Given that price is one of the most important factors in supermarket purchasing decisions, especially given the scenario of high and unpredictable inflation rates in several countries around the world, Penny – one of Germany’s leading supermarket chains, which focuses on promotions and more affordable products – found an unusual way to create an effective differentiator that guarantees its offerings in the face of constant fluctuations.
Entitled “Price Packs,” the project created by Serviceplan Germany transforms the price into the central element of its own-brand product labels, ensuring that the value remains the same over long periods. The initiative, valid for a range of consumer staples – such as bread, salt, oatmeal, potato chips and mayonnaise – helps consumers find the best options on the shelves and serves as a promise that prices will not change in the short term, even according to factors such as high demand or shortages.
“With ‘Price Packs’ we are putting the price directly on the packaging for the first time, demonstrating that our own brand really does offer the best value for money,” stresses Dr. Jan Flemming, chief marketing officer at Penny, which has more than 3,500 stores spread across Germany.
The idea behind the project is to challenge the traditional rules of communication of many companies at the point of sale. Avoiding the usual strategies, such as imitating the packaging of more reputable brands, the initiative invests in a format that, in addition to attracting attention naturally through its distinctive design, quickly and clearly conveys a better perception of value compared to the competition.
“In marketing, you often have to decide between promoting the price or the product. We are happy to have found a way to do both at the same time,” says Till Diestel, creative director at Serviceplan.
Together with the packaging, an advertising campaign was launched that uses the product as a channel to communicate, in a single image, its category and price. With a minimalist aesthetic, the pieces are advertised in the German market through billboards, print media, display and social networks. In the digital channels, the broadcasting is adapted to the time of day: bread gains prominence in the morning and French fries in the afternoon, for example.
