Have you heard the Picasso napkin story?
If not, here it is.
Picasso is sitting in a Paris café. A lady approached him and asked if he could do a quick sketch on a paper napkin.
Picasso politely agreed. He did a quick drawing of a dove and handed the napkin back.
Then he asked for a million francs.
The lady was shocked, “How can you ask for so much? It only took you a minute to draw this.”
“No,” Picasso replied. “It took me 40 years.”
Is the story true? It doesn’t really matter. It’s a good story and it makes an important point.
In our world we tend to value the showy stuff. The spectacular fixturisation solution. The brilliantly creative POS communication. The beautifully crafted messaging.
Then we go into store. Take some photos. Send them round. Wait for the praise to roll in. It often does. But the sales don’t.
Sales are often driven by doing the simple stuff. Done clearly. Done consistently.
The shopper equivalent of drawing a dove on a napkin.
That’s why we have The Insight Traction Lions each year. Awards that honour simple, clear and differentiated communication.
We’ve been posting the winners on Linked In. People have been voting. So, now we can reveal the Top 5…
Princes & Hellmann’s (see image below). It’s easy to get distracted chasing the next big food trend or recipe hack. The stuff that a minority of shoppers eat for a short amount of time. It’s often much harder to stay focused on the things that don’t change. The stuff that the majority of shoppers have eaten for a long time.
Sandwiches are the biggest meal type in the UK. Tuna mayo is a classic filling. Princes & Hellmann’s are the perfect partners. They can sell more in combination than in isolation.
Lidl High Protein Fixture (see image below). We work across a lot of categories. We often hear the same complaint, “we lack visibility.” It’s a fair point. Too many categories are easy to miss. It can be a problem for regular shoppers of a category. It’s even more of a problem if you’re trying to attract new shoppers.
This High Protein fixture is impossible to miss. Easy to find for regular shoppers of the category. Easy to notice for shoppers who might be open to buying. If you want to be seen by shoppers don’t whisper, shout.
Kleenex (see image below). Many brands are competing in a benefits arms race. A race to make more claims and bigger claims. That might be fine for the 1% of shoppers who are looking for a deodorant that lasts 72 hours or the 1% who are looking for a snack that is the perfectly balanced energy source.
But for many brands, it’s the simple message that is most needed. That is most effective. Like telling shoppers what to do – “don’t forget your tissues;” and why they should do it – “save the sleeve.” More relevant to more shoppers than any set of benefit claims could ever be.
Flora Plant Butter (see image below). Many shopper messages use many words to say not very much. Often focusing on what brands want to say rather than what shoppers need to hear. In contrast the best shopper messages use few words to say a lot. And do so in a differentiated and memorable way.
Flora Plant Butter is a great example of this. It tells shoppers all they need to know in a differentiated way. What it is – plant based butter. Where to find it – the dairy aisle. Why it’s good – “so creamy.” It must be if the dairy aisle let them in, right?
Tic Tac (see image below). The FMCG world is one of cardboard display units. Walk around any store and you will see loads of them. You have one in store this week. Your competitor has a similar looking one next week. All following the same design rules.
Not enough display units break the standard design rules. However, The Tic Tac Travels unit absolutely does. The shape. The colour. The tic tacs peeking out of the top. A display that is instantly recognisable. That is completely different to anything around it. That could only be tic tac. Don’t zig when you can zag.
So, there you have it. Our (and your… the people who voted) top 5. The Picassos of the FMCG game.
If you want to see all the winners, simply email naomi@insight-traction.com and we’ll send you the full Insight Traction Lions deck.
In the meantime we wish you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Speak to you in 2025.
Feel free to forward. Have a great weekend.
