Why supplier brands need to show up differently in away from home

Amid ongoing financial pressures, consumers are becoming increasingly selective with their away from home spending, meaning operators and suppliers must work harder to create and show value. 

While impactful marketing activations can help, like those in our most recent report, many operators are unable to afford major advertising campaigns. This threatens their ability to compete for attention, footfall and spend. 

This is where suppliers can play a more active role. Those that support marketing activations can ensure their brands and products are top of mind throughout the consumer journey, strengthen their customer relationships and build brand awareness and loyalty in away from home. 

…by showing up with better supplier brand activations  

With 65% of consumers planning all their 2025 out of home Christmas celebrations, early promotion is becoming increasingly important to win new consumers, especially when levels of planning are high. 

The same is true for suppliers. Leading Christmas brands, like Bailey’s or Quality Street, are successful because they show up consistently across the festive period, helping to build emotional resonance and turn preference into loyalty. 

Yet, our 2025 review highlighted a distinct lack of supplier brands in away from home Christmas marketing activations. This shows an opportunity for suppliers to show up better during events and create more routes to awareness, trial and spend. 

Implication – suppliers can build stronger associations between their brands and events by providing branded POS kits, part funding booking incentives and including complementary products for consumers celebrating out of the home.  

Overcoming brand fatigue… 

As consumers become increasingly selective about where they eat and drink out of the home, value is becoming increasingly important and many are favouring brands, rather than experimenting with new experiences.  

At the same time, brands are facing persistent challenges in retail, including private label growth, diluted share of voice, reduced consumer attention and lower spending. This demands a sharper focus on differentiation and collaboration. 

Thankfully, because consumers think in missions and occasions, rather than channels, sectors or markets, this gives operators and suppliers an opportunity to give consumers more occasions to engage with their brand. 

…with best-in-class brand partnerships 

A clear example of this is The Alchemist and Pot Noodle’s collaboration. The Alchemist created the Bombay Bad Boy Chicken in a Basket, then reached out to Unilever to collaborate on the marketing campaign.  

This was effective because Pot Noodle’s brand recognition helped to amplify awareness, while the Alchemist’s premium positioning and theatrical presentation made it easier to justify trading into an out of home occasion. 

Implication – suppliers can support by giving chefs the opportunity to develop ideas backed by consumer insight and industry expertise. Back the strongest concepts with  funding and reframe familiar brands in new settings to build relevance and trial.  

More supplier opportunities 

Against a backdrop of rising competition for consumer attention and increasingly selective spending, operators need compelling reasons for consumers to choose them over rivals. 

Suppliers that can go beyond product provision to support marketing, activations and brand partnerships can help operators drive demand, strengthen customer relationships and increase brand visibility, while building their own relevance and long-term growth in away from home.