Beanz Meanz Boodlez

OK. Here's the first assignment. If you don't know what I'm talking about read the previous post.

I've just made this up. Any resemblence to existing brands or problems is entirely co-incidental. Apologies if it's a little UK-centric, but that's where I live. And it's a category close to my heart.

If those goes well we'll be somewhere-else-centric next time.

Dorothy Boodle is a 53-year old cookery teacher and mother of three. She's spent the last 20 years working on a recipe for beans to rival Heinz beans - assisted by her children and the kids at the school where she teaches. She's now perfected that recipe. Indepedent taste tests rate her beans the same as Heinz - for some people a little better. Her's have a slightly tangier taste. They have a bit less sugar and are generally slightly healthier. They're also a little browner - not that vibrant orange Heinz colour. They can be manufactured for the same cost.

She raised enough money through friends and family to get the beans off the ground and now they've also got backing from an eccentric millionaire - they want to launch the beans into national distribution. The major supermarkets are ready to stock her beans if they see her come to market in a serious way. (They're quite keen to challenge Heinz's complete dominance of the baked beans market. They're not making many inroads with their own-label products and think Dorothy might destabilize Heinz in a good way.)

The Boodles have come to you for advice on how to launch and support their beans. They're asking questions like - How should they position themselves versus Heinz? How should they spend their 5 million pound marketing budget for the first year? What should the product be called?

What should you tell them?

Write me an answer in a Word or Powerpoint document in less than 1,000 words and 2MB.

Don't Ask Me

Please don't ask a lot of clarifying questions. I've just made this up, I don't have any answers. If you don't know something, make up your own answer and spell out your assumptions in your document. If you must ask a question please do it via the comments on this post so everyone can see - I'll answer in the same place. I'm not going to get into any email debates about this.

Don't Go Mad

This is just an excercise for fun and practise. Don't spend hours conducting interviews with people about beans. Don't phone Heinz and ask them what they think. I'm hoping to stretch your thinking/imagination/writing skills - not your research skills. If this takes you more than a few hours you're taking too long. Don't try so hard. Write less. Relax.

Embrace Failure

There's no right answer. I have no answer in my head that you've got to guess. I'm going to be looking for imagination, common sense and persuasiveness. So think big, or very small. Think wherever you like in relation to 'the box' - but since this isn't the real world and you're not messing with anyone's real money this seems like a good opportunity to have some fun.

Email me your answer before November 15th - russell at russelldavies.com. I'll start posting answers and thoughts after that. If you want to remain anonymous let me know.

Does that all make sense? Sound like fun?

account planning brands advertising

Comments

[Mel]

Thanks for the first assignment.I keep coming across beans today... :)

Are you still in Oregon? If not check out the Branston FPC in the London Metro (p6). Interesting way for a challenger product to proceed. Now that it's out there that's one less way to tackle your brief...

If you're still stateside I can e-mail you the ad.

[Rob Mortimer]

Ill definitely have a go if I get time after filling in graduate applications and working!!

[Robert]

Errrrm, can I have a quick go?

Based that they've got great distribution, the retailers are behind them and ... basically ... it's the same bean bar a few miniscule differences, I'd position the Boodlez Bean as the 'Power Bean' ... a bean that celebrates 'a change in the air' ... blatantly [and not very subtley] playing off the 'fart' benefit most people associate with the bean.

[Andy]

Rob, surely 'Boodlex Beans Clear The Air' would be a more fun idea!

[Rob]

Yes Andy ... it would ... so thanks for showing me up! Git.

[Ellen]

so much hot air on the web...

[russell]

Rob, I thought I made it very clear that I didn't want you to take it too seriously.

[Rob Mortimer]

Air Canditioning?

[Paul McEnany]

Damn! I wish I had found this blog just a few days earlier. Sounds like fun.

[russell]

Paul - Don't worry. There'll be another along in a couple of weeks.

[Paul McEnany]

I'll be waiting...