Interview with David Garbous, Director of Marketing – Lesieur
January 6th 2012
Agence L / Womenology
What proportion of women buy Lesieur products ?
Davis Garbous
Lesieur is present in two huge markets : oils, which make up 90% of our company, and sauces and condiments. 74% of all consumers are women, and yet this is a figure that is on the decline. The consumer demographic in the oils sector is becoming increasingly male, with more and more men getting involved in the shopping process. In other words, they no longer blindly follow the shopping list they are given, but instead are starting to make their own decisions in choosing products.
Agence L / Womenology
Can this be explained by a shift in attitudes ?
Davis Garbous
It does appear that there has been an evolution in terms of the distribution of tasks, responsibilities and even social structure (17% of households are single-parent led, compared to 6% in 1962). However, there is still a deep-rooted notion that men should cook at the weekend, for friends and special occasions, while women should be relied upon for daily meals.
There are many paradoxes in the world of cooking. For an entire generation, namely our generation, there has been a lack of knowledge being passed down between mother and daughter, due to the hugely significant arrival of women into the professional world. This has had two major consequences : firstly, the explosion of pre-prepared meals and consumer products on to the market, and at the same time, a surge in cookery lessons, hugely successful TV cookery programmes, cookery books, etc….
And there is a new trend emerging in the world of cooking today which is very interesting to consider. Cooking has become a way of bringing people together, providing an opportunity to relax and share with others, as well as to show off your creative side. Indeed, cooking has huge mass appeal nowadays. It’s also a way to take what you eat into your own hands, because it means being able to choose your own ingredients for their quality and nutritional value. This, along with the idea of enjoying food with friends, I find to be emblematic of the aspirational 21st century lifestyle. What’s more, people are eager to rediscover “real” cuisine, particularly in France, where food and cooking are ingrained in our cultural makeup.
I believe that cooking is very much a topical issue. Profoundly modern, it represents a new kind of cohesive lifestyle. We have launched L’Observatoire des Cuisines Populaires with researchers, universities, nutrition specialists and sociologists. What it does is to explain and explore our day to day eating habits. The first study carried out by this group will look at how the French store their food. The idea : « Show me your kitchen cupboard, I’ll tell you what it says about you ». 250 photos of kitchen cupboards will be studied to explore different lifestyles, our day to day eating habits, our relationships with cooking…
Agence L / Womenology
These days, do you find you are increasingly looking at the question of men and cooking ?
Davis Garbous
Yes, because they play a crucial role in this reinvention of the world of cooking. If we consider the issue from a contemporary angle, nowadays, men take part in all social interactions. If we are stuck in the dated notion that it should always be women that do the cooking, we risk missing the exciting changes that are taking place all around us. It is very important to try to understand the actions and the behaviour trends of both gender targets.
Agence L / Womenology
And do you envisage a specific brand message for men ?
Davis Garbous
Yes, but it’s still in its very early stages. In 2011 we launched a discussion forum on the brand Isio4, the first brand to appear on the market. We recognise the increasing number of single-parent households, and believe that the number of people buying oils is on the decline. In response to this, we have launched the small Isio4 format.
Agence L / Womenology
In your product range, are there any products that are more masculine than others ?
Davis Garbous
Olivie oil, an AOC product, is more often than not chosen by men. But Puget olive oil, for everyday use, tends to be bought by women. When it comes to appetizers, the demographic seems to be more masculine than feminine, both in terms of buying the products as well as making the food. With mayonnaise, we’ve discovered that it is mostly bought by women for the whole family, because they are trying to get their male partners to cut down on how much they eat! In the same way, after speaking to various different women, it appears that they tend to take on a maternal role when it comes to what every member of the family eats; they want to be in control. Ketchup, for example, is used to make kids eat their greens, as it improves the taste. This idea of handing down culinary values is increasingly becoming a reality amongst women in today’s households.
Agence L / Womenology
Out of your latest campaigns, which one has had the most impact on your market ?
Davis Garbous
The advertising campaign for « Fleur de Colza » had a particularly significant response. We worked around the ideas that connect rural and city dwellers, and the image of the campaign is strong, so as to appeal to both groups: a farmer giving a bouquet of colza flowers to a woman.
Agence L / Womenology
With regards to your website, you seem to be very focused on the content and the exchanging of information and ideas. For you, is your website an integral part of your business?
Davis Garbous
The site’s approach is based on providing a service to our consumers. The most popular sections are recipes and cooking techniques. This reflects a real expectation that exists amongst people nowadays, linking back to the idea of the passing down of information. What we aim to do, on the internet, is to supply high-traffic portals with specific content that provides a service.
Agence L / Womenology
On your site, you have links directing to various different cooking blogs. Does this feature work well ?
Davis Garbous
Yes, and we plan to develop more dedicated spaces for bloggers to share their thoughts and ideas. We have been in collaboration with the bloggers’ showroom for the Soissons cooking blog for three years, and we have a huge network of up and coming blogs. We are also working with chef and culinary advisor Éric Reithler, who is in contact with the bloggers. It’s a relationship built on trust ; this long-term work is helping to establish and maintain our credibility.
Agence L / Womenology
In the forums, there are lots of questions about omega 3, omega 6, what they do etc… Have you ever thought about speaking directly to users through an online chat or a portal, in order to answer their questions ?
Davis Garbous
No but it’s a great idea, we should definitely do it. In our marketing team there is a “nutrition” unit where we’ve got together three experts; a nutritionist, a doctor and chef Eric Reithler. We organise food and nutrition training programmes, based on encouraging a healthy balance in our cooking, by explaining how to prepare perfectly balanced everyday meals. These programmes have been so successful that we are thinking of externalising them.
We’ve also developed a tool called the « diagnoforme » which shows the user in a flash where they are on the nutritional map, so that they can receive tailor-made advice specifically adapted to their needs. At the same time, we are also developing the « diagnomouv » which shows users where they are in terms of exercise and gives them simple advice. These tools have also enjoyed a huge success. They are led by an institute called « les rencontres de la forme » which is based around a principal of fun and interaction. All of these initiatives offer a tone, content and services that allow us to look at problems in a new and interesting way.
Agence L / Womenology
THANK YOU
Agence L contact : Marie-Estelle Wittersheim / mewittersheim@agencel.fr
aufeminin.com / Womenology contact: Benjamin Smadja / benjamin.smadja@aufeminin.com
Agency website : Agence L
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