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Brian Woodhead champions the Best of British |
UK. London Heathrow Airport’s “˜Best of British’ food & beverage campaign has got off to a flying start, marked by improved consumer awareness of the F&B offer, greater footfall into the outlets, and improved sales.
As reported, the airport and its F&B partners are treating customers to the ‘best bites of Britain’ to mark the airport’s first British Food Fortnight.
From 26 August to 12 September more than 20 restaurants, bars and cafés across all the airport’s terminals are offering some of the nation’s favourite treats and tipples to provide passengers with “a quintessential taste of Britain”.
The Moodie Report yesterday toured the promotion in Heathrow’s flagship Terminal 5, guided by Heathrow Head of Category for Food and Beverage Chris Annetts.
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Heathrow Airport has funded the use of overhead screens to publicise the campaign |
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Brian Woodhead: Celebrating British food to create a real Sense of Place at Heathrow |
 Eton Mess anybody? |
| With all those scones and Roly-Poly Puddings about, it just may rank as my crumbiest story of all time… |
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Annetts said the project was born out of two key consumer messages: the first emphasising the choice that travellers have at Heathrow, and the second the speed of service.
“Research showed that passengers didn’t appreciate either the range or the diversity on offer,” he said.
“People also didn’t realise that all our outlets are geared up to serve very, very quickly – but with the same standards of service as the high street.”
Best of British is the airport’s first co-ordinated campaign to focus on the choice of F&B options available, Annetts said.
That focus zeroed in on two criteria – a range of outlets “that is as good as anywhere”, and the unique factors about Heathrow Airport that give it a Sense of Place. “We want travellers to realise they are in a British airport, and at Heathrow in particular,” he added.
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The campaign is proving hugely successful in arousing consumer curiosity that in turn leads to greater penetration |
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Flight information display screens are neatly integrated into the promotional campaign |
The promotion has also extended to selected stores, including WHSmith (British cookbooks) and World Duty Free (malt whiskies and Thorntons chocolates).
Sampling is being conducted within the general concourse by staff wearing Union Jack aprons. “Sampling really works in driving people into the outlets if they like what they’re sampling,” noted Senior Account Manager – Food & Beverage Ben Crowley. “The operators are really supportive of the sampling – it brings their units to the people rather than the people having to search for the units.”
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Chris Annetts: “Passengers didn’t appreciate either the range or the diversity on offer” |
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Wagamama enters into the spirit of the occasion with two tailored promotional offerings |
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Huxleys: “An unmistakably British proposition” says Chris Annetts |
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Wetherspoon: “A 100% British operation” and a huge Terminal 5 success story |
Annetts said the campaign will be promoted again next year and could even play a role in the build-up to the London Olympics in 2012. “We’ve already been working on the Olympics for a long time,” he said. “London is the gateway to the Olympics and Heathrow will play a key role in that.”
Impressively, Heathrow Airport has funded a high-profile flight information display screen campaign that highlights the F&B promotion. Noted Annetts: “I feel strongly that if you are going to get the right message across the whole airport, it’s up to us to fund it.” The campaign has also featured on Heathrow’s web and Twitter sites.
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Above and below: Gordon Ramsay’s Plane Food brings haute cuisine Heathrow-style |
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Willie Tait, Master Distiller and Isle of Jura Ambassador, preaches the merits of fine malt whisky |
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Caviar House & Prunier is offering a unique English breakfast or classic Afternoon Tea |
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Fancy a smoked salmon brunch and a glass of Elderflower Royale at V Bar for just £9.95? |
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