Alpro: Focus on product rather than ‘edgy’ marketing is key to retaining market leadership
The plant-based dairy alternatives shelf has become crowded; however, 40-year-old market leader Alpro believes it is its product that will help it stand out versus newer brands, rather than flashy advertising.
Dairy alternative brand Alpro is continuing to focus on product over “edgy or hipster” advertising as it looks to retain its position as market leader in the category.
Alpro was first established in 1980, when it was something of a pioneer of plant-based dairy alternatives. The brand is now owned by French FMCG giant Danone and has a broad range of dairy alternatives, including plant-based milks, yoghurts and desserts.
In the milk alternatives category, Alpro is the clear market leader. Last year, it generated around £229m in sales, double that of the second-biggest brand in the category, Oatly.
While the dairy alternatives market is significantly more crowded than it was even ten years ago, with younger brands competing with the 40-year-old Alpro, the secret to the brand’s continued market leadership is emphasising the quality of its products, says Hedwig Borgers, global marketing director for Danone’s plant-based division.
“You can bring the most edgy or most hipster marketing you can think of but in the end, what matters is the products people buy and put in their fridge, how it tastes and what it offers to them,” she says.
