Whilst cultural interest in food has sky-rocketed, in contrast McCormick’s herbs, spices and seasonings brands (known as Schwartz in the UK) had been experiencing penetration decline. Despite being a key player in the category, it was perceived as old-fashioned and was struggling to find relevancy with some demographics.
Collaborating with BrandOpus and Marks, McCormick’s shifted perceptions with a new positioning, identity and jar structure that moved the brand from ‘functional kitchen tool’ to ‘inspiring kitchen partner’ and justified the brand’s price premium. With consumers re-appraising Schwartz, penetration of the jars grew by 1.2 points, to 25% of the UK market.
Signifying the brand’s expertise and the dynamism of cooking, the new design and 3D structure which handily fits a teaspoon, have driven up perception of the brand making it less likely to be substituted with own label.
Regaining loyalty, Schwartz grew its jars by 2.8% in value following redesign, increasing share by 0.1 percentage points to 32.6%. Crucially the identity and positioning have allowed for innovation; the new Street Food seasonings unlocked penetration with ‘pre-families’ where Schwartz previously under-traded, reaching 325,000 new households, 90% of which were incremental to the brand.
