Shaken Udder Senior Brand Manager, Paras Arora, answers the question: ‘Why should I stock Shaken Udder milkshakes in my vending machines?’
BY PARAS ARORA
‘Why should I stock Shaken Udder milkshakes in my vending machines?’ That’s the bottom-line in all our discussions with potential vending operator customers. So, ahead of Vendex, I’ve given the question some thought and I’ve narrowed the answer down to five key reasons:
One: The Growing Value of the Category.
Two: Shaken Udder is the number-one premium brand in the flavoured milk category.
Three: Choose a brand that not only consumers trust, but that you can trust, too.
Four: There’s genuine goodness in our milkshakes.
Five: Shaken Udder is about to launch with the UK’s biggest vending wholesaler.
Let’s look at each point in detail.
One: The Growing Value of the Category
Let’s start by taking a look at the flavoured milk category, in which I’m including ‘core’ milkshakes, protein milkshakes and ready-to-drink coffee. The first thing we have to acknowledge is that the entire category is really booming. It’s now worth almost £900m in retail sales value in the UK. What’s more, it’s growing at about 16% year on year. To put that in context, the soft drinks category is growing at 7% year on year.
As the category grows and becomes more visible across different retail channels, flavoured milk is naturally appearing in more on‑the‑go moments. Consumers are simply encountering these products more often, which means it feels more natural to see them in a wider range of locations. In addition to this, historically, milk drinks were often seen as something mainly targeted at younger consumers, but the category has now broadened significantly and appeals to a much wider audience. That’s why it’s now commonplace to find flavoured milk in prime positions in supermarkets, convenience stores and forecourts.
This increased visibility means that consumers now expect to find these products available in outlets outside and beyond those areas, in locations like travel hubs, gyms, universities and so on. The exciting consequence of this development is that one of the primary routes to the consumer in these locations are vending machines, presenting operators with a new and exciting opportunity to build sales – which leads me to my second point….
Two: Shaken Udder is the number-one premium brand in the flavoured milk category
Shaken Udder is ideally positioned to maximise the potential of vending sales because ours is the number-one premium brand in the flavoured milk category.
When you look at vending machines as a whole, the lineup of products tends to be dominated by traditional legacy products that can be quite predictable and consequently uninspiring. By offering Shaken Udder milkshakes you’re challenging consumers expectations by bringing something unique, modern, premium and exciting into the equation. Purchasers recognise that in Shaken Udder, they can choose a product that delivers outstanding taste from real ingredients.
In fact, consumers even tell us they think our milkshakes taste great. Every six months, we conduct a brand health survey, in which we test ourselves and our competitors against various brand attributes. In our most recent brand health survey, we came out on top for attributes such as great taste, premium perception and good quality ingredients. These are powerful attributes for those who purchase from vending machines, which means that Shaken Udder is really well-positioned to attract existing and new customers who are genuinely delighted to discover something new.
Three: Choose a brand that not only consumers trust, but that you can trust, too.
My third point is this: If, as an operator, you want to be seen as offering a premium selection, you have to choose a brand that not only consumers trust, but that you can trust, too. Shaken Udder is just such a brand. It really is trusted in the marketplace – that’s why it’s as fast-growing as it is.
We’re now at 39% brand awareness, something we’ve worked really hard to achieve in the past few years. Additionally, we have the highest net advocacy score amongst our competitors, meaning that consumers are more likely to recommend Shaken Udder to friends and family than any other flavoured milk brand. Where consumers are making a decision within seconds – when they’re ready to buy at a vending machine – they’ll choose brands that are offering something different and exciting and in addition, familiar and credible.
Four: There’s genuine goodness in our milkshakes.
And so, to my fourth point. Obviously, taste is at the heart of everything we stand for at Shaken Udder, but on top of that we’re about challenging the category by doing something different. Our challenge to the category is that there’s genuine goodness in our milkshakes and, forgive me for pointing it out, but that’s a characteristic most vending machine snacking brands can’t claim. On the contrary, Shaken Udder is a unique hybrid of great taste and goodness. All our milkshakes are HFSS compliant. They are not high in fat, sugar, or salt; but they are a source of calcium, vitamin B12, and protein. This combination of HFSS compliance and nutritional positives means our shakes are well suited to a wide range of on‑the‑go environments where people are looking for satisfying options with added goodness
Five: Shaken Udder is about to launch with the UK’s biggest vending wholesaler
Finally – and I’m quite excited to share this – we’re about to launch with the UK’s biggest vending wholesaler, taking all the hassle out of ordering our products. We see that as the final piece in the sales jigsaw. It means we’re ready and fully equipped to develop partnerships with vending operators to add to our impressive momentum.
It’s been a few years since we launched our ambient range and that’s ideal where there are refrigeration constraints. The Ambient range has a longer shelf life which helps lower wastage and doesn’t have to be stored chilled which helps with logistics.
We’ll be at Vendex Midlands and we’d love you to sample our delicious milkshakes. You’ll discover that the five points I’ve made in this article, as convincing as they are, are not as persuasive as the great taste you’ll enjoy. Do please come and join us on Stand 78A .
*Find more about Shaken Udder on Planet Vending HERE
* Registered yet for Vendex Midlands? You can do it HERE
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