Sensitive gains

Masking tapes really belong to a product group that hasn't actually received that much consumer attention. Nevertheless, annual double-digit growth rates are to be achieved, not just in one, but over several consecutive years - especially if you do it like Tesa in Belgium.
At the end of 2010, the German manufacturer completely reorganised the marketing of its washi tapes in Europe. Previously, universal tapes (basic masking) and premium classic tapes were sold in Belgium. Now the aim was to give the good-better-best quality pyramid a new qualitative peak with the new washi paper.
"In the first years after the introduction we saw that the tapes were well appreciated by the consumers, especially the heavy DIYer was keen on these type of tapes", reports Stefaan Moonen, senior trade marketing manager Benelux DIY & food. The special colour coding system helped to clearly identify the specific application areas: blue for outdoor, yellow indoor, and pink for sensitive surfaces.
The heavy DIYers caught on very quickly and showed their appreciation: year for year the revenues from these products rose by double-digit percentage values. This encouraged the country managers to launch a campaign in 2014 to introduce the products to the end consumers, i.e. create awareness and also explain the application possibilities through the three colour coding system. 
"The consumer was willing to pay more to get the right tape for the job with sharp paint edges and easy residue free removal", Moonen summarises the market situation at the time. The campaign success confirmed the forecast: again, the sales volumes showed a double-digit rise. 
This was due, in particular, to the three colour coding: "We noticed that the consumer was going into the store and not asking for a masking tape but especially asking for the blue, yellow, or pink tape."

In the GfK hit list, the precision sensitive tape - the one with the pink packaging that was cleverly depicted with a heart as part of the marketing campaign - became the 5th best-selling tape in Belgium over all brands, and the other precision tapes also made it under the top 25. As a result of this success, the campaign was extended into 2015 and once again the Tesa precision tapes recorded a further double-digit increase…