Bing.com’s UK reach rose from 33% in January 2023 to 46% in May 2023 following the introduction of Bing AI, which features an AI chat response (like ChatGPT), an email drafting tool and the ability to create images.
Penetration led growth
Examples of brands expanding their usage occasions.
Greggs has focused on occasions to expand its customer base. Although traditionally a breakfast bakery, extended opening hours means the evening (post 4pm) is now the business’s fastest-growing meal time. It even won a licence to open its Leicester Square branch until 2am on weekends. And with sales up by 20% in 2023, the ambition to ‘mean more to more people’ is certainly paying off.
Originally positioned as a meal replacement solution for time pressed gymgoers, Huel has increased revenue by extending its range; it now includes hot and savoury meals, such as pasta bolognese and curries, and snack bars. According to CEO James McMaster, “it widens our ability in the future to go into more markets, where maybe it’s less about the pace of life and more about a need for great nutrition.”
Lego’s Fortnite partnership has reached 83 million people (largely adults) and helped the toymaker achieve double digit growth this year: a perfect illustration of the power of creativity in commercial success.
Nescafé has expanded its customer base by venturing into ice cream and iced drinks: a new way of staying relevant when less than half the global population buys instant coffee.
A decade of innovation around special flavours has boosted Red Bull’s penetration and increased overall sales by 9%. They’ve also helped to position the brand as a fun and social drink; now, 1 in 4 Red Bull drinking occasions are because it is “fun to drink”.
Wickes has looked beyond its historic tradesman audience by appealing to women. The retailer has developed a more inclusive look and feel; creating social media posts to improve DIY skills in an accessible way, and signing Girls Aloud singer Kimberley Walsh as a brand ambassador. As a result, Wickes’ female customer base is now 69% larger than it was in 2019.