ICOS

1
ICOS Irish Co-operative Organisation
Society Ltd.

• School Childrens Feedback

2
ICOS Irish Co-operative Organisation
Society Ltd.

• At home
• Mik, water, dilutables (Miawadi, Robinsons, Kia
  Ora, Ribena), juices, Yop, Dawn Smooth Juices,
  Energy Drinks (Lucozade, BMP), Fizzies (Coke,
  7-Up, Fanta, Sprite)
• At School
• Milk, Capri Sun, Squeeze, water, juices,
  dilutables (brought in own container/ flask)
• Most primary schools dont allow fizzies as part
  of school lunch policy. However, older kids (12)
  are allowed drink fizzies and some buy on site in
  canteen or from machine
• Kids Favourites
• Younger children opt for milk, water and juices!
• 1011 year olds nominate milk, water, juices and
  dilutables
• Early teens 12 choose fizzies and water
• Direct link to choice and options that are made
  available to them
• Highlights autonomy of early teens and their
  involvement and level of choice in what they are
  drinking

3
ICOS Irish Co-operative Organisation
Society Ltd.

• Kids assess drinks and brands on a number of
  variables when deciding what to consume
• TASTE Key factor Primary choice driver
  Preference shaped at young age
• OCCASIONS Special vs. everyday Weekend vs.
  weekday Seasons Sports
• CONVENIENCE Whats available Suitable for
  lunchbox In the fridge
• LASTING POWER Number of drinks from a bottle
  Length of time it lasts
• BRAND Known and established Quality
  Reliability Whats cool
• PRICE (12) Not key Secondary choice driver
  However, fizzies seen as expensive
• POPULARITY Pester power on parents What theyve
  tried or seen or heard about What friends have

4
ICOS Irish Co-operative Organisation
Society Ltd.

• Spontaneous Milk Associations
• White, Cold, think, natural, filling, good for
  growing, good for teeth, cereal, good for you,
  calcium, yoghurt drinks, cows, breakfast, lunch,
  diner, bedtime, dairy products, healthy, energy,
  babies.

5
ICOS Irish Co-operative Organisation
Society Ltd.

• Milk has an Interrupted Lifecycle
• Baby Essential drink when young. In a bottle
  weaning
• Toddler Your first drink in a cupMilk good for
  youhelps you grow
• 4-10 years Lunch..sportplaypart of school
  lunch habits
• 11-13 Interest dwindlingOwn money
  freedomTasteImage conscious
• 14-15 Milk being replacedOwn money freedomNew
  tastesPeer pressure occurs

6
ICOS Irish Co-operative Organisation
Society Ltd.

• Tradition is what gets milk there in the first
  place, after that there are many drivers for
  keeping it there
• Tapping into the key drink choice drivers
• Acceptable taste
• Habit and tradition
• Thirst quenching/ drinkable
• Fit most occasions
• Healthy alternative
• Cost effective/ value

7
ICOS Irish Co-operative Organisation
Society Ltd.

• Understanding the key Category Choice Drivers
• Tradition (automatic to an extent)
• Its what you do, its what all kids drink...an
  expectation
• Replicate their parents own milk consumption
• Encouraged to drink milk from a young age
• All the kids in school drink it (predominant in
  primary school pupils)
• A staple
• Acceptable Taste (the middle ground)
• Tastes good
• Milky
• Refreshing
• compliment to food
• A crowd satisfier pleaser. Almost everyone will
  like milk
• Healthy (key benefit)
• Calcium is notably a main ingredient
• Natural

8
ICOS Irish Co-operative Organisation
Society Ltd.

• The Secondary Choice Drivers for Milk
• Cost Effective/ Value (good value)
• Minimal to no outlay for milk provided in school
• 1 carton provides Filling option and Thirst
  quencher
• Versus fizzies and juices which Cost more Less
  healthy option Not as satisfying with food
• Fits the Most Occasions (for any time)
• Most Primary schools enforce healthy lunch
  standards. Cannot bring Fizzies, Chocolate,
  sweets, Crisps
• Milk also suitable forLunches TV watching
  Sports/play Snacking Homework Breakfast
  Bedtime drink
• Convenient (Hassle Free)
• Readliy available
• Easy option - no hassle
• Allowed as part of healthy school programme
• Caretakers or teachers ensure that milk is
  available
• Parents dont have to worry about drink for lunch
  box
• Thirst Quenching/ Drinkable (functional)
• No fizz means kids can knock it back during
  sport

9
ICOS Irish Co-operative Organisation
Society Ltd.

• Few Substantial Barriers to Category
• Note We only spoke to non-rejectors
• Most feel that one of the weaknesses for milk is
  its imageSeen as a category barrier, especailly
  amongst early teens
• Image
• Milk competing with offerings that kids aspire to
  (esp. Coca Cola!)
• Not as interesting or exciting as competitors
  just not sexy
• Not accompanied by high profile communication,
  promotion (versus other categories)
• Always there, bog-standard, everyday ? routine
• Kiddy, up to early teensnot really for grown
  ups
• Refrigeration
• has to be chilled
• doesnt last
• no shelf life
• have to drink all at once
• not portable
• Inaccessibility
• Older kids mostly mention this

10
ICOS Irish Co-operative Organisation
Society Ltd.

• Milk Consumption

11
ICOS Irish Co-operative Organisation
Society Ltd.

• Milk is ingrained in their Routine
• All kids acknowledged milk as a habitual
  consumption Its always the same!
• Differences noted between school milk and home
  milk. Some complaints of taste differential due
  to lack of refrigeration.
• Habitual Consumption Everyday Foundation
  beverage Central to repertoire Numerous usage
  occasions Versatile product.
• But
• Complacent Acceptance Taken for granted
  Subconscious back of mind
• Opportunity to remind kids of category benefits,
  and role and its
• importance to them

12
ICOS Irish Co-operative Organisation
Society Ltd.

• Understanding Milk Competitors

13
ICOS Irish Co-operative Organisation
Society Ltd.

• Milk Product Attributes How do children view the
  functional brand offering?
• Product
• Taste Refreshing Pleasant with food Drinkers
  love it Non-drinkers find it too milky prefer
  non-diary drinks Acquired at an early age
  However, if bad experience e.g. sour milk, hard
  to persuade re-trail
• Milk Types Expect full fat fresh milk Dominant
  and preferred option (appearance taste) Slim
  line negatively perceived Little awareness of
  Super/Bio variants Some awareness of flavoured
  milks Some consumption, but criticism of
  unnatural taste
• Health All claim Milk is good for you and
  provides numerous benefits Particular focus on
  bones, teeth and growth Minority mentioned
  awareness of intolerance and allergies
• Colour Attractive White Natural
• Quality Good overall Rarely a problem, unless
  out of date or left out

14
ICOS Irish Co-operative Organisation
Society Ltd.

• Carton
• Size For most adequate serving (189 ml) Some
  boys claimed larger carton would be welcome.
• Design Boring Dull Unattractive
• Packaging Issues Easily damaged Leakage can
  occur Disposal problems smells up your bag
  Environmentally friendly queries raised
• Promotion
• Advertising Some older children recalled them
  bones and the dating couple No recent
  campaigns Ads focus on healthy benefits
  Somewhat dated and unoriginal American dairy
  campaign recalled and enjoyed Sense milk hasnt
  done anything, spoken to them in a long-time
  Fading into the shadows
• Brand
• Key Spontaneous mentions Avonmore Champion
  Dawn
• Children Ready for Something New?

15
ICOS Irish Co-operative Organisation
Society Ltd.

• Milk Persona Drinker- Imagery Some Positives
  to Build On
• Milk Persona Primarily positive (although back
  of mind) Healthy Fit Active Traditional
  Popular Easy going Reliable Irish Boring
  Routine Everyday
• (In the background, but still a personality kids
  identify with)
• Milk Drinker Imagery Children struggle to define
  a specific Milk drinkerto them it is universal
  and enjoyed by all! If pushed key Milk drinkers
  are identified as Babies Younger kids Sports
  people
• (Healthy attributes skewing to sports and younger
  people)
• Potential to develop and strengthen positive
  attributes

16
ICOS Irish Co-operative Organisation
Society Ltd.

• School Milk Scheme

17
ICOS Irish Co-operative Organisation
Society Ltd.

• Awareness of School Milk Scheme
• 8-9 Year olds
• School milk is free
• Caretaker or teacher looks after the milk and
  distributes to children
• Set routine established
• Milk handed out mostly at little break
• Children have to consume milk at their desk,
  cannnot bring it into the yard
• Most expressed disappointment if scheme were to
  stop
• Sometimes bring in dilutables or juices for lunch
  
• 10-11 year olds
• Parents pay for school milk each term
• Most unaware of exact cost but assume average of
  4 euro per term
• Milk distributed by peers rather than school
  staff
• 11.00 Break
• Acknowledge fall off in numbers taking school
  milk, especially in older classes (4th 6th)
• Main reasons for this are that milk is warm in
  the summer time and some dont like taste

18
ICOS Irish Co-operative Organisation
Society Ltd.

• Awareness of School Milk Scheme Cont
• 12-15 year olds
• Parents pay each term or for the school year
• Unsure but cost for the year claimed to be 30
  35 Euro
• Water is the drink of choice
• Boys consume most milk
• Left in trays for pupils to take at break time
• Wont drink if milk is warm
• Uncool image of milk
• Age plays a key role in experience of School Milk
  Scheme

19
ICOS Irish Co-operative Organisation
Society Ltd.

• Perceptions of the Scheme
• In general, kids are ambivalent towards the
  scheme. They are used to receiving the milk and
  take its presence in school for granted.
• As they get older they have more choice about
  their drinks consumption and can exert pester
  power on parents for their own drink preference
• Older kids acknowledge that it is good to have
  such a scheme because of
• Choice
• Convenience
• Some kids may not get milk otherwise
• Ambivalence expressed by all towards scheme

20
ICOS Irish Co-operative Organisation
Society Ltd.

• Perceptions of the Scheme Cont.
• All kids maintain that milk tastes better at
  home. Its seen as cooler and fresher.
• Health benefits of milk are the key drivers to
  consumption and all acknowledge that milk is very
  good for you and especially for younger children
  as it helps them to grow. Positive associations
  with sports and fit people!
• Key brands associated with the scheme are
• Avonmore (Dublin, Mullingar and Galway)
• Dawn (Galway Cork)
• Champion (Mullingar)
• Minority mentioned Oranmore/ Dairyland in
  Galway.
• Regional bias is evident with brand association.
• Taste differential health benefits acknowledged

21
ICOS Irish Co-operative Organisation
Society Ltd.

• Key Drivers of the Scheme
• The main drivers associated with the School Milk
  Scheme are
• Convenience
• Milk is good for you
• Healthy drink option
• Goes well with food
• Fills you up
• Satisfying
• Tasty

22
ICOS Irish Co-operative Organisation
Society Ltd.

• Key Barriers to the Scheme
• One of the barriers to consumption in primary
  school are the limits set on where you can drink
  the milk
• On lino floor area
• Segregated area in classroom.
• Kids dont like being set apart from their peers
  and would prefer to consume milk with rest of
  class
• Another issue that arose was the uncool image
  of milk and the slagging that occurs in older age
  groups if a lot of milk is consumed Farmer
  and bogger were common insults among boys
• However, the key drawback to the scheme cited
  throughout the groups regardless of age
• Lack of refrigeration
• Warm milk unpleasant taste
• Tastes different to milk from home
• Goes off or sour in the summer

23
ICOS Irish Co-operative Organisation
Society Ltd.

• Risk of Participants Becoming Complacent
• Participants (Established relationship but
  functionally based and lacks involvement)
• Usually a long standing relationship Kids grow
  up withfrom babies
• Satisfaction with product ensures repeat
  consumptionhabitual, automatic
• When they look at the future of milk in schoolas
  with category as a whole, future consumption
  will diminish significantly as kids
  choiceincreasecategory lapsing!
• Non-Participants (Refrigeration provides the
  best opportunity to capture non-drinkers in the
  future)
• All tried in the past, rejected due to Taste
  kids dislike, prefer another Quality of product
  in school. Some feel milk is too different when
  warm.
• Many open to future trial Chilled New flavours
  Promotion
• Need to reinforce relationship with drinkers

24
ICOS Irish Co-operative Organisation
Society Ltd.

• Suggested Improvements x Age
• Younger children noted that key ways to improve
  the scheme could involve
• Bright colourful cartons with pictures or
  cartoons
• Straws attached
• Plastic reseal able Bottle (similar to Yop)
• Trendier packaging
• Flavoured milk esp. chocolate
• Some mentioned larger carton (mainly boys)
• Older children also mentioned these options and
  included
• Refrigeration
• Cool bottle design similar to water with finger
  grips
• Scratch or peel off labels
• Zany vending machines with swipe cards or pin
  numbers
• Tokens for collectibles footballs, games,
  radios, toys
• Cool slogan or motto on the carton (e.g.. Sprite
  end-line)

25
ICOS Irish Co-operative Organisation
Society Ltd.

• Suggested Improvements x Age Cont.
• Early teens suggested
• Environmentally friendly packaging
• Celebrity endorsements
• Giant cooler for dispensing milk, similar to
  Ballygowan
• Small mini fridges for each classroom
• Add-ons or collectibles mobile phones,
  competitions,
• Better advertising
• Peel off labels to win stuff like Watches,
  Tickets to concerts, Shopping vouchers, Music
  vouchers

26
ICOS Irish Co-operative Organisation
Society Ltd.

• Flavour Carton Improvements
• Spontaneously kids of all ages call for new
  flavour ideas, some more adventurous than others.
  Ideas werent too innovative, but include
• Chocolate
• Strawberry
• Banana
• Mint
• Orange
• Note kids did not respond well to exotic
  flavours like mango, peach or kiwitoo sweet
  adult flavours

27
ICOS Irish Co-operative Organisation
Society Ltd.

• Flavour Carton Improvements Cont.
• In general, younger kids associate cartoons
  strongly with the cereal market and all enjoy
  their use in communication
• Eye-catching
• Fun
• Aimed at them
• Add fun and sense of energy
• Opportunity to bring cartons to the fore
• Younger kids mentioned putting mazes and puzzles
  onto the carton which would enhance their fun
  factor
• Further investigation required into flavour or
  carton options
• but clearly opportunity for activity here

28
ICOS Irish Co-operative Organisation
Society Ltd.

• Key Differences Across the Sample
• Key differences emerged across the school
  children sample
• Younger children (8-9 years old) had the most
  straightforward and simplistic repertoire of
  drinks.
• The range of drinks consumed became more
  sophisticated as the children got older.
• 14-15 year olds enjoyed the most extensive range
  of drinks and options.
• Across all the groups boys claimed to be drinking
  more milk than girls Both in school and at home
  Larger volumes of milk consumed Stronger liking
  for milk expressedMay be linked to idea of milk
  as fattening amongst older girls
• Early teens (12years) and upwards acknowledged
  that milk is not cool and peer pressure is
  recognised.
• Seasonal milk consumption occurs

29
ICOS Irish Co-operative Organisation
Society Ltd.

• Moving School Milk Forward for 8-11 year olds
• Image
• Build on youthful healthy associations Inject
  more fun, liveliness energy excitement into
  milk
• Advertising
• Re-launch the Bones song sticks in kids heads
  message appreciated.
• Introduce new fun characters
• Potential for cartoons
• Celebrity endorsements e.g. Brittany Spears,
  Justin Timberlake, Colin Farrell, Sports Stars
• Health
• Continue to acknowledge as key message
• Bones/teeth and growing associations should
  continue to be stressed.

30
ICOS Irish Co-operative Organisation
Society Ltd.

• Moving School Milk Forward for 8-11 year olds
  Cont
• Promotion
• Idea starters Flasks Cups Straws Collectibles
  
• Floavour
• Introduce new options
• Desire for chocolate and strawberry variants,
  however, must be natural not synthetic!
• Potential for promotional once-off flavours e.g.
  mint on St. Patricks Day
• Pack
• Create an on-going theme/storyline for kids to
  follow something interactive.
• Introduce mazes and puzzles as fun additions
• Collectibles or serial pack editions welcomed
• Fun and energy that brings younger kids back into
  the fold

31
ICOS Irish Co-operative Organisation
Society Ltd.

• Moving School Milk Forward for 12
• Image
• Consider explicity taking Irish platform
• Inject modernity and cool factor into milk
• Replace current staple with jazzed up funkier
  associations
• Advertising
• Celebrity endorsements eg. James Bond, Jennifer
  Aniston, Sports Stars could be regionally / GAA
  focused
• Introduce story line or series which would hold
  attention and target this market
• Opportunity to cool up the milk image
• Health
• Push these associations home key messages are
  getting forgotten
• Calcium / growing / natural are vital to this age
  group
• Opportunity to team up with schools and SPHE
  programme?

32
ICOS Irish Co-operative Organisation
Society Ltd.

• Moving School Milk Forward for 12 Cont
• Promotion
• All activity must be product relevant
• Focus on bringing milk back into older kids
  consumption occasions
• Competitions for concert tickets
• Sponsorship of relevant fun events
• Flavour
• Variety would be welcomed but not as key for
  older Kids
• Some preference for choice and choclate could be
  well received
• Have to get it right natural flavour is NB
• Pack
• Peel offs Vouchers Music Limited Editions
• Funky new re-sealable bottle
• Need to revive and rejuvenate milk image