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Cookware - US - July 2013

Social Media
Key points

The cookware brands analyzed in this section record average levels of

brand usage and awareness at 88%. Men average higher levels of


usage and awareness than women for the majority of the brands
analyzed in this section. This creates opportunities for the brands to
market to male cooks.
There is a correlation between brand usage and awareness and online
mentions. This is particularly the case for Cuisinart, which leads in
both. Although Korin Knives garners the least amount of usage and
awareness, it holds the highest levels of interaction, presenting the
opportunity for added online messages.
Cookware brands have the opportunity to increase interaction and
their social media campaigns as they run rather low. As the Mintel
Inspires expert blog The Re-Socialization of Food shows, gastronomy
is becoming a larger part of peoples lives. As such, cookware brands
should be playing a larger part in consumers cooking habits.

The internet, including social media, is increasingly at the heart of everything people
do, changing the way in which consumers interact with one another and the
commercial world around them. The internet, and in particular social media, has
proved to be a powerful tool for brands to generate and measure buzz, and the result
is a wealth of online consumer conversations. In this section, Mintel examines the
brandscape based on consumer experience of, interaction with, and online discussion
about brands within this market.
Mintel has rated cookware brands by metrics relating to consumer engagement and
social media presence.
Social media metrics
Cuisinart records the most online mentions of the cookware brands analyzed in this
section as users turn to avenues such as Facebook to voice their preferences for the
cookware and what they plan on cooking with the products.
As consumers are continually seeking the best deals on their purchases, brands such
as T-Fal benefit from sales through online store Amazon to generate online mentions.
Price-conscious shoppers share the deals on Twitter.
Nevertheless, interaction from cookware brands runs relatively low compared to
other categories such as food and drink (see Mintel report Carbonated Soft Drinks
U.S., June 2013). Of the selected cookware brands, Calphalon garners the highest
Kred Influence at 689, while Cuisinart and All-Clad record Kred Outreach scores of
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six each. With online conversation showing consumers perceive Calphalon as


durable, the brand has the opportunity to bolster its online mentions and create
more meaningful relationships with food bloggers through Twitter and Facebook.
FIGURE 31: Key performance indicators, June 2013

Note: Total mentions for top sites captured May 3- June 2, 2013
Note: Kred Influence is a measure intended to establish the impact that people have
through social networks. The Influence score increases when someone takes an
action because of content on Twitter or any other network that is connected to a
Kred profile. The Kred Influence Score ranges from 1 to 1,000. Higher scores
represent greater influence. Kred Outreach increases when an account retweets,
@replies, or follows a new person, and is one indicator of how active that account is
on its networks
Source: Mintel/Brandwatch/Facebook
Market overview
In contrast to the food and drink market where consumers purchase products on a
continual basis, cookware is purchased less frequently and is more likely to be
viewed as an investment among those discussing the products online. While skillets
are the most purchased cookware items (39% of Mintel respondents have purchased
one in the last two years), 35% of survey respondents have not purchased any nonelectric cookware in the last two years (see Purchase of Cookware section). It is
owing to this that longevity is prized in this market and brands such as Calphalon
and Le Creuset, in particular, are praised for offering durable products.
Brand usage and awareness
Of the cookware brands analyzed in this section, Cuisinart has the highest levels of
awareness or ownership as 88% of respondents have either purchased or have heard
of the brand. Overall awareness of Cuisinart undoubtedly benefits from the brands
well-known food processors and other small kitchen appliances. Usage and
awareness grows for Cuisinart among older respondents. Survey respondents aged
45-54 record the highest level of brand usage and awareness as 92% have either
purchased or heard of the cookware brand. This is perhaps owed to older individuals
holding a more active role in preparing meals in family households.

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As a higher-end brand, Le Creuset markets itself as a leader in cast iron cookware.


With its higher price point, those most likely to have ever purchased or heard of Le
Creuset are those with a household income of $75K and higher. The brand could
market its pieces as an investment, especially since cookware is not a frequent
purchase.
Brands such as T-Fal cater to women by creating marketing associated with getting
married and creating a life of cooking with ones spouse (see Analysis by Brand
section). However, of the brands analyzed in this section, only Calphalon sees a
higher level of usage and awareness than their male counterparts. This presents a
unique opportunity for cookware brands to market to men. As seen in Mintel reports
such as Deodorants and Antiperspirants U.S., February 2013, companies are
paying greater attention to men and how to market them. Much like Old Spices
Smell like a Man, Man campaign, cookware brands could create Cook like a Man
Or Make Man Food initiatives that appeal to men who cook.
FIGURE 32: Usage and awareness of selected cookware brands, April 2013

What single statement best describes your use or awareness of each of these
cookware brands?
Base: 2,000 internet users aged 18+

Source: Mintel

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Interaction with cookware brands


Although Korin Knives records the lowest usage and awareness levels, the brand
holds the highest level of interaction among the brands analyzed in this section.
While the brand does not have as large a social media following as its competitors,
the highly specialized nature of the brand could help develop a strong and loyal
brand which is more apt to engage with Korin Knives content. As seen in Mintel
Inspires Trend Observation Exposure to Loyalty, brands can let loyal consumers
market for them through word of mouth. Praising or recommending a brand leads
the ways in which consumers are most likely to interact with cookware brands.
A key motivation for people to interact with cookware brands is to look up reviews
online. Le Creuset and Korin Knives lead the brands in having respondents look up
reviews for their products, as they are the priciest of the brands analyzed in this
section. Cookware brands could create tabs on their Facebook pages with reviews of
their products in order to help their potential customers create informed purchasing
decisions. This approach has been implemented by beauty device brands such as
Clarisonic (see Mintel report Beauty DevicesU.S., March 2013).
FIGURE 33: Interaction with selected cookware brands, April 2013

You have indicated that you have used/purchased the selected cookware brands.
Which of the following have you done?

Base: internet users aged 18+ who


have used a brand

Cuisin T-Fal Calpha Le


Allart
lon
Creuse Clad
t
1,025 845
628
290
242

%
Praised or recommended it
24
Looked up reviews on the brand
19
online
Looked for/used a special offer
20
Given advice on the brand offline
11
(i.e., word of mouth)
Asked for advice on the brand offline 8
(i.e., word of mouth)
Visited its webpage/Facebook/Twitter 7
account
Tracked news on the brand
5
Posted reviews of the brand online
5
Criticized it offline (i.e., to a friend in 2
person)
Criticized it online
1
Contacted the brand for another
1
reason
None of these
46

Korin
Knives
188

%
17
12

%
27
17

%
26
21

%
23
19

%
31
23

14
8

17
12

22
15

21
12

23
20

12

10

16

13

10

14

4
4
5

5
5
4

13
7
4

10
9
9

12
16
11

2
2

3
2

7
3

5
5

8
5

55

40

36

33

20

Source: Mintel

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Mintel Group Ltd.

Online conversations
Cuisinart generates the largest number of online mentions among the cookware
brands analyzed in this section. The brands array of cookware products helps boost
mentions as users share their favorite products such as ice cream makers. As the
Mintel Inspire market application Kitchen Skills explores, consumers are refining their
palette, and their cooking skills, to provide more in-home entertainment for friends
and family. Online conversations reflect this trend as Cuisinart users enjoy using their
cookware to experiment in the kitchen.
All cookware brands show similar patterns in mentions during the month-long period
of review through June 2, 2013 (with the exception of Korin Knives, which generates
less than 1% of online SOV). Conversations around cost, special offers, as well as
seeking and sharing advice on which cookware products to purchase make up key
themes of online cookware discussion. As Mintel data show, 23% of respondents who
had purchased cookware in the last two years did so because it was on sale (see
Reasons for Purchase of Cookware/Bakeware section).
T-Fal saw its biggest peak in mentions on May 3, 2013, as consumers took to Twitter
and Facebook to share an Amazon Deal of the Day featuring a 12-piece T-Fal
cookware set. As the Mintel Inspire trend Lets Make a Deal suggests, consumers are
finding new ways to save money and maximize promotions and special offers.
However, following this promotion-lead spike, mentions fell back, with Cuisinart
leading online conversations.
Key analysis: It could benefit companies to publish special offers from
retailers across their social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook.
This could also help garner more mentions and followers for brands such as
Le Creuset that are perceived as being more expensive. Brands such as AllClad, for instance, count down to its outlet clearance sales via Facebook.

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FIGURE 34: Online conversations on selected cookware brands, by day, May 3-June 2,

2013
Base: 12,687 online mentions

Source: Mintel/Brandwatch
Where are people talking about cookware brands?
The increase in deal sharing with brands such as T-Fal help place Twitter as the
leading avenue for cookware discussion. Users take to Facebook and forums such as
Yahoo! Answers to seek and share advice on the best cookware to use for different
kinds of cooking. For instance, what grill pan to use when cooking steaks, or which
cookware sets to invest in when its time for a new purchase.
The theme of seeking and sharing advice is further supported by Mintels consumer
research. Almost seven in 10 (68%) of Mintel survey respondents see consumer
reviews as an important factor in purchasing cookware or bakeware (see Attribute
Importance for Cookware and Bakeware section), stressing the importance in
customer satisfaction.
Key analysis: Cookware brands could benefit from creating mobile apps or
online quizzes on the best cookware to use based on the meals theyd like
to prepare. This kind of personality quiz was used by Rice-A-Roni for
helping its consumers pick what kind of dinner they should make (see
Mintel report Dry Pasta, Rice, Noodles, and Ancient Grains U.S., February
2013).

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FIGURE 35: Online conversations on selected cookware brands, by page type, May 3-

June 2, 2013
Base: 12,687 online mentions

Source: Mintel/Brandwatch
What are people talking about?
Deal and promotion discussion compromises almost half of the online mentions
associated with cookware. As Mintel data show, 95% of survey respondents see price
as an important factor in deciding when to purchase cookware (see Attribute
importance for cookware and bakeware section). This correlates with online
discussion as sharing promotions and special offers is highly common, particularly
among Twitter chatter. In fact, the largest spike in buzz came on May 3, 2013, as
consumers shared information on special offers for T-Fal products. Although the
brands analyzed in this section do not actively promote special offers on their
Facebook or Twitter pages, fans utilize their Facebook pages to share where to find
the best deals on the cookware brand.
The Mothers Day and Fathers Day holidays help generate online discussion around
gift giving as mothers share when theyve received cookware as gifts. Cookware
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brands analyzed in this section such as T-Fal, helped link social media and gift giving
by creating registry tabs on their Facebook pages. The recipients of the gifts then
took to forums and sites such as Google Plus to seek advice on the best dishes to
create using their new cookware.
Discussion around durability overlaps with seeking and sharing advice as potential
cookware buyers look for the best value in new pots and pans. Durability becomes an
issue when consumers contemplate making more expensive purchases, particularly
with brands such as Le Creuset. Le Creuset users argue that while expensive, the
brand is able to deliver a durable and satisfactory product.
FIGURE 36: Types of conversations around selected cookware brands, May 3-June 2,

2013

Base: 12,687 online mentions

Source: Mintel/Brandwatch
Deals and promotions dominate discussion of the analyzed topics throughout the
tracking period. Some discussion of deals and promotions coincide with gift-giving
discussion, particularly with the celebration of Mothers Day.

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FIGURE 37: Types of conversations around selected cookware brands, by day, May 3-

June 2, 2013
Base: 12,687 online mentions

Source: Mintel/Brandwatch

ANALYSIS BY BRAND
Cuisinart
Although Cuisinart boasts the highest level of usage and awareness among the
brands analyzed, its social media followings on Twitter and Facebook are average
compared to its competitors. The brand utilizes its YouTube channel to host tutorials
on how to use its cookware, specifically its electric offerings, such as its ice cream
makers and blenders. This is a key reason that the brand holds the highest number
of YouTube video views among the brands analyzed in this section as well as the
highest number of Pinterest followers. Cuisinart cookware, however, gets less
attention online than the brands appliances. As the Mintel Inspire Trend Observation
Clicks and Cravings explores, social media is influencing what people eat and how
they cook it. This could empower cookware brands to help their shoppers make more
educated decisions on which foods to cook and ultimately consume.
FIGURE 38: Cuisinart key social media indicators, June 2013

Twitter
Facebook
YouTube

Cuisinart
Cuisinart
Cuisinart

6,437 followers
44,041 likes
475,756 views

2,850 tweets
35-44 key age group
365 videos

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Pinterest
Instagram

Cuisinart
Cuisinart

6,060 followers
153 followers

30 boards
25 photos

Source: Mintel/Twitter/Facebook/YouTube/Pinterest/Instagram
Key online campaigns

Cuisinart utilizes its Facebook page to post recipes, share cooking tips, ask questions
about fans favorite foods, and provide links to its blog. Cuisinarts blog caters to
cooks of all skill levels, teaching its readers how to prepare food from baking bread
to grilling steaks. In doing so, Cuisinart creates a welcoming approach to its blog
without ostracizing new cooks, but also including those well versed in the kitchen.
In addition to its educational posts, Cuisinart utilizes Facebook to share information
on product giveaways from sites such as Food Republic, an online food magazine
highlighting men in the kitchen. Cuisinart also hosts its own giveaways and
announces them through Facebook. For instance, in May the brand held an
Instagram contest in which participants were to tag photos with the hashtag,
#MyWeddingStory. The most Liked photo won a Chefs Classic Stainless Color Series
11-piece set. The Instagram contest is also part of a larger My Wedding Story
contest, an on-going campaign that highlights fans love stories. At the end of each
quarter, writers of the stories that are most Liked can choose a prize such as a food
processor or blender.
What we think

Cuisinart is able to gain a lead among the cookware brands analyzed in this section
with the help of its large variety of product offerings. Nevertheless, the brands key
campaigns are a bit limited. With its focus on blogging and educational angle of
content sharing, Cuisinart could hold contests to feature different food bloggers on
its Facebook page and main blog. With added engagement from food bloggers, the
brand could continue its lead in online conversations around cookware.
T-Fal
T-Fals online mentions are second only to Cuisinart, in part due to an Amazon Gold
Box deal (a daily deal opportunity subscribed to Amazons email listings). Of the
brands analyzed in this section, T-Fal holds the largest number of Facebook fans at
more than170,000 fans. While a larger social media following usually indicates a
more active and positive fan base, such is not the case for T-Fal. Shoppers turn to TFals Facebook page when they cannot contact customer service and report on faulty
products and negative shopping experiences. Outside of Facebook, T-Fal holds the
lowest number of Twitter and Pinterest followers among the brands analyzed in this
section.
FIGURE 39: T-Fal Key social media indicators, June 2013

Twitter
Facebook
Pinterest

Tfal_Cookware
T-Fal USA
T-Fal USA

571 followers
171,216 likes
46 followers

422 tweets
25-34 key age group
19 boards

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Source: Mintel/Twitter/Facebook/YouTube/Pinterest
Key online campaigns

Celebrity chef Ming Tsai helps drive online discussion for T-Fal and balances out some
of the negativity surrounding the T-Fal brand online. The brand could do more
marketing around Tsai to increase its positive mentions.
Celebrity mentions also help garner interaction on Facebook and Twitter for T-Fal as
the brand created a giveaway of its Active Fry product. In February 2013, ex-talk
show host and mogul Oprah Winfrey posted pictures of herself hugging her ActiFry
and sharing that she loves the product and is able to enjoy foods such as French fries
without guilt thanks to the machine. As Oprah garners high marketing power and her
large audience is quick to follow her trends, T-Fal created an #OprahLovesActiFry
giveaway. People could tweet or leave a comment on T-Fal and ActiFrys pages
profiles on how an ActiFry could change their lives for a chance to win one. As with
Cuisinart, T-Fal cookware tends to get relatively little attention online in comparison
to the brands small kitchen appliances. These brands may see appliances, which
stress ease and convenience, as a more effective way to attract and maintain
attention.
What we think

Consumers are largely driven by celebrity sponsors and spokespeople. As T-Fal has
seen some negativity on its Facebook page, the brand could turn to more celebrity
sponsorships to help offset negative messages. Offering free returns on faulty
products may improve the current perception of the company given that a number of
customer service complaints reference having to pay to return faulty goods.
Furthermore, we live in an instant society (see Mintel Inspire trend FSTR HYPR) and
there is an expectation of prompt responses from companies, particularly when
dealing with them online instead of in real-time, real-world interactions
Additionally, online discussion shows T-Fal users largely share pictures of their
cookware through Instagram. Creating Instagram contests around individual
products or ranges would help boost online mentions and perhaps even catch the
attention of bloggers.
Le Creuset
Le Creuset accounts for 18% of online SOV among the brands analyzed in this
section. Although the brand records a lower level of usage and awareness, those
commenting online praise the brand for its durability. The loyalty Le Creuset is able
to garner for its products is reflected in its social media followings. Le Creuset holds
the largest number of Twitter followers, updating them on the latest food trends,
celebrity chef events, and giveaways from websites such as Food Republic.
FIGURE 40: Le Creuset Key social media indicators, June 2013

Twitter
Facebook
YouTube
Pinterest
Instagram

Le
Le
Le
Le
Le

Creuset
Creuset
Creuset US
Creuset
Creuset

13,785 followers
66,353 likes
122,285 views
3,332 followers
1,154 followers

834 tweets
25-34 key age group
56 videos
33 boards
106 photos

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Source: Mintel/Twitter/Facebook/YouTube/Pinterest/Instagram
Key online campaigns

As seen in Mintel reports such as Lunch Meat U.S., June2013 brands utilizing cause
marketing or sharing ways in which fans can participate in charitable organizations
helps boost interaction. The cookware market has a strong foothold in the food
sector owing to its role in food preparation and as a result, food-related charities
offer a natural partnership for brands in this sector. Le Creuset partners with the No
Kid Hungry organization, an organization that helps fight childhood hunger. To
publicize this, the brand also hosts a No Kid Hungry tab on its Facebook page.
Additionally, Le Creuset uses its Facebook page to share recipes, and give exclusive
behind-the-scenes looks at its test kitchen into new food and product development.
This approach to developing new products and sneak peeks at upcoming releases
has seen success in food and drink campaigns with brands such as Grey Goose (see
Mintel report White Spirits U.S., November 2012). Le Creuset is better able to
showcase its test kitchens and event participation through the photo-sharing site
Instagram. The brand could benefit from an Instagram contest, especially as it holds
one of the largest number of followers among the brands analyzed in this section.
What we think

Honing in on loyal followers will help grow Le Creusets social media followings. As
the brand sells a higher-end product, promoting its cookware as an investment could
respond to consumer demand for longevity. A long-range social media strategy would
be to establish a Le Creuset club to help owners grow their culinary skills with the
brand through the years.
All-Clad
Limiting to posting content on Facebook and Twitter, the All-Clad brand generated
only 10% of online discussion among the brands analyzed in this section. As a result,
the brand has fewer social media fans and followers. All-Clad ranks third in Twitter
followers and fifth for Facebook fans among the other cookware brands analyzed in
this section.
FIGURE 41: All-Clad Key social media indicators, June 2013

Twitter
Facebook

All Clad
All Clad

5,536 followers
24,308 likes

2,974 tweets
35-44 key age group

Source: Mintel/Twitter/Facebook
Key online campaigns

Cooking together as a couple is a prominent theme of cookware discussion. All-Clad


responded to this with the creation of the All-Clad Beginnings initiative, which helps
brides and grooms-to-be register for gifts, shares tips and tricks, and lists must-have
All-Clad products for newlywed couples. As part of the initiative All-Clad hosted the
It Takes Two contest. To enter, couples posted on the All-Clad Facebook page
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12

describing the one All-Clad product that each of them would include in their wedding
gift registry and why. The winning couple received the products mentioned in their
posts.
As consumers are more price-conscious than ever, All-Clad uses its Facebook and
Twitter pages to share upcoming sales and promotions for the cookware. The brand
counts down to its factory outlet sales and asks its fans and followers which products
they are most excited to purchase at a discounted price.
What we think

With its focus on wedding stories, All-Clad could utilize Pinterest, which has a large
wedding-planning component, to generate more interaction from its fans and
followers. As data show, more and more couples are utilizing technology and the
internet to plan their weddings (see Mintel report Weddings U.S., May 2013). The
brand could also add a price-conscious element to its Pinterest contests to include a
bride on a budget portion that could help cater to shoppers desires to save money
when purchasing cookware.
Calphalon
Calphalons higher level of brand usage and awareness does not translate into a high
level of online mentions for the brand. However, the brand does have a
comprehensive social media approach as it publishes content to five different
sources. Nevertheless, the brand ranks relatively low among the brands analyzed in
this section in terms of followers, fans, and YouTube video views.
FIGURE 42: Calphalon Key social media indicators, June 2013

Twitter
Facebook
YouTube
Pinterest
Instagram

Calphalon
Calphalon
Calphalon
Calphalon
Calphalon

5,070 followers
39,336 likes
129,141 views
2,093 followers
408 followers

771 tweets
35-54 key age group
55 videos
23 boards
80 photos

Source: Mintel/Twitter/Facebook/YouTube/Pinterest/Instagram
Key online campaigns

In 2012, Calphalon created the Your Set by Calphalon, a set of cookware custom
made for shoppers needs. The launch of the set included Pinterest challenges, video
question and answer segments, and Twitter chats. Calphalon reported a 75%
increase in mentions for the cookware set as a result.
Additionally, Calphalon maintains a recycling initiative, Calphalon Renew. As part of
the initiative, consumers can recycle their old cookware at the brands expense, and
Calphalon rewards participants with a free gift.
What we think

With an eye on customization and renewable resources, Calphalon has the


opportunity to increase online mentions and user followers. One common theme
throughout online mentions from Calphalon is durability and handing down sets of
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cookware from parents to teens moving out on their own. This could be something
Calphalon capitalizes on the tradition of passing on the knowledge in the kitchen
from one generation to the next. The element of nostalgia and family tradition could
increase engagement from Calphalons fans. Calphalon could tap into this by asking
fans to submit their handed-down recipes and if they have evolved over the years or
through generations.
Korin Knives
With less than 1% of online mentions coming from Korin Knives, the brand has yet to
break into mainstream coverage of cookware. However, Korin Knives does present
the highest levels of interaction among Mintel survey respondents. Creating a link
between the brands loyal followings would open up the opportunity to create
initiatives around brand ambassadors. Indeed, the brand holds the largest number of
Instagram followers (owing to its images of slick knives and cutting techniques)
among the cookware brands analyzed in this section, which could present an
opportunity for further marketing of the knives.
FIGURE 43: Korin Knives Key social media indicators, June 2013

Twitter
Facebook
YouTube
Instagram

Korin
Korin
Korin
Korin

Knives
1,864 followers
Knives
20,433 likes
Japanese Knives 38,728 views
Knives
1,416 followers

1,355 tweets
35-34 key age group
33 videos
349 photos

Source: Mintel/Twitter/Facebook
What we think

With its dedication to skilled cooking and sleek design Korin Knives has the
opportunity to better penetrate the cookware market. Partnering with a well-known
cookware brand that specializes in noncompetitive items, such as pans and skillets,
or kitchen tools other than knives, could help increase awareness of the brand. A
contest in which amateur chefs could create their dream kitchen or kitchen utensils
could offer one vehicle for such a collaborative initiative.

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