Eleven years ago the frozen food industry in South Africa was stagnating constituting less than four percent of national consumers*. However, since the introduction of McCain Foods into the market ten years ago, there has been significant growth and change to the face of the frozen food aisle.

Their recent Home Fries promotion, in collaboration with Le Creuset, was launched to emphasise that oven baked chips can also taste great, inform consumers about the range and encourage trial. The results of the campaign showed a significant increase in sales over the period and indicate that McCain’s promotions are working to increase brand awareness, encouraging purchase and consequently driving more consumers to the frozen food aisle.

McCain’s understanding of the consumer has made them South Africa’s leading supplier of frozen foods. The Home Fries campaign is a positive example of what the brand is doing to revitalise and bring excitement to the often uninviting frozen food category.

McCain has recently reintroduced its extensive range in refreshed packaging into the frozen food category. The look and feel has been designed to freshen up the frozen food section and continue to attract more consumers. “After extensive research, we believe that the new packaging will make it easier to identify the McCain selection of frozen potatoes and vegetables on shelf and indicate the variety and breadth of the range. It will also make the frozen food aisle more inviting and engaging for the consumer,” says Greg Foster, retail marketing manager at McCain.

* P.J Du Plessis, B.R Hatcher and C. Boshoff, Journal of Industrial Psychology, 1994.