This is part of a recent conversaion between Patties GM OOH Matt Dodson and C&I. You can read part 1 here.
Is there still a big market for Tradies (to eat pies)?
It’s funny, we’re mid-way through our market research, we’re doing quite extensive research into the total convenience channel at the moment- and there are really two types of tradies nowadays, you’ve got the millennal bullet-proof tradie and you’ve got your old-Wiley-dog type of tradie and w’re starting to see that young millennial look for something more they want something a little more premium around the fact that they can see the ingredients more, it’s got a certain amount of protein- those type of things. The other type of tradie still know and love the Four’n Twenty brand and wuld not shift from it in a million years. The core foundation of eveyrthing we’re doing here is having been blessed with such a great brand in Four’n Twenty, certainly gives us the platform within the P&C channel to be able to grow beyond four n twenty into this new consumer with new and exciting opportunities around the artisan range.
What’s the current catch-phrase?
‘Anytime is a good time, for Four’n Twenty pie time’. Whether that’s at the game or on the job-site, it has shifted a bit from ‘The Great Australian Taste’, but it still sits alongside that catchphrase, and compliments ‘The Great Australian taste’.
Any NPD you can share?
The exciting things we have coming up are centered around the artisan range, we’re going to be looking across the convenience industry and it’s really exciting where we’re starting to take all of that. That’s very much a ‘stay tuned’, and the industry is very much looking forward to seeing that one. We’ve got a lot of different opportunities that we’re working through there. The other exciting thing for us is launching Herbert Adams for the first time in many, many years- the pies are going to be launched into the convenience channel through Coles Express in September. It will be a wine infused pie, we’re starting to elevate the category again, we’re starting to drive this category up rather than drive it down. You just cannot think anymore about having one brand, one pie across the total banner within the convenience network, it just doesn’t work anymore.
Is there much of an expansion or reach for vegetarian pies?
We’ve seen through these insights, quite an amazing change- specifically within the ‘flexitarian’ movement. This movement is really starting to drive into the convenience channel, and that’s the modern tradie one again that instead of going for that standard pie, might look for a vegetarian option nowadays. Vegetarian is a high focus for us at the moment, especially with the artisan range that we’re doing. We’re finding that less beef through there is where we’ll probably head and vegetarian is certainly an option. It’s been one of the key callouts that we’re focussing on at the moment.
Something that’s come out of the insights that I’ve said numerous times, it’s not one pie fits all anymore, within the category there’s a three-tied approach ‘good, better, best’.