As the yogourt offering had evolved, our assumption was that we should emphasize the decadent side of Liberté Méditerranée. If Greek yogourt was starting to “own” texture, we might have to revert to the core differentiator of Méditerranée—its rich taste experience.

We began by analyzing food trends to re-evaluate the product’s relevance and discovered that “good” fat, long perceived as the enemy, was once again gaining in popularity. « Consumers want to eat more healthily, but they don’t want to compromise on taste » (12 key Trends in Food, Nutrition & Health 2014, New Nutrition Business). It turned out that the ingredients in Liberté Méditerranée were perfectly suited to the needs of today’s consumer.

We then met with loyal fans of the product. Already aware that the target market saw yogourt as a guilt-free snack, we discovered just how extensively consumers were buying indulgent yogourt as a substitute for traditional desserts. For them, it was the best of both worlds, the ultimate win-win situation: an indulgent treat with a healthy halo. The end-of-meal indulgence had become a must.

So, how could we show that Liberté Méditerranée was the ideal substitute for dessert? By positioning it as the ideal alternative to ice cream—and turning Canadians’ notion of yogourt on its head.

An integrated campaign was developed, and in the summer we competed head-to-head on ice cream’s territory, putting up posters and handing out trompe-l’oeil cards near ice cream parlours. In grocery stores, fridges decorated with Méditerranée-themed visuals displayed the yogourt right in the middle of the ice cream section, a first in Canada.

This new positioning not only raised awareness of Liberté Méditerranée yogourt, but exceeded sales objectives. Overall, Liberté was the brand with the highest growth and the largest gain in market share (+0.9%). In fact, Méditerranée posted an average weekly sales growth of 40% during the campaign. Plus, it gained an extra point in its brand equity score.