How has the cider category been performing over the last year?
Despite posting a decline at 7.3%1 in the last year the cider category has still outperformed beers, wines and spirits. This is expected given the ongoing cost of living crisis. It’s been well documented that as a nation, we’re already facing challenging times due to the cost-of-living crisis. In fact, consumer confidence in the UK remains super low, even lower than the 2008 global financial crisis. This paints a grim picture of the UK public’s mood and as a result, decision making around expenditure is being heavily impacted.
Therefore, it is no surprise that 72% of UK households are now impacted by the rising costs of food and drink.2 1.3m households are at risk of falling below the poverty line, as analysts report that household costs for families with two children have risen by £400 a month3.
The reality is we are all making savings to varying extents. Not just to make ends meet, but to also be able to afford the things we value most.
While this year has caused many to pay more attention to what they are spending their hard-earned money on, it is worth remembering that the average consumer was feeling the pinch even before 2022. Since Covid hit, the number of financially constrained consumers has risen from 23% to 59%.4
And how has your brand been performing?
Aston Manor’s ethos is all around affordability. We are here for shoppers, helping them to save with our affordable cider, allowing them to focus their spend on what really matters. Our range provides shoppers with an affordable solution, without trading down on quality, so they can be assured they are not compromising when needing to spend a little less cash on cider.
Our Crumpton Oaks brand, with its award-winning liquid, has excelled its like-for-like sales in the last year. There are two reasons for this. Firstly, because it pledges to maintain an affordable price point to shoppers, but secondly because 2022 saw Crumpton Oaks on TV for the very first time with a hard-hitting campaign, called Straight Outta Crumpton that broke all of the cider rules and raised awareness at a rate of knots.
How has Aston Manor been able to find a place in such a highly competitive sector?
At Aston Manor we wholeheartedly believe that all cider consumers deserve affordable choices, and this is even more important given the current cost of living crisis. Nearly three-quarters of consumers are worrying about the rising cost of their groceries. As a result, this means consumers are making savvy switches with their shopping in order to continue doing the things they enjoy. For example, 94% of consumers state they would consider switching to a cheaper brand.
What are the keys to the success of Aston Manor?
We work closely with our retailer customers to offer consumers a strong range of products that with several different products at various price points. The aim is to ensure there are different levels of affordability to shoppers to match their requirements. It is key that we continue to supply customers with their favourite products, such as our award-winning number one value cider brand, Crumpton Oaks.
For Crumpton Oaks we launched a four-pack pint can to broaden the brand’s consumer base, attract new shoppers to the category, and reinforce its quality and value proposition.
Crumpton Oaks offers great value to shoppers. Aston Manor’s state-of-the-art production facilities means shoppers can get their hands on award-winning, great quality cider that doesn’t cost the earth.
A third of shoppers only ever buy cider in cans so it is important that retailers offer cans in different formats. Crumpton Oaks’ new 4-pack offers shoppers award-winning taste with unbeatable value.
The launch comes after the brand’s success at the 2021 World Cider Awards where Crumpton Oaks achieved silver in the ‘Sparkling Cider’ category. Expertly blended and crafted in the UK, Crumpton Oaks takes pride in letting the cider speak for itself with ‘no gimmicks or fancy serves’ – just great quality, mighty refreshing 5% cider at an affordable price.
What is driving the brand’s success and growth? And how has Aston Manor dared to be different?
Our Award-winning British cider brand, Crumpton Oaks is proudly made with British apples, which is a key buying factor for many consumers. Crumpton Oaks Apple Cider is a medium cider, made from pressed bittersweet apples, which are blended with the juice from crisp dessert apples and then fermented to achieve a full flavoured refreshing cider.
Our success and growth is also down to our two powerful and daring campaigns to support our Crumpton Oaks and Frosty Jack’s brands.
Last year, Aston Manor Cider has launched its first-ever TV advert to promote the Crumpton Oaks brand through its campaign: Straight Outta Crumpton. Designed to bring attitude back into the cider category, Aston Manor Cider launched the campaign to bring to life the personality and fun behind the Crumpton Oaks brand and target 25 – 35 year-olds.
We decided to create a play on N.W.A’s ‘Straight Outta Compton’ because it is a song that resonates with both loyal, and new cider drinkers. The former being those who remember the 1989 hit releasing and paving the way for modern day hip-hop, and the new consumers who had the hit playing in their homes whilst growing up.
Following on from the success of our Straight Outta Crumpton campaign last summer, Aston Manor has been driven to disrupt the category further – this time through Frosty Jack’s.
This month, we unveiled Frosty Jack’s first-ever TV advert, which encourages customers to Crack Open the Unexpected with Frosty Jack’s. The tongue-in-cheek advert, which forms part of a wider multi-channel marketing campaign, will be aired on digital channels including ITVX and 4 on Demand from 6th May. Injecting both fun and personality into the cider category, the campaign features the world’s “most famous” Z-list celebrity hands model – Hans ‘The Hands’ Handerson. It tracks the former hand actor reliving his glory days and showing off some of his iconic moves while promoting Frosty Jack’s.
The world is overrun with endless amounts of eye-watering costly celebrity endorsements. We therefore wanted to poke some fun by fabricating the world’s most extravagant, famous non-celebrity, and what better way than through a mysterious hand-model, enter Hans ‘The Hands’ Handerson to crack open the unexpected!
How do you work with multiple retailers to help them grow their business?
Aston Manor is built on creating and fostering great relationships with trade customers. Our amazing National Account Management team know their customers inside out and through this longstanding trust our businesses grow together.
In 2023 we introduced a Trade Marketing Manager, Natalie Marshall, who has done a smashing job at ensuring every campaign/brand has been featured in the trade press & also each campaign has had both digital support of retailer channels as well as wholesaler in-depot support through POS.
As an incentive to retailers we are also running a nationwide trade campaign on Crumpton Oaks offering one lucky retailer the chance to win £1,000 cash when they stock up on Crumpton Oaks this summer.
What is the profile of the target consumer of Aston Manor?
Our flagship brands target consumers are typically C2DE, a huge group making up almost half of the UK population. This group seek affordable choices, which we provide and we want to continue to support affordable choices into the future.
The reality is we are all making savings to varying extents. Not just to make ends meet, but to also be able to afford the things we value most.
How are you supporting your brand this year?
This month, we launched Frosty Jack’s first-ever TV advert, which encourages customers to Crack Open the Unexpected with Frosty Jack’s. The tongue-in-cheek advert, which forms part of a wider multi-channel marketing campaign, has been aired on digital channels including ITVX and 4 on Demand since 6th May.
Off the back of our successful Straight Outta Crumpton campaign last year, we will also be rerunning the campaign this summer. As part of this, as an incentive to wholesalers, we are also running a nationwide trade campaign on Crumpton Oaks offering one lucky retailer the chance to win £1,000 cash when they stock up on Crumpton Oaks this summer.
What is the personality of Aston Manor?
As mentioned before, Aston Manor’s ethos is all around affordability. We are here for shoppers, helping them to save with our affordable cider, allowing them to focus their spend on what really matters. Our range provides shoppers with an affordable solution, without trading down on quality, so they can be assured they are not compromising when needing to spend a little less cash on cider.
While our ethos is all around affordability, our latest campaigns really reflect our tongue in cheek approach as a business. This can be seen in our latest brand campaigns for Crumpton Oaks and Frosty Jack’s.
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