Citterio Fresco^® advertising

Challenge:
Citterio, a well-known and well-respected brand in Europe, needed a marketing campaign including research, media planning, print and outdoor advertising to support the launch of Citterio Fresco® a new line of fresh-packed, Italian deli products -- Prosciutto, Bresaola, Sopressata and Rosemary Ham. Citterio was barely known in the U.S., despite having had products in the marketplace here for more than 20 years.

Solution:
In partnership with, comma Inc. of Milan, Catalyst performed market research to determine what consumers thought of the product -- loose packed, pre-sliced specialty deli meats. A brand positioning was conceived that best communicated the strengths of the product while minimizing its weaknesses. A new logo design, tagline -- "An Italian Slice of Life" -- design and copy were developed that communicate both the classic heritage of the product and the freshness that the new packaging provides. Print and outdoor advertising set bold images of appetizing slices of meat against a background of a classic, Bodonian-inspired motif.

Catalyst also managed Citterio Fresco's media buying initiatives over the course of a multi-year product launch. Placement included multiple ads in New York magazine, Food and Wine magazine, and Bon Appetit magazine, as well as on bus shelters, telephone booths and GoCard stations throughout the New York Metropolitan area. As a result of the advertising campaign, sales have grown ten fold over the two-year launch cycle and Citterio Fresco® prosciutto in now the best-selling prosciutto in the New York market.