Birds Eye is extending its core range of fish products with the launch of Mini Fish Fingers.
Available from March, the launch aims to tap into the rise in demand for frozen food across a broader range of occasions and brings an opportunity for retailers to “unlock incremental sales”.
The brand noted that over a quarter of all frozen food meal occasions in the UK include fish fingers, and they are leading the growth of the total frozen fish category, with value growth of 6.8%. There has also been a significant increase in the use of frozen foods in lunch and snacking occasions since pre-lockdown (+17% and +26% respectively vs 2019), with Birds Eye seeking to tap into this opportunity.
Mike Sowerby, Head of Marketing Fish & Poultry at Birds Eye UK & Ireland, commented, “Our classic Fish Fingers have been a staple at the dinner table for generations and are particularly popular at kids’ mealtimes. With the growing use of frozen foods during lunch and snacking, our new Mini Fish Fingers will tap into this demand to provide a tasty, nutritious, and fun mealtime solution for kids while also offering an innovative option for adult sharing plates and party occasions.”
He continued: “The launch of our Chunky Fish Fingers in 2018 demonstrated that there is an appetite to expand our fish fingers portfolio, delivering 37% of incremental sales value to the fish fingers category. Our new Mini Fish Fingers offer retailers a similar opportunity to unlock even more sales.”
The launch will see Birds Eye partnering with toy brand Playmobil. The tie-up will include an on-pack promotion that will gift a special-edition bespoke Captain Birds Eye Playmobil character with the purchase of two packs of Birds Eye Mini Fish Fingers. The promotion will be available from 1 April – 30 June and will be supported by an in-store shopper activation campaign across multiple retailers, in addition to a £2.6m media campaign from mid-April, which will include a TVC, PR, social and OOH advertising.
The Mini Fish Fingers will be available in the grocery channel with an MRSP of £3.50.
NAM Implications:
- Classic usage extension for an iconic brand…
- …that will add incremental sales to the established user base.
- Besides providing an entry point for potential loyals.
