Context:

“You can’t advertise your way out of something you’ve behaved yourself into.” Dave Lewis, Tesco CEO (2014-2020).

In 2014 Tesco’s brand scores (Quality, Reputation, Value) were rock bottom and market share (driven by falling sales and switching to competitors) was in decline. At the heart of this problem lay a lack of trust, brought on by internal failings (customers misled, horse-meat contamination in food, and poor supplier relations) and external competition.

Our long-term plan was to rebuild trust in the store and, in doing so, encourage customers to start choosing the brand again.

To start this journey a new purpose of “Serving Britain’s Shoppers a Little Better Every Day” was installed and the business recommitted to its famous promise of Every Little Helps.

This paper focuses on a significant highlight of a much broader success story and shows how doing the right thing can create wins for customers and brand alike.

Idea:

In the UK, feminine hygiene products are subject to a 5% tax and classified as ‘luxury’, ‘non-essential’ items. However, if women required a monthly supply of flapjacks, baked Alaskas or helicopter parts these would be essential and tax-free.

Removing it has been a long running battle since the 1970s and women's rights activists have lobbied to abolish the tax for two decades. In the summer of 2017 there was still no change in sight.

So Tesco reduced the price of all sanitary products they sell by 5%, effectively paying for the Tampon Tax for their customers.

This wasn’t just a piece of communications nor a one-off stunt - this was a business idea Tesco invested in and will continue to do so for as long as the tax exists.

Tesco made history by becoming the first retailer to remove the Tampon Tax, and then 3 other major supermarkets followed.

This campaign sends out a message of support and inclusion, and highlights how Tesco are both by and on their customer’s side: a real life application of Every Little Helps.

Execution:

To launch, we took to the streets to tell our customers, stopping women, young and old, in the street and asked them about the Tampon Tax. We captured women’s outrage and indignation, as well as their delight that Tesco were absolving the tax

This film was put on the brand’s Facebook, Twitter and YouTube and the activity was held together with a simple call to action: #TescoTamponTaxOff in order to encourage others to address this injustice and follow suit.

POS signposted the campaign in every Tesco store in the UK, highlighting the price reduction and the reason for it.