London: 30 April 2020: Strings & Things, part of Kerry Foods, has today launched a lunchbox promotional giveaway to excite families up and down the country. For every three on-pack promotions bought across the entire Strings & Things range, consumers can redeem a Strings & Things branded lunchbox, including a selection of creative and fun personalisation stickers, as well as a fun-filled activity booklet that will help to liven up lunchtime for children and keep them entertained at home.
Cheese snacking has seen increased popularity over the last year, growing a significant 11.8% in terms of sales.[1] The new promotional packs will therefore help retailers tap into this rise in kids’ cheese snacking in a more creative way that also helps to encourage repeat purchases.
The lunchbox itself has been co-created with kids who advised on the branding, colours and style of the lunchbox, as well as providing valuable insight into the cultural trends that are popular amongst children at the moment. Working with children has helped Strings & Things create an item which helps parents to make home lunchtimes more fun.
Alongside its lunchbox giveaway, Strings & Things has expanded its popular Cheeshapes Icons range with the launch of new iconic and playful shapes. The shapes include popular icons from well-known video games and social platforms – characters that have become synonymous with the younger generation. Alongside a mythical Mermaid and a Shaka hand sign that also features in the range helping to drive both relevancy and excitement and captures the interest of children across the nation.
Since its launch in March 2019, Cheeshapes have proven a hit with shoppers across the UK, with sales equating to £1.8mm in the first nine months and loved by nearly 800,000 households.[2] Co-created with kids but approved by parents, each piece is made with 100% real cheese, providing a source of calcium and is perfectly portioned at under 100 calories.
Cheeshapes was brought together with Cheestrings and Yollies under the Strings & Things Masterbrand last year to champion kids snacking in the UK and grow the portfolio’s position as a lunchbox staple. Since the rebrand, Strings & Things has seen a value growth of £1.4m.[3]
In addition to the lunchbox and activity book activation, Strings & Things is also helping parents to keep their children entertained while schools are closed through its recently launched Doodle Time. This is a series of 15 minute doodle sessions with Steven Lenton, children’s book illustrator and author, highlighting the brand’s commitment to supporting parents and bringing some fun and excitement into everyday occasions for kids
Melissa Sargeant, Brand Manager at Strings & Things says: “We know that cheese snacking is on the rise amongst kids, so this promotion offers a great opportunity for retailers to drive more sales in the category – while at the same time supporting parents in making lunchtimes more exciting. We’re also really looking forward to launching our lunchbox giveaway alongside a host of brand-new iconic shapes to our Cheeshapes range – from mythical creatures to popular characters. Putting kids at the heart of our design and ideation process has given us unique insights into the cultural trends that are most relevant and engaging for them at the moment. While kids are stuck at home we want to help parents bring some fun into everyday occasions like snacking and lunchtime, so having this understanding of children’s interests, hobbies and passions is key – and makes Strings & Things a must stock for retailers wanting to provide a popular cheese snacking option for kids.”
