Pubs find it pays to display with Walkers promotion

Walkers is committed to helping publicans increase crisps and snacks sales through developing fun, exciting and engaging activity and promotions that will appeal to pub goers. 'Do us a flavour' is the latest campaign from Walkers that has captured the imagination of the public and now Walkers has developed a bespoke promotion specifically for the licensed trade to ensure pubs can get in on the flavour action too!

Last month Walkers unveiled the 6 finalist flavours entered by the members of the public: Fish & Chips, Onion Bhaji, Chilli & Chocolate, Crispy Duck & Hoi Sin, Builder's Breakfast and Cajun Squirrel. Each was chosen by a judging panel fronted by chief judge Heston Blumenthal and now faces the public vote to decide which one stays on sale permanently.

The winning flavour will join the Walkers flavours existing 'Hall of Fame' range of flavours and the winner who developed the flavour will scoop £50,000 plus 1% of any subsequent sales of their flavour. The five runners-up will each receive £10,000.

Since the launch of the six new flavours Walkers has already received thousands of votes by consumers for their favourite flavour on its website www.walkers.co.uk and Walkers is expecting that number to increase dramatically particularly given the heavyweight support programme it is investing behind the campaign. This month sees the launch of a fantastic new television campaign featuring Gary Lineker which will create huge awareness and encourage people to try and vote. In addition Walkers is rolling out an exciting pub promotion just for pub-goers and our pubs involved in the Sell More Save More Scheme will be amongst some of the first in the country to try it out!

The promotion will run across 3000 pubs and has been created to get pub goers to sample all 6 flavours and then vote for their favourite. By voting they get the chance to bag tickets to top sporting events for them and their mates. Pub-goers simply need to send a free text with their favourite flavour to a special number to be in with a chance of winning.

To support this promotion Walkers has developed a full point of sales package consisting of beer mats, bar runners and posters. This will ensure great visibility of the promotion in pubs and encourage consumers to try the flavours and then vote for their favourite.

Phil Childs, Walkers customer business manager, says: "Signalling promotions to your customers reinforces the brand messages they'll have seen in shops and through television advertising, which will help prompt them to make a purchase.

"This innovative and interactive 'Do us a flavour' campaign is a real first for the category and the bespoke licensed promotion is a further example of how we are supporting the pub trade and helping to grow the Crisps, Snacks and Nuts category. With such innovative and unique flavours, everyone is going to be really keen to try them for themselves and so there will be real demand in pubs.

In addition to stocking the best sellers we urge publicans to also stock all 6 finalist flavours. To help make that possible we have developed a range of merchandising and display solutions including the reduced case count size, 2 mixed cases of clipstrips and POS materials. Pubs who get behind the Walkers 'Do us a flavour' campaign will really benefit from increased sales, so stock up today and help get the nation voting."

Licensee Paul Barden at the Guide Dog in Southampton was particularly excited by the Do us a flavour promotion and will now be stocking all 6 flavours. He said the promotion had come at a good time as pubs enter the traditionally slower winter months.

He is sure his regulars will be interested in which flavour wins and believes this promotion will encourage them to try and vote for their favourite. He'll be displaying the posters to create good awareness in the pub as well as using some dead space above the back bar to display the new flavours on the clip strips that Walkers has developed.

Childs stresses again that visibility of what's on offer is key. "There's no point stocking an excellent range of crisps and snacks in various flavours or the latest promotion, if customers can't see them" he says.