- Beatrice / Con Agra
- Challenging an American Icon
For as long as most people can remember, Heinz has been the ketchup leader. For most of that time Heinz has marketed the brand on the basis of its impressive thickness. Many can remember the now famous Carly Simon song "Anticipation" being used on television to underscore the brand's superior and thick consistency.
Ascension strategists, "pouring" over ketchup market research data realized that taste not thickness was the #1 most popular consumer attribute in selecting a brand of ketchup. Armed with this information, Ascension strategists led R&D teams in an effort to formulate a new Hunt's Ketchup formula that would be superior to Heinz. Under the direction of Ascension strategists, a national "Hunt's Ketchup Challenge" advertising/promotional campaign was created to build awareness for Hunt's superior taste over the uncontested category leader, Heinz.
Hunt's Ketchup was propelled from a 17% market share to a record 25% category share. Revenues increased by 50% and all time profitability was achieved. The approach taken by Ascension, strategists challenged the conventional thinking, brought a distant #2 brand to the national spotlight in the $800 million bottled ketchup category.