Dolmio’s consistency cooks up growth

Dolmio is a brand that seems to have cracked the recipe for growth. This recipe has the elusive but all important balance of freshness and consistency. And it has helped Dolmio grow an an average of 35% a year, almost twice as fast as the market.

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1. Consistency- the power of brand properties

Dolmio has to be up there as one of the best examples of brand property creation and management. The Dolmio puppet family featuring Mamma, Pappa and the bambinos cues Italian-ness in a highly distinctive way that really stands out and sticks in the memory. The family has been used now for almost 10 years, along with the tagline "When'sa your Dolmio day?" This is a little bit of marketing genius. The brand is embedded in the line. And its a call to action that encourages regular usage.

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2. Through the line activation

The family and tagline have been used in TV advertising. But they have also been activated through the line, on the website, on the pack and most importantly, at point of sale. A decade of consistent marketing means just seeing the Pappa puppet makes you think "pasta sauce", and encourage you to stick a jar of Dolmio in your trolley.

3. Freshness – new news

The Dolmio is like a mini TV series, with new episodes used to bring news to the brand and keep it fresh. Importantly, some of this news has been on the core bolognese sauce, which has been supported with an improved recipe and revamped packaging. The family have also been used to introduce new products, such as a mix for lasagne, shown below:

 

In conclusion, Dolmio is a great example of how to not only create but really leverage brand properties to help you be both distinctive and relevant in today's busy marketplace. If your brand has, like many others, been chopping and changing its marketing mix, perhaps its time to ask "When'sa your Dolmio day?".