DAWN FARMS TOP 9 | ISSUE 7 2018

GLOBAL UPDATE ON CONSUMER, MARKET AND MENU INSIGHTS. 

1. SUBWAY'S LATEST EPIC GAMECHANGER

Make it Epic. Make it Fast. Make it Fun. Make It What You Want. This is the strapline behind Subway’s latest brand campaign, aimed at resonating with Millennials and Gen Z consumers. The majority of the bold, individualistic theme created by Dentsu is original footage supplemented by user generated content. While Subway recognises its core pillars of value, health, indulgence haven’t changed in 50 years; how it communicates to today’s audience has to. Click here to see how Subway’s new ‘anthem’ tells its story to consumers in 2018 >>

2. TOP VALENTINE'S TAKEAWAYS

On February 14th, the average online delivery order typically increases by 50%, according to Just Eat. There are notable differences between each country. In Spain for example Japanese food is most popular, followed by Chinese and pizza. Stand out dishes for Spanish couples on this romantic soirée include spring rolls, chicken with almonds, sushi, pizza or oriental noodles. Besides Valentine’s Day, football games (particularly finals such as the Champions League or the Copa del Rey) prompt up to a third more orders and much higher spend (+25%). Meanwhile Italian food is most popular in Denmark, Norway, Switzerland and France, while Chinese and Indian food is preferred by Irish and UK consumers respectively.

3. LEON TESTS GLOBAL RELEVANCE

UK fast casual/healthy food to go chain Leon is launching a new Asian concept. It has paired up with the Thai investment company Aylmer Aaharn to serve Thai classics such as curries, noodles, rice dishes and salads. Look out for the Tuk Shop pop up concept in Leon’s West End restaurant in April. Meanwhile Leon has global expansion plans ahead in partnership with food travel specialist HMS Host International. This includes 6-10 UK sites (2018), and a further 20 in airports and railways stations across Europe by 2020 (including Belgium, Germany, Netherlands Norway, Denmark), as well as solely airports in France, Spain and UAE among other Middle Eastern Countries.

4. MCDONALD'S HEALTHIER GENERATION

In an overhaul of its Happy Meals, McDonald’s is removing cheeseburgers, halving the fries portion and removing its current chocolate milkshake in a bid to “serve more fruit, vegetables, low-fat dairy, whole grains, lean protein”. The chocolate milk is undergoing reformulation and soon bottled water will be offered as an additional choice. By the end of 2022, at least 50% of Happy Meals will meet McDonald’s new Global Happy Meal Nutrition Criteria of maximum 600 calories. Currently slightly more than half of Happy Meal combinations in 20 markets meet these nutritional criteria. Meanwhile, McDonald’s Italy has launched a new Junior Chicken sandwich, featuring grilled chicken – watch the ad here >>

5. PICARD'S ASIAN STREET FOOD

Korean street food may seem a little out of the French consumer’s comfort zone however premium frozen food retailer Picard in France made a stopover there on its recent Asian street food adventure (Jan-Feb 2018). As well as 3 new Korean ready meals such as Chicken Bulgogi with Kimchi and Bibimbap with minced beef; Japanese, Thai and Vietnamese dishes are also on the convenience menu – all given their original Korean name with some accompanying background and storytelling. As we know from Just Eat’s data above, Japanese sushi and noodles are well established in France but consumers are becoming more adventurous when it comes to their taste for the Orient.

6. PIZZA HUT’S PIZZA BLING

Ahead of Gulfood next week, it’s worth considering what stirs the UAE consumer’s appetite for fast food. Appealing to their sense of indulgence Valentine’s Day, Pizza Hut released one of its most exclusive pizzas to date, The Golden Bites, featuring edible gold – click here to see the unveiling >> The Golden Bites came in 3 popular flavour combinations – Super Supreme, Grilled Cheeky Chicken and the Very Veggie - each with a layer of orange cheddar cheese at just Dh100 (£19.38). Visit us at our stand in Gulfood and other trade shows in 2018 - click here >>

7.GREGG'S SPICES UP BALANCED CHOICE

Gregg’s has introduced some new spicy limited-edition choices to its Balanced Choice range including Chunky Beef Chilli Soup, Mexican Chicken Pasta Salad and a Spicy Calzone Bake. The Balanced Choice range was first launched in 2014 and now represents 10% of annual sales. Other additions outside of the Balanced Choice range include a Three Cheese and Pepperoni pizza (now on focaccia). The limited editions will remain on the menu until 23rd May. With a score of 84 out of 100, Greggs was recently named the highest-ranked leisure organisation in the latest UK Customer Satisfaction Index (UKCSI). 

8. BURGER KING BOOST FROM OPENINGS

The Restaurant Group credits its strong 2017 performance ($431 million increase in group revenues) on 3 of its iconic brands; Burger King, Tim Hortons and the integration of new acquisition Popeyes. Burger King opened 1,000 new restaurants (a net rate of 6.5%) while fast growing Tim Hortons also opened 135 new sites during the period, including a first wave of UK sites. In 2017, menu innovation was also said to lift sales including new breakfast items such as the Bacon King and a new coffee blend. In new news, Burger King Pakistan currently offers 4 new Loaded Fries; BBQ, Lemon & Chilli, Nacho Cheese & Jalapeno and Garlic Mayo.

9. YUM-MY GRUBHUB

This week Yum! Brands and Grubhub announced a new American accelerated growth partnership. Yum brands are set to acquire $200 million worth of Grubshub’s shares with the aim of driving online sales to its restaurants such as KFC, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut. Grubhub is America’s leading online and mobile takeout food-ordering company with annual revenues of $493 million and is connected with some 50,000 local restaurants with diners in more than 1,100 cities across the US. Grubhub will now work with KFC and Taco Bell franchisees to test and roll out online ordering solutions for pickup and delivery to thousands of restaurants in the US.