Masters Project: Hostess Twinkie

December 2

2009
Nicole Wetzell

Contents
Executive Summary ................................................................................................................................ 3 Background ............................................................................................................................................ 3 Strategic Decisions ................................................................................................................................. 6 New value proposition ............................................................................................................................ 7 Creative Brief .......................................................................................................................................... 8 Print ad concepts .................................................................................................................................... 9 E-mail message with promotional offer ................................................................................................ 12 Ambient ................................................................................................................................................ 13 Works Cited .......................................................................................................................................... 14

Executive Summary
The goal of this project is to increase sales of Twinkies by building brand impact and relevance through a new integrated marketing and communications campaign. Twinkies are a golden sponge cake with a vanilla creme filling. The snack cake was once Americas favorite snack; however, brand awareness has decreased over the years.

Decreased advertising spending and the current healthy eating trend have lowered the impact Twinkie has on consumers. In this project, we will address how to increase sales by 5 percent by setting a marketing objective of halting a decline by convincing lapsed users to reconsider Twinkie. To do this, we will communicate to lapsed users that Twinkie is still a quick and fun way to ebb hunger. This report will also discuss how this strategy will be implemented in marketing communications such as print advertisements, e-mail and social media.

Background
Current Market Place Conditions Twinkie was once the number one selling snack cake in America. The golden, creme-filled snack cake was advertised to millions of Baby Boomer kids throughout 1950 1970. From the 1950s 1980s, the snack cakes were marketed in print and television alone or alongside other Hostess snack products. Past advertising themes included Hostess and kids they go together, a big delight in every bite, and wheres the crme? (Sullivan, 2000). The popular snack cake was positioned as fun and entertaining perfect for the school lunch or afternoon snack (Hostess Snack Cakes, 2009).

Today, Twinkie only accounts for only seven percent of the snack cake market. Since the 1980s the brand has stopped running TV commercials and limited themselves to print and instore advertising (Rigik, 2009). Competition has also become more fierce. Little Debbie (the brand leader, accounting for 50 percent of the market share) Mrs. Freshleys Creme Cakes, Dolly Madison and Zingers have all entered the snack cake business and positioned themselves as a kid-friendly (McKee Foods). The Problem Healthy eating has become the latest trend. Over the years, Twinkie has gained a reputation for being very unhealthy. Many urban legends claim Twinkie, with all its man-made ingredients, can survive a nuclear holocaust along with cockroaches or still be okay to eat after 25 years (Burn, 2005). Many state and local governments have debated the idea of creating a new sales tax on fattening and sugary foods, coined the Twinkie Tax (Tatge, 2004). The Insight Many Americans are attempting to live healthy lifestyles; however, they are having difficulties following through. The general snack food industry still accounts for average annual revenue of $23 billion (Snack Foods Manufacturing). Current Twinkie users are also not concerned with healthy eating. They are more likely to live in rural areas and purchase bacon, aerosol-can cheese, Kool-Aid and malt liquor (Elmer-DeWitt). They are also not as likely to have children living in the home (Hostess Snack Cakes, 2009).

The opportunity and rationale There is a segment of lapsed and infrequent users who ate Twinkies as a kid, want a tasty snack and are not concerned about their health. Between rumors about Twinkies ingredients and the Twinkie Tax, it will be challenging to convince healthier eaters to try the snack. Building sales will also be easier because it is easier to convince a lapsed or infrequent user to reconsider the product.

Strategic Decisions
Marketing objective: Halt a decline by convincing lapsed users to reconsider Twinkie. Communications objective: Remind lapsed Twinkie users that it is still a fun snack for adults. Rational for marketing and communications objectives: There are millions of lapsed or infrequent users who have fun memories of eating Twinkies during childhood. Although Americans want to eat healthier, they often fail to follow through because they still want to indulge in good tasting food (Kirsche, 2005). Additionally, it is much easier and cost effective to convince a lapsed user to re-consider Twinkies. Many new customers never become repeat customers. In fact, they rarely purchase a product twice (Wollen, 2009). Campaign strategy: Convince Rugged Boomers that by having a Twinkie as a quick, fun snack they will reconnect to their childhood while doing their favorite outdoor activity. Rational for the campaign strategy: Twinkies are a quick, fun snack that ebbs hunger until the next meal. Most adults also look back on childhood as a more fun and simple time in life. Reconnecting Twinkie to favorite activities from childhood that have been carried into adulthood will cause Rugged Boomers to look upon Twinkies favorably.

Target market: Rugged Boomers are lapsed Twinkie users who ate the snack in their childhood. They are men, 45 64, who most likely do not have children living at home and earn a lower to middle income. They are not very concerned about their health. They like outdoors activities including hunting and fishing. They are also more likely to purchase bacon, aerosol-can cheese, Kool-Aid and malt liquor.

Rational for target market: According to the United States Census Bureau, there were 38,103,272 men ages 45 64 in 2008 (T6-2008. Sex By Age [39] , 2009).

Of this group there are 34 million hunters and anglers who spend an average of $76 billion annually on their favorite pastime. These people create an economic ripple effect, spending another $192 billion a year on goods and services indirectly related to hunting and angling (i.e. hotels, gas, food) (National Shooting Sports Foundation).

New value proposition

Emotional: Twinkies are a fun snack from childhood and as an adult too. Rational: Twinkies are a quick way to ebb hunger until the next meal. Self-expressed benefit: I like to have fun and remember my childhood. Brand personality change: Fun, entertaining and dependable

Creative Brief
The product is: Yellow-sponge, creme-filled cake The brand is: Fun memories The role of advertising i. What do we want people to do as a result of seeing this advertising? Reconsider Twinkie as a fun snack from childhood. ii. How do we believe the advertising will work to achieve this? Twinkies are a quick way to ebb hunger from childhood a more fun and simple period of life. Who are we talking to? Rugged Boomers are lapsed Twinkie users who ate the snack in their childhood. They are men, 45 64, most likely do not have children living at home, a lower to middle income. They are not very concerned about their health. They like outdoors activities including hunting and fishing. They are also more likely to purchase bacon, aerosol-can cheese, Kool-Aid and malt liquor. WHAT IS THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT THING THIS ADVERTISING SHOULD CONVEY. The advertising should reconnect Twinkies to Rugged Boomers childhood during their favorite outdoor sports. Why should people believe this? i. Emotional Benefit: Twinkies are a way to reconnect to childhood a more fun and simple time. Rational Benefit: Twinkies are a quick way to ebb hunger. What practical considerations are there? Communication should be fun, entertaining and dependable.

Print ad concepts

Dad rewarded you with a snack when you caught that first big one.

Remember the days when all you had to focus on was making the catch? Reconnect to simpler times by snacking on a Twinkie.

You had one when you bagged your first rabbit. How many will be enough with that big buck tied to your truck?

You can still treat yourself to the same reward. Reconnect to simpler times by snacking on a Twinkie.

It may fall in the lake Drop in the mud Get rained or snowed on It could even get stolen by a bear Never fear! Twinkie like memories will always be there

Individually wrapped, Twinkies will stay dry on your next outdoors trip.

E-mail message with promotional offer

Re-state Strategy: Convince Rugged Boomers that by trying a Twinkie as a snack they will reconnect to their childhood during their favorite outdoor activity.

Re-state target: Rugged Boomers are lapsed Twinkie users who ate the snack in their childhood. They are men, 45 64, most likely do not have children living at home, a lower to middle income. They are not very concerned about their health. They like outdoors activities including hunting and fishing. They are also more likely to purchase bacon, aerosol-can cheese, Kool-Aid and malt liquor. Subject: You might not catch a 20 lb bass, but your next fishing trip can still be memorable. Header: Remember the fluffy, golden, creme-filled snack your dad gave you when you caught your first big one? Tom, Life as an adult sure isnt what you thought it was going to be when you were a kid. But one thing that hasnt changed is fishing the crisp air, the pull of the line, peace and quiet it all takes you back to simpler times. The only thing thats missing is your fun-filled, light and creamy snack from childhood. Actually, Twinkie is here to make your next fishing trip a blast from the past. Visit twinkie.com/fishing and order the Fish Pack1. Youll automatically be entered to win allexpenses paid fishing trip for you and two buddies with Jimmy Houston as your guide. Even if you dont win, well still send two bass lures2 just for reconnecting to your favorite childhood snack.

1 2

A box of Twinkies Bass lures will look like a Twinkie

Ambient:The Twinkie Tunnel

Twinkie will collaborate with Cabelas, an outdoorsmen store, to build The Twinkie Tunnel in select locations. Customers will be able to walk inside the Twinkie. The inside walls will feature fishing and hunting tips and photos. Information about a promotion will be available at the end of the tunnel: Ask for the Twinkie Fish Pack at checkout and receive two bass lures.

Works Cited
Burn, D. (2005, September 15). Adpulp. Retrieved 2009, from Little Known Twinkie Facts: http://www.adpulp.com/archives/2005/09/little_known_tw.php Elmer-DeWitt, P. &. (n.d.). People who eat Hostess Twinkies. Time , 143 , 22. Retrieved September 20, 2009, from Time. Hostess Snack Cakes. (2009). About Us. Retrieved September 2009, from Hostess Snack Cakes: http://www.hostesscakes.com/about Kirsche, M. (2005). Time is ripe for snack suppliers to bite into healthy-eating trends. Retrieved October 4, 2009, from Drug Store News: http://search.ebscohost.com McKee Foods. (n.d.). Retrieved September 2009, from http://www.mckeefoods.com National Shooting Sports Foundation. (n.d.). Economic Report. Retrieved Ocotober 2009, from NSSF: http://www.nssf.org/ Rigik, E. (2009). Crazy for Cupcakes. Baking Managment . Snack Foods Manufacturing. (n.d.). Retrieved from Hoovers: http://www.hoovers.com/snack-foodsmanufacturing/--ID__395--/free-ind-fr-profile-basic.xhtml Sullivan, C. (2000). Wheres the Cream Filling, Resuscitating a Beloved Brand. Retrieved September 2009, from American Journal of Business: http://www.bsu.edu/mcobwin/majb/index.php?p=283 T6-2008. Sex By Age [39] . (2009, July). Retrieved November 2009, from United States Census Bureau, Fact Finder: http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/DTTable?_bm=y&-state=dt&-context=dt&ds_name=PEP_2008_EST&-mt_name=PEP_2008_EST_G2008_T006_2008&-tree_id=808&all_geo_types=N&-_caller=geoselect&-geo_id=01000US&-search_results=01000US&-format=&_lang=en Tatge, M. (2004, February 16). Get Ready For the Twinkie Tax. Forbes , 173(3), 52-52 . Wollen, R. (2009, July 13). Use data insights for new customers. Retrieved November 2009, from DMNews: http://www.dmnews.com/use-data-insights-for-new-customers/article/139811/