Tayto: Mr Tayto's autobiography 'cutting edge 21st century marketing communications'

Iconic Irish potato chips [crisps] brand Tayto exemplifies the problems encountered by local brands in a globalised world. Savaged by rapacious retailers on the one side it is under relentless assault from multinational brands with far greater resources on the other.

In Tayto’s case the latter is particularly severe with three of the world’s leading consumer goods companies breathing down their necks: Proctor Gamble (Pringles), PepsiCo (Walkers) and United Biscuits (KP Hula Hoops). In spite of these travails Tayto managed to increase its brand leadership position in the crisps and snacks market in 2009. Although the effects of marketing communications campaigns are notoriously difficult to unravel there’s a strong case to be made for Tayto’s wonderfully anarchic advertising and promotions having played a significant role in the brand’s recovery.

The brand suffered from neglect during the first half of the noughties with two changes of ownership and a consequent lack of continuity and consistency in marketing support. It was sold by CC to Ray Coyle’s Largo Foods in 2006 and the Meathman immediately set about restoring the brand’s credentials by making Mr Tayto the brand spokesman.

The 2009 campaign is based on Mr Tayto’s autobiography "The man inside the Jacket". This lavishly produced full-colour book telling the hilarious story of the life and times of our hero, is retailing in book shops at €6 and supported by an €800,000 media campaign. In common with previous campaigns the audaciousness of the content generates at least an equal amount of unpaid publicity in terms of media commentary.

On the surface the whole approach seems slipshod and amateur;there’s no formal market research, no away-day planning sessions and the main elements of the campaign are driven in freewheeling style by Coyle and his marketing director Rita Kirwan.

But if you scratch this campaign a little you’ll find it’s at the cutting edge of 21st-century marketing communications.

"The man inside the Jacket"about Ireland’s favourite crisp character seems to have outsold all other books in both the fiction and non-fiction categories.