2019-03-25
TURKEY

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Protein milk launch strengthens Pınar​’s standing as an innovative market leader

The story in brief

​Protein-enriched products is a popular trend and a significant area for growth in the Turkish market. Pınar Süt, our longstanding customer, has built on its reputation for innovation and quality to launch Turkey’s first UHT protein-enriched milk. The package - Tetra Prisma^® Aseptic 500 Edge with DreamCap^™26​ is also a first for this market, and has proved a huge hit with consumers who find it perfect for on-the-go consumption.

Pınar: a trendsetter in Türkiye​

Founded in 1973, Pınar which is owned by Yaşar Holding – has its headquarters in Izmir, Türkiye. With a strong focus on meeting the needs of the consumer and promoting the health benefits of milk and dairy products, it has always been a trendsetter. It was the first to bring UHT milk to the Turkish market, in Tetra Brik^® Aseptic 1000 Base​, and the first to offer a whole range of value-added milk products including lactose-free, organic, toddler and flavoured milks. Other product lines include butter, cheese and yoghurt as well as fruit juices, sauces and desserts. Within the dairy sector, Pınar is the market leader (excluding private labels) in Türkiye.​​

Pınar and Tetra Pak: close collaboration​

The close relationship between Pınar and Tetra Pak dates back to the establishment of the company in the early 1970s, and is open, dynamic and genuinely collaborative. Pınar has participated in innovation workshops offered as part of our Marketing Services journey, and aimed at exploring new products and concepts and generating growth for our customers. Today, 100% of Pınar’s carton packaging business is with Tetra Pak, and in addition to the Tetra Prisma 500 Edge DreamCap, the company’s installed base includes Tetra Brik Aseptic 1000, 500 and 200ml Slim packages, and Tetra Brik Aseptic 200 Base.​

A growing appetite for healthy products​

Consumer research carried out around 2015 showed that while historically, levels of obesity in Turkey were high and awareness of the importance of a healthy diet was low, things were changing – fast. Increasing urbanisation, better education and changing demographics had led to the emergence of a new, younger group of consumers who prioritised their health and well-being, and were actively seeking healthy products in the marketplace. Figures from Euromonitor show that overall sales of health and wellness products rose from 17.5 billion Turkish Lira (~ US$3.1bn) in 2015 to 23.6 billion Turkish Lira (~US$4.16bn​) in 2017. There was also evidence from consumer research to suggest that protein was strongly associated with weight management, high levels of energy and better recovery after exercise. But while there were plenty of protein-enriched powders, confectionary products and even drinks on the market, there was no protein-enriched milk: a clear opportunity for Pınar to build on its strong track record of innovation within the dairy sector.​

In-depth research

Pınar worked closely with Tetra Pak to develop a new product concept to reflect the needs of a young urban demographic. First a workshop was held to brainstorm the concept: what products would fit millennial needs and consumption occasions, what did they expect and want from a dairy drink, and how could such a product be integrated into their daily routine? Pınar then conducted two lots of research, the first on the package itself and the second on the proposed new product concepts.​

The first tranche of research was particularly revealing, showing that consumers had a very strong preference for a package with a cap, preferably a large cap to facilitate on-the-go consumption. As a result, Pınar made the decision not only to launch a new protein milk, but also to invest in a new line in order to move all of its existing value-added milk products – including toddler milk, lactose-free milk, organic milk and light milk – from Tetra Brik Aseptic 500 Slim to Tetra Prisma Aseptic 500 Edge with DreamCap 26. The new package combined great functionality with innovation, offering Pınar the opportunity to bring something new to the market.

Targeting consumer needs​

Two months later, in April 2017, protein milk was launched in two flavours, cacao and vanilla. The new product offered excellent taste plus a whole range of health benefits. In line with preferences expressed by consumers in the research, it was lactose-free, sugar-free, low in fat and enriched with Vitamin B1, B3, B6, B12, L-Carnitine and Co-enzyme Q10. It also contained 70% more protein than an average plain milk, helping to meet the daily energy requirements of active consumers and repair the muscles after exercise. Two new flavours followed in 2018: strawberry, and peanut & banana. The protein milk is sold via modern trade channels (e.g. hypermarkets, supermarkets and specialty stores), gas stations and fitness centres, at a premium price point. ​

A 360-degree marketing campaign

Pınar chose to position its protein milk as a product for an everyday healthy lifestyle rather than a specialist sports drink, focusing on young, active consumers aged between around 20 and 40. The launch campaign started with a TV commercial, based around aspirational, motivational messages that stressed energy and agency – ‘Nobody resembles you’, ‘I like your attitude’ – accompanied by an updated version of a well-known traditional Turkish song. This was accompanied by heavy digital promotion, advertisements on social media channels, field merchandising, activations in fitness centres and event sponsorships. Pınar has also partnered with fitness bloggers and instructors to create online ‘Training Labs’, featuring short exercise videos and content promoting active lifestyles, and collaborated with Türkiye's Kitchen Art Academy to create healthy recipes based on protein milk in different flavours. To mark the launch of two new SKUs in 2018, Pınar collaborated with street artist Fatih Sinan Șimşek to create limited edition packages for the whole protein milk range, supporting this with an eye-catching TV commercial.​

Results: market leadership position reinforced​

The new protein milk product range has been welcomed by consumers: sales in 2018 were almost triple those in 2017 and Pınar has installed a second line to help them respond to the ever-growing demand. ​

​Learnings

There are four key factors behind the success of Pınar’s launch of protein milk:

• A high quality product, offering multiple health benefits and excellent taste
• An innovative package that stands out from the competition and offers excellent functionality
• A good package design, highlighting the quantity of protein contained in the product
• Good understanding of the target audience, and its requirements, identified through detailed consumer research
• Wide-ranging, dynamic and engaging promotional activities.