Tennent’s Boosts Quality for Shoppers with TLC Push

Mike Lees, Managing Director of Tennent Caledonian Breweries, said: “The TLC Programme has been a huge success in the on trade and has given hundreds of retailers the skills to raise dispense standards at a time when pub-goers are more quality-conscious than ever before.

“The time is now right to give retailers in the off trade the opportunity to harness its proven commercial benefits. A dedication to quality has helped to make Tennent’s Lager the No 1 brand - and showing a similar dedication to Tennent’s quality can pay off for retailers too.

“The fact is consumers value quality and are willing to pay more for a better experience - so participation in the TLC Programme will have benefits for retailers in terms of increased business and a more loyal customer base. We will also incentivise participating retailers with strong rate-of-sale driving support to boost impulse sales in the important pre-Christmas period.”

The TLC Programme will be sold in from the end of September by the company’s Field Sales Representatives who make regular calls on independent and convenience outlets across Scotland. They will communicate the role of quality to Tennent’s Lager and underline the importance of chilled beer in delivering that to shoppers.

Participating retailers will agree to stock a range of Tennent’s Lager SKUs across chiller and ambient displays and will need to ensure the brand is given space in the chiller that its share of standard lager business justifies. The changes will be monitored by “mystery shopper” visits and by the TCB sales team.

Retailers will be rewarded with promotional support - offering shoppers a free branded glass with the purchase of two four-packs of the 568ml can - which will help them establish the quality credentials of Tennent’s Lager. 

“The pint can reproduces the ‘perfect pint’ experience, which consumers are now be used to in the on-trade, better than the 440ml or 500ml can,” said Lees. “The combination of the pint can with a branded glass will really boost the quality of the drinking experience for shoppers.” 

Themed point-of-connection material will be available to participating retailers - including a branded floor tile and shelf wobblers - to attract shoppers to the chiller display.

The TLC initiative will boost the brand’s quality ranking in the off trade which lags behind the on-trade, according to independent consumer research.

The TLC Programme was first launched in the on-trade in 2005: some 860 outlets completed the first Block of this year’s training and the successful ones have now moved on to the second stage.

Lees added: “The TLC Programme has proved an extremely effective way of communicating the quality message in the on-trade and has encouraged a growing number of retailers to take it on board.

“We are now giving retailers in the off trade the opportunity to put greater emphasis on quality and to see for themselves the commercial payback it delivers in terms of increased business and more satisfied shoppers.”  

The activity will be run in a selection of Spars and Keystores in October.