soft drinks are mass produced to deliver a one-hit-fleeting flavour – Fentimans is made to last.
Everything they do is designed to deliver an unrivalled depth of flavour. Ingredients are sourced from around the globe and checked by smell, taste and feel before they're Botanically Brewed for a minimum of 7 days. This process is designed to maximise flavour and taste from each ingredient – delivering a unrivalled taste experience in every sip.
Their traditional techniques and real commitment to craft makes Fentimans truly unique and one-of-a-kind in their category, but with only 5% share of voice, they were struggling to stand out from their competitors.
Drummond Central started working with Fentimans in 2023 as their lead strategic and creative agency and was brought on board to help Fentimans achieve their ambitious objectives and work with them to develop the brand strategy and creative direction.
TARGET AUDIENCE
Drummond Central established that to achieve their ambitions, Fentimans needed to recruit over 500K drinkers through the campaign.
Two top segments, Social Butterflies and Go-Getters, were identified through audience segmentation and brought to life in focus groups. Aged between 30-44, they are discerning individuals and believe good quality food and drink is worth paying more for and use language like 'mouthfeel' and think about their palettes and pairings.
Our research found two key occasions for enjoying soft drinks – the likes of Coke and Fanta were drank more routinely as a quick fix, whereas something more high quality like Fentimans was often reserved for special occasions. Instead of saving Fentimans for a special occasion, we needed to give our audience reasons to elevate those everyday moments, because Fentimans is about elevating and savouring enjoyment where you can.
CLIENT CHALLENGE
Growth in the drinks category was on our side, but Fentimans were challenged by limited distribution which also meant they were out of sight and out of mind. By being less physically present than competitors, Fentimans were asking even more of their target audience to seek them out.
Fentimans needed to steal sales and share from competitors who had way more spend and share of voice. The campaign needed to be season-proof and broad enough to work through the line across brand, on trade and off trade. It wasn't enough to tell the audience of the occasions Fentimans could elevate, we needed to surprise them with the unexpected and tell a story of real taste.
When availability is scarce, distinctiveness is the key to standing out and making a brand memorable. Drummond Central knew the Fentimans needed a distinctive, memorable hook that would create an impactful campaign whilst also staying true to their fundamental promise of premium taste and quality.
AGENCY SOLUTION
In order to appeal to adult tastes', the rest of the category was a sea of same but Drummond Central established that having real taste in a world of sophisticated soft drinks was about being taste-full - depth, vibrancy, unexpectedness, fullness and experience.
The creative strategy was to get the 'taste-full' audience to see Fentimans as a way of elevating a number of occasions by inspiring them with the unexpected; an experience that only the taste of Fentimans can deliver.
Drummond Central meticulously crafted Fentiman, an 'Ambassador of Exquisite Taste - a man of substance, impeccable style, and sophistication. He feels compelled to open other people's eyes to the world of Fentimans and raise their game by being more adventurous and more discerning in their choice of beverage.
The creative platform was adapted across multiple channels including 30" VOD, OOH, social and PR. In the integrated campaign, Fentiman appears unexpectedly, whenever people are in danger of settling for something uninspiring and politely guides them towards a Botanically Brewed drink with more substance and sophistication.
Just like the Fentimans brand and its beverages, Fentiman is unique, full of character, and expertly handcrafted. He authentically talks about why Fentimans is the superior choice, and he's absolutely unforgettable.
THE RESULTS
Prior to the campaign going live, 8 qualitative focus groups with over 50 target customers were conducted in London and the North East, to gain insight into perceptions of Fentiman.
The response to the character was significantly positive and encouraged us that the character would resonate with existing audiences and those new to the brand.
The focus groups found him to be intriguing, knowledgeable and in-keeping with Fentimans as a premium brand. The look of Fentiman and his tone of voice was found to be credible, paired with his cheeky personality, he was found to be compelling and people remarked that they would like to 'get to know the character even more'.
"His watch makes me think about time well-spent, not only creating the drink but drinking it yourself as well."
"He seems approachable and you'd want to know more about the brand because he's intriguing."
"You trust that whatever is in the bottle is good ingredients, because you're convinced that he knows his stuff."
"He looks approachable and endearing. I would assume he would know stuff if we engaged in conversation. Like he's got confidence."
"If he was telling me about it [Botanical Brewing], I'd believe him. There's an association with people who dress like that. Trustworthy."
When asked, there was little recall for competitor brand advertising in the category, Fentiman was therefore seen as an opportunity to stand out.
"The only drink with a character attached to it. They [brands] usually just show people at events, like a BBQ or garden party. It's all quite similar."
"I don't think there's another brand that does anything like this. It makes them stand out."
Drummond Central is in progress with evaluating the brand campaign.
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