SuperbrandS Finland 86 Market The manufacturer of
to bring better and environmentally sound products onto the market, Metsä Tissue constantly invests both in new technology and in product development. Minimizing environmental impacts throughout the supply chain is an important area of continuous improvement, for example using fewer raw materials, consuming less energy and water and developing more efficient transport solutions.
Market The manufacturer of Serla products – Metsä Tissue – is a growing consumer goods company and one of Europe’s largest suppliers of tissue paper products to households, industrial, institutional and commercial consumers. Turnover in 2004 was €685 million and Metsä Tissue employs approx. 3,000 people. Its mills are located in Germany, Finland, Sweden and Poland. Metsä Tissue is part of Metsäliitto Group which is one of Europe’s biggest forest industry groups. In 2004, the Group’s turnover was €8.5 billion and it employs approx. 29,000 people. Based in Finland, Metsäliitto Group is active throughout Europe and markets its products worldwide. Serla is a leading tissue paper brand in the Nordic countries and one of the biggest in Estonia and Latvia. Products within the Serla brand are bathroom tissue, household towels, tissue handkerchiefs and baking and cooking papers. Serla products are produced in environmentally sound way and represent values such as reliability, safety and respect for nature. The brand symbol and mascot for Serla is a squirrel. The ‘Serla Squirrel’ personifies the clever choice a consumer makes when buying a Serla product, both economically and environmentally. Serla products are market leaders in their respective segments in the Nordic countries and in the Baltic countries and have been awarded the Nordic Swan Label. Achievements The Serla brand is best known for its tissue products in Finland. A consumer research
86
Superbrands Finland
survey conducted by Taloustutkimus asked consumers in Finland to name which tissue brands they could identify. The results revealed that two-thirds of those surveyed identified Serla as the first tissue brand that they recognized. Durable and economical Serla products are made mainly from recycled fibres. Sound environmental performance is an important part of Metsä Tissue’s products and services. Its mills are certified in accordance with the ISO 14001 environmental management and ISO 9001 quality management systems. To be able
History The roots of the Serla brand name are deep in the Finnish soil, extending back to the early 1900s. The name Serla was born in the 1960s and has been carefully nurtured over the years and at the same time its products have been developed in line with consumers changing demands. Production of bathroom tissue began at the Mänttä mill of G.A. Serlachius Oy back in the early 1900s. Tissue paper, as we know it today, was first produced in 1961, when a new tissue machine and several modern converting lines were started up at Mänttä, Finland. It was the start of a new era – Finns could now use real toilet tissue and the old silk and crepe paper was a thing of the past. To complement its revolutionary technical innovations the mill began brand name marketing, something that was new at the time. The products made at the Mänttä mill were brought together to form a single product family under the name “Serla – the new helper in the home”. This applied not just to tissue, but also to the papers used in cooking, e.g. greaseproof paper. Concerted efforts now began to get the name Serla firmly embedded in people’s minds. Bathroom tissue, household towels and paper handkerchiefs were taken from under the counters of pharmacies and stationery shops and placed in ordinary retail stores. The products were given much greater prominence, for example by arranging
launches within the Serla product family that will emphasize the new innovative approach of the brand.
display window competitions, which shops were keen to take part in. Serla products were also advertised on television. In a TV animation, the Serla girl, created to symbolize Serla products, sang merrily of the merits of Mänttä’s tissue papers. Sales representatives travelled throughout the country introducing Serla products in stores, schools and places of business. The key role of the wholesale and retail trade in establishing the brand name was recognized from the outset. Retailers were introduced to the Serla family of products and its entire supporting structure during tours taking in the main towns and cities. These marketing men from Mänttä organized the whole event, which started with a presentation of the products and ended with dancing and entertainment. The courses arranged at Mänttä for members of the retail and wholesale trades became famous throughout the land. Everyone from company directors to sales assistants was served a substantial helping of tissue paper know-how. And so during the 1960s Serla became a household name throughout Finland. In the years that followed, the Serla brand name was developed to keep up with the times. The packaging used in the 70s was both practical and informative. Bathroom tissue and household towels also began to be sold in large multi-packs. Stores used Serla special offers to attract customers. The ‘Serla Summer’ promotion, today Finland’s biggest non-food event, was held for the first time in 1978. As a result, tissue consumption in Finland in the 1970s rocketed. During the 1980s, consumer preferences started to be felt in everyday goods. Some wanted premium quality toilet tissue, while others were happy with good-quality midpriced products. Some were interested only in price. Environmental values arrived on the scene. To meet consumer’s needs, the Serla range was extended to include products aimed at specific consumer groups. Serla Satin bathroom tissue symbolized luxury. The environmentally conscious were catered for with Serla tissue products based on a “lean use of resources” concept. The supporting slogan “It has to be Serla” was also introduced in the 1980s. The systematic work of nurturing and refining the Serla brand image continued during the 1990s. Information gleaned from a detailed consumer survey in the late 1990s
led to a revision of the Serla brand name – it was rejuvenated, the product concept was updated, product quality improved, new packaging was introduced and the Serla name was given a new look. Also the supporting slogan was changed to “Serla – Strong and economic.” As a result, the name Serla became the brand of good-quality mid-priced products and products for the environmentally conscious. The Serla squirrel symbol was given a prominent role in marketing the Serla brand name in the 2000s. Metsä Tissue markets its Serla brand products not just in Finland but also in the other Nordic and Baltic countries. Product The Serla product family consists of bathroom tissue, household towels, tissue handkerchiefs, baking and cooking papers, cling film, aluminium foil, picnic bags, ice cube bags and sauna bench covers. The Serla product range varies between countries. Serla bathroom tissue comes in 2-ply and 3-ply qualities. There are both coloured and white qualities with different kinds of embossing patterns. All products are produced from recycled fibre or a mixture of virgin fibre and recycled fibre. The Serla Squirrel, the symbol of Serla tissue paper products, can be found on every package regardless of the market where the product is sold. Serla household towels come in printed as well as non-printed Serla household towels with different types of embossing. Serla household towels are produced from recycled fibre or a mixture of virgin fibre and recycled fibre. Serla tissue handkerchiefs are big and soft. The Serla Liina handkerchiefs are produced from 100% pure virgin fibre and the Serla Puunsäästäjät from a mixture of virgin fibre and recycled fibre. Recent developments In 2005, Serla is renewing the concept of the brand, the market communications as well as the visual identity of its products. For example, in January 2005 all Serla products were launched in a new packaging design. Also the Serla logo has gone through a process of an upgrade and refinement. The new logo has a leaf-shape that communicates the environmental friendly profile of the brand. During 2005 there will also be many new product
Promotion Metsä Tissue is market leader in tissue paper products in the Nordic countries and a major tissue paper supplier in continental Europe with a strong growth strategy and also the European market leader in baking and cooking papers. Metsä Tissue is a strong, highly focused company with a clearly defined area of business. The short decision-making chain allows the company to work efficiently and quickly. In the near future, the focus will be on making activities more efficient and on developing products and services that bring comfort for every day. Metsä Tissue’s strategic objective through its brands like Serla is to achieve dynamic growth in selected markets in Europe. The company’s main market area has over 500 million consumers. In order to reach its strategic objectives, Metsä Tissue seeks to strengthen those areas where it has a competitive advantage in the face of increasing competition. The values defined by the company support implementation of the strategy. Brand Values Metsä Tissue’s chosen mission is to be everything it can with tissue and cooking papers to make people’s lives as comfortable as possible. The nurturing of its multiple brands i.e. Serla is based on Metsä Tissue’s values: creating added value, trust, continuous improvement and we do it. Serla’s aim is to be the preferred partner for its customers. The Serla brand is fun and active by nature and strives to be a part of consumer’s everyday life fulfilling their needs. In reaching that goal, innovativeness and product development are the most important aspects of Serla’s offering. Things you didn’t know ABOUT… Serla • The name Serla originated from the name Serlachius, a prominent Finnish family who established the company. • Serlas ‘Collect and Get’ campaigns have been extremely popular in Finland during the past few years. Over half a million Serla mascot squirrels have been sent out to eager Finns who have collected barcodes from Serla consumer packages. • The Serla products made at the Mänttä mill are purchased in very large volumes by Finnish consumers. For example, Finns consumption of Serla toilet paper per year, if each roll is attached, would circumference the earth 40 times. www.serla.com
87
Market The manufacturer of Serla products – Metsä Tissue – is a growing consumer goods company and one of Europe’s largest suppliers of tissue paper products to households, industrial, institutional and commercial consumers. Turnover in 2004 was €685 million and Metsä Tissue employs approx. 3,000 people. Its mills are located in Germany, Finland, Sweden and Poland. Metsä Tissue is part of Metsäliitto Group which is one of Europe’s biggest forest industry groups. In 2004, the Group’s turnover was €8.5 billion and it employs approx. 29,000 people. Based in Finland, Metsäliitto Group is active throughout Europe and markets its products worldwide. Serla is a leading tissue paper brand in the Nordic countries and one of the biggest in Estonia and Latvia. Products within the Serla brand are bathroom tissue, household towels, tissue handkerchiefs and baking and cooking papers. Serla products are produced in environmentally sound way and represent values such as reliability, safety and respect for nature. The brand symbol and mascot for Serla is a squirrel. The ‘Serla Squirrel’ personifies the clever choice a consumer makes when buying a Serla product, both economically and environmentally. Serla products are market leaders in their respective segments in the Nordic countries and in the Baltic countries and have been awarded the Nordic Swan Label. Achievements The Serla brand is best known for its tissue products in Finland. A consumer research
86
Superbrands Finland
survey conducted by Taloustutkimus asked consumers in Finland to name which tissue brands they could identify. The results revealed that two-thirds of those surveyed identified Serla as the first tissue brand that they recognized. Durable and economical Serla products are made mainly from recycled fibres. Sound environmental performance is an important part of Metsä Tissue’s products and services. Its mills are certified in accordance with the ISO 14001 environmental management and ISO 9001 quality management systems. To be able
History The roots of the Serla brand name are deep in the Finnish soil, extending back to the early 1900s. The name Serla was born in the 1960s and has been carefully nurtured over the years and at the same time its products have been developed in line with consumers changing demands. Production of bathroom tissue began at the Mänttä mill of G.A. Serlachius Oy back in the early 1900s. Tissue paper, as we know it today, was first produced in 1961, when a new tissue machine and several modern converting lines were started up at Mänttä, Finland. It was the start of a new era – Finns could now use real toilet tissue and the old silk and crepe paper was a thing of the past. To complement its revolutionary technical innovations the mill began brand name marketing, something that was new at the time. The products made at the Mänttä mill were brought together to form a single product family under the name “Serla – the new helper in the home”. This applied not just to tissue, but also to the papers used in cooking, e.g. greaseproof paper. Concerted efforts now began to get the name Serla firmly embedded in people’s minds. Bathroom tissue, household towels and paper handkerchiefs were taken from under the counters of pharmacies and stationery shops and placed in ordinary retail stores. The products were given much greater prominence, for example by arranging
launches within the Serla product family that will emphasize the new innovative approach of the brand.
display window competitions, which shops were keen to take part in. Serla products were also advertised on television. In a TV animation, the Serla girl, created to symbolize Serla products, sang merrily of the merits of Mänttä’s tissue papers. Sales representatives travelled throughout the country introducing Serla products in stores, schools and places of business. The key role of the wholesale and retail trade in establishing the brand name was recognized from the outset. Retailers were introduced to the Serla family of products and its entire supporting structure during tours taking in the main towns and cities. These marketing men from Mänttä organized the whole event, which started with a presentation of the products and ended with dancing and entertainment. The courses arranged at Mänttä for members of the retail and wholesale trades became famous throughout the land. Everyone from company directors to sales assistants was served a substantial helping of tissue paper know-how. And so during the 1960s Serla became a household name throughout Finland. In the years that followed, the Serla brand name was developed to keep up with the times. The packaging used in the 70s was both practical and informative. Bathroom tissue and household towels also began to be sold in large multi-packs. Stores used Serla special offers to attract customers. The ‘Serla Summer’ promotion, today Finland’s biggest non-food event, was held for the first time in 1978. As a result, tissue consumption in Finland in the 1970s rocketed. During the 1980s, consumer preferences started to be felt in everyday goods. Some wanted premium quality toilet tissue, while others were happy with good-quality midpriced products. Some were interested only in price. Environmental values arrived on the scene. To meet consumer’s needs, the Serla range was extended to include products aimed at specific consumer groups. Serla Satin bathroom tissue symbolized luxury. The environmentally conscious were catered for with Serla tissue products based on a “lean use of resources” concept. The supporting slogan “It has to be Serla” was also introduced in the 1980s. The systematic work of nurturing and refining the Serla brand image continued during the 1990s. Information gleaned from a detailed consumer survey in the late 1990s
led to a revision of the Serla brand name – it was rejuvenated, the product concept was updated, product quality improved, new packaging was introduced and the Serla name was given a new look. Also the supporting slogan was changed to “Serla – Strong and economic.” As a result, the name Serla became the brand of good-quality mid-priced products and products for the environmentally conscious. The Serla squirrel symbol was given a prominent role in marketing the Serla brand name in the 2000s. Metsä Tissue markets its Serla brand products not just in Finland but also in the other Nordic and Baltic countries. Product The Serla product family consists of bathroom tissue, household towels, tissue handkerchiefs, baking and cooking papers, cling film, aluminium foil, picnic bags, ice cube bags and sauna bench covers. The Serla product range varies between countries. Serla bathroom tissue comes in 2-ply and 3-ply qualities. There are both coloured and white qualities with different kinds of embossing patterns. All products are produced from recycled fibre or a mixture of virgin fibre and recycled fibre. The Serla Squirrel, the symbol of Serla tissue paper products, can be found on every package regardless of the market where the product is sold. Serla household towels come in printed as well as non-printed Serla household towels with different types of embossing. Serla household towels are produced from recycled fibre or a mixture of virgin fibre and recycled fibre. Serla tissue handkerchiefs are big and soft. The Serla Liina handkerchiefs are produced from 100% pure virgin fibre and the Serla Puunsäästäjät from a mixture of virgin fibre and recycled fibre. Recent developments In 2005, Serla is renewing the concept of the brand, the market communications as well as the visual identity of its products. For example, in January 2005 all Serla products were launched in a new packaging design. Also the Serla logo has gone through a process of an upgrade and refinement. The new logo has a leaf-shape that communicates the environmental friendly profile of the brand. During 2005 there will also be many new product
Promotion Metsä Tissue is market leader in tissue paper products in the Nordic countries and a major tissue paper supplier in continental Europe with a strong growth strategy and also the European market leader in baking and cooking papers. Metsä Tissue is a strong, highly focused company with a clearly defined area of business. The short decision-making chain allows the company to work efficiently and quickly. In the near future, the focus will be on making activities more efficient and on developing products and services that bring comfort for every day. Metsä Tissue’s strategic objective through its brands like Serla is to achieve dynamic growth in selected markets in Europe. The company’s main market area has over 500 million consumers. In order to reach its strategic objectives, Metsä Tissue seeks to strengthen those areas where it has a competitive advantage in the face of increasing competition. The values defined by the company support implementation of the strategy. Brand Values Metsä Tissue’s chosen mission is to be everything it can with tissue and cooking papers to make people’s lives as comfortable as possible. The nurturing of its multiple brands i.e. Serla is based on Metsä Tissue’s values: creating added value, trust, continuous improvement and we do it. Serla’s aim is to be the preferred partner for its customers. The Serla brand is fun and active by nature and strives to be a part of consumer’s everyday life fulfilling their needs. In reaching that goal, innovativeness and product development are the most important aspects of Serla’s offering. Things you didn’t know ABOUT… Serla • The name Serla originated from the name Serlachius, a prominent Finnish family who established the company. • Serlas ‘Collect and Get’ campaigns have been extremely popular in Finland during the past few years. Over half a million Serla mascot squirrels have been sent out to eager Finns who have collected barcodes from Serla consumer packages. • The Serla products made at the Mänttä mill are purchased in very large volumes by Finnish consumers. For example, Finns consumption of Serla toilet paper per year, if each roll is attached, would circumference the earth 40 times. www.serla.com
87
