Princes Canned Fish

Being delisted by Asda led to a 5.8% drop in sales to just under £99m and saw the brand slip from 48th position in the Top 100 to 66th.

But since then Princes has invested heavily in the brand and is expecting a strong recovery in 2008.

A £4m marketing campaign, including TV advertising, was launched to support Princes' entire product range – ambient fish, meat, vegetables, fruit and fruit juices, as well as its sandwich spreads and microwavable ready meals.

The TV campaign, which ran between September and December 2007, was designed to further boost the popularity of its tuna range and targeted more than 18 million homes.

Marketing director Neil Brownbill says: “Our new advertising further strengthens our position as a champion of the ambient grocery sector and energises our product ranges.

“The campaign firmly sends the message to a wider consumer base, as well as our retail partners, that our goods can be enjoyed at all times of day by all types of people.”

The question of sustainability is becoming increasingly important in consumers' choice of fish products, although Princes says this has not affected sales. The company already has initiatives in place, including supporting a tuna-tagging programme operated by the Indian Ocean Commission.

Its policy on Dolphin Friendly Tuna has been in place for more than 15 years, while salmon sourcing in North America is monitored by organisations such as the Marine Stewardship Council. Princes is now finalizing a formal sustainability policy.

2007 £98.7m
2006 £104.8m
yoy change -5.8%