Searching for the Meaning of Christmas in Supermarket Copywriting

Posted on December 7, 2011 by Pure Ink | 2 Comments

The ‘big four’ supermarkets have been at war for years, slashing prices and trying anything to attract the attention of new shoppers and keep hold of existing customers. This furore comes to a head every Christmas when desperation strikes and the supermarkets tempt shoppers with money saving festive deals and promises to make Christmas stress free. With very little difference in prices, shoppers need something else to tempt them through the doors this Christmas.

Traditionally Asda and Morrisons have been labelled as the ‘cheap and cheerful’, family-on-a-budget friendly supermarkets, while Sainsbury’s pitches itself at the higher end and Tesco is somewhere in the middle. The distinction between the supermarkets are blurring though as the continuing economic strife means that these supermarkets are trying to attract shoppers with any budget. 

So how can supermarkets ensure they don’t lose their identity? We took a look at the ‘big four’s’ Christmas copywriting to see if they’re using content to reflect their brand and stand out from their competitors.
 

Morrisons 

Morrisons bases its marketing on delivering value and it never forgets its market stall roots. The supermarket’s main slogan this Christmas is Come to us for Christmas which gives a sense of being invited to a big family Christmas. Morrison’s copywriting includes phrases such as ‘fantastic family gatherings and perfect parties with friends’ and ‘gathering around the tree to see Dad put the lights on for the first time’. 

Morrisons copywriting paints a picture of a Christmas where everyone’s involved. From their friendly market street ‘characters’ who can’t do enough to make sure you get the best value this Christmas to their gift tagline of ‘gifts and goodies for all’, Christmas is an all inclusive hands-on, family get together at Morrisons.
 

Asda

‘Saving you money every day’ is Asda’s mission which is pretty similar to Morrisons stance of delivering value and affordable prices. There’s no specific Christmas slogan on the Asda website (other than a general ‘Happy Christmas’) but the headline on the cover of the supermarket’s magazine is The Christmas you’ve always dreamed of. Other taglines used in the magazine include, ‘Christmas made easy’, ‘let the festivities begin,’ ‘welcome to the feast’, ‘it’s party time’ and ‘season to be cheerful’. The last tagline is quite a bizarre title for a selection of recipes for turkey alternatives!

There seems to be a slight disparity between the aspiration of ‘The Christmas you’ve always dreamed of’ which suggests a lot of work which will be worth it in the end and the theme of the magazine which is more about making Christmas easy and stress free. Perhaps Asda believes their customers are looking for a dazzling Christmas which is easy to pull off with the supermarket’s help.

 

Tesco

Tesco’s specific Christmas copywriting is quite sparse both on their gift guide and magazine but their stand out slogan is Prepare for Christmas. This slogan is straight to the point as is much of their copywriting with their gift guide featuring headers such as ‘create Christmas’, ‘festive tableware’ and ‘finishing touches’ which shoot straight but leave little inspiration.

On the website and the TV advert the tagline is Keeping Christmas special for you which suggests that no matter how poor the recession has made you, Tesco are still looking out for you at Christmas. There’s something slightly patronising about the TV advert as Tesco seem to pitch itself as the ‘saviour’ of Christmas. Like Asda, Tesco also focuses on taking the stress out of Christmas with ‘Christmas made easier’ and the clichéd ‘all wrapped up for Christmas’ featuring in the copy which is slightly disappointing in its unoriginality.

 

Sainsbury’s

Sainsbury’s slogan ‘Live well for less’ is much the same as Tesco and Asda’s ethos except, like Morrisons, it’s targeted more to value. There’s no standout Christmas slogan on Sainsbury’s website but their Christmas copywriting is all about getting ready. There are lots of calls to action to do with prepping for Christmas such as ‘prepare your home,’ ‘decorate your home’ and the dreaded ‘get Christmas all wrapped up’. There’s little else to go on with copywriting though as the majority of the website content is quite general such as ‘it’s party time’ (also used by Asda) and ‘festive inspiration’ rather than tying in an overall theme.

The Live Well for Less website states that Sainsbury’s are ‘here to help make it (Christmas) even more magical – without you having to worry about your budget.’ This phrase sums up the stance Sainsbury’s are taking this Christmas but it’s really no different to the other supermarkets.

 

Conclusion

The most distinctive copywriting is Morrisons which sticks to the theme of a welcoming family Christmas but it barely stands out against the other three supermarkets. These supermarkets have the resources to make their copywriting outstanding yet there’s very little to separate the four of them in terms of tone of voice or message. With everything that goes on at Christmas, copywriters writing for supermarkets should be able to write pages of original, snappy slogans and taglines which bring the supermarkets’ messages to life. Unfortunately, whether it’s fear to do something different, a lack of time or limited inspiration, these supermarkets’ copywriting looks as stale as a pack of out of date mince pies.

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