Print & online newspapers work
Newspaper and online advertising for Gay Lea Spreadables Butter delivered a substantial sales lift – and in one region it delivered the brand’s highest sales ever.
Advertising challenge 
To increase awareness, trial and likelihood of future use of Gay Lea Spreadables Butter.
Objective
Gay Lea Spreadables Butter wanted to reinforce its benefit – butter (not margarine) that smoothly spreads even after having being stored in the fridge.
Advertising plan
In spring, Gay Lea kicked off a campaign for Spreadables in magazines and online.
The Canadian Newspaper Association (CNA) broached the advertiser about a test over the summer period to demonstrate that newspapers and their online sites could help build the brand.
Gay Lea agreed to run in both media for a six week period. A mix of newspapers across the country were chosen with a plan which included two newspaper ads each week combined with impressions on the paper’s website.
The campaign kicked off with colour, 2/3 page size ads featuring a coupon. Frequency was maintained through smaller sized ads (banner and digest size) run in both colour and black and white. The campaign closed with the ad with coupon running again to encourage purchase.
Results
Pre and post advertising testing was conducted across the country.
Exposure to the newspaper and online campaign increased all the key metrics, despite the campaign having already run in other media before newspaper and online started.
| Awareness of spreadable butter | +16% |
| Trial of spreadable butter | +9% |
| Likelihood of future usage | +20% |
| Gay Lea branding | +14% (23% online)* |
*As branding in the online ad was stronger, the results proved even better.
Compared to regular sales volume, Gay Lea experienced a boost in sales during the period of newspaper and online advertising – akin to previous deep price discount sales lifts.
Gay Lea shared their results across the country which demonstrated that all regions enjoyed success during the newspaper and online advertising period.
Sales Growth vs year ago
| 4 weeks to Aug 1 | 4 weeks to Aug 29 | |
| National | 11% | 8% |
| Maritimes | 28% | -59* |
| Ontario | 13% | 20% |
| West | 1% | 19% |
* Anomaly due to large promotion in the region the year before.
What the client said
“Gay Lea is very pleased with the volume growth that occurred during the newspaper and online advertising period. The butter market has changed considerably with dramatic decreases in private label everyday pricing making this a very challenging market. We were particularly impressed with the results in the West, where Spreadables garnered its highest sales volume ever during this period!”
– Liz Maynard, Product Manager, Gay Lea Foods.
Download a PDF of the case below.
For more information about Australian print and online newspaper advertising, download our audience report, Newspapers Today Part 2.