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Marketing strategies - case study

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Bisto.pngBisto gravy powder, currently owned by Premier Foods, has been extremely popular in the UK since the 1920s. Sunday lunch was the focal point of most family's week. Father carved and mother slaved away to produce just what they all wanted; roast potatoes and all the trimmings.

Then things started to change and Sunday became less special and the roles of mothers and fathers begun to change. People started to eat out, or went away and so the traditional Sunday lunch lost some of its appeal. Gravy suffered and the manufacturers of Bisto were faced with a problem.

In response to declining sales, the producers of Bisto decided to:

  • Relaunch using the old image of kids smelling something good cooking
  • Update the promotion - the kids were modern in their dress and attitudes
  • Vegetarian gravy was introduced, as was herbs, chicken and beef
  • Granules replaced powder, so allowing instant gravy

The result was an enormous increase in sales and Bisto survived.


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Read the article Bisto Gravy Granules (you can do this in the window below or follow the previous link to read the article in a separate window) and then consider answers to the questions below.



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Question 1

Describe the elements of a marketing plan.

Question 2

Explain the importance of market segmentation for Bisto's marketing strategy.

Question 3

Analyse different methods of market research that Bisto may have conducted to before changing their product range.

Question 4

Evaluate the impact on Bisto objectives and strategy of changes in the external environment