Cordial campaign with a sharp focus

Two new campaigns for MiWadi and Cheestring DIY pizza begin next week, aimed at tapping into shopping trolley pester power

Two new campaigns for MiWadi and Cheestring DIY pizza begin next week, aimed at tapping into shopping trolley pester power. MiWadi is one of Ireland's oldest brands, while the Golden Vale product is an extension of the successful five-year-old Cheestrings brand. Twenty years ago MiWadi was so well established that its name was the generic one for any dilutable orange cordial. But 10 years ago it was close to being delisted because of new competition from fizzy drinks and other cordials such as Kia Ora and Robinsons.

But the C&C brand, invented in 1927, has bounced back. Four years ago, MiWadi had an 11 per cent share of the cordial market, worth £18.6 million (€23.62 million). It now has 29 per cent and is the market leader.

A new £600,000 television campaign for MiWadi devised by Mr Pearse McCaughey and Mr Martin Cowman at Cawley Nea starts this week. According to Mr Stephen Cooke, product group manager at C&C, the brand has received a sales boost from an unlikely source. "The huge increase in the sale of bottled water has boosted our sales," he says, "It has increased our market share among adults who are buying it to make water interesting."

The age profile of the consumer of the new Cheestring DIY pizza from Golden Vale is firmly under-12s. Dimension has created a £1 million television campaign to introduce it.

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"It's expensive but when you're talking to this age group, television is the only medium," says Mr Denis O'Riordan, retail marketing manager.

The product was developed in Cork and will also be introduced to the UK market next week. The animation sequence in the 30-second ad was created by Monster Animation, the firm behind the animation sequence in Madonna's latest video.

Bernice Harrison

Bernice Harrison

Bernice Harrison is an Irish Times journalist and cohost of In the News podcast