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| Pippa Middleton and Waitrose – a recipe for success? | Pippa Middleton and Waitrose – a recipe for success? |
| (about 17 hours later) | |
| In the past, Waitrose has used the faces of acclaimed cooks such as Heston Blumenthal and Delia Smith to help it sell its wares; now a press release arrives from the retailer saying it is "delighted to announce that Pippa Middleton has been signed as a new columnist" for its monthly magazine. | In the past, Waitrose has used the faces of acclaimed cooks such as Heston Blumenthal and Delia Smith to help it sell its wares; now a press release arrives from the retailer saying it is "delighted to announce that Pippa Middleton has been signed as a new columnist" for its monthly magazine. |
| Middleton, the sister of the Duchess of Cambridge, will write the column, Pippa's Friday night feasts, for the retailer's magazine, Waitrose Kitchen, starting in April, offering "casual dining ideas and recipes". | Middleton, the sister of the Duchess of Cambridge, will write the column, Pippa's Friday night feasts, for the retailer's magazine, Waitrose Kitchen, starting in April, offering "casual dining ideas and recipes". |
| The magazine's editor, William Sitwell, adds that Middleton "will be an excellent contributor to the magazine, bringing with her a wealth of experience of entertaining, gained in part from working at her family's party business." | The magazine's editor, William Sitwell, adds that Middleton "will be an excellent contributor to the magazine, bringing with her a wealth of experience of entertaining, gained in part from working at her family's party business." |
| For her part, Middleton says Waitrose Kitchen has "always been a source of inspiration to me, for its extensive spectrum of food and beautiful style." | For her part, Middleton says Waitrose Kitchen has "always been a source of inspiration to me, for its extensive spectrum of food and beautiful style." |
| But what does a celebrity partnership such as this say about a retailer and its customers? | But what does a celebrity partnership such as this say about a retailer and its customers? |
| Mark Lowe, founder of Third City, a PR and communications agency, says Waitrose has come late to using celebrities to help sell its products. | |
| "Celebrity tie-ins do work for retailers, but as with any brand celebrity endorsement there are risks involved, such as what happened with Tiger Woods and Lance Armstrong from the sports world. This is one of the reasons that Waitrose, a fairly conservative brand with a hypersensitive target audience, came into this late in 2010, long after Sainsbury's/Tesco had gone down this route," he says. | "Celebrity tie-ins do work for retailers, but as with any brand celebrity endorsement there are risks involved, such as what happened with Tiger Woods and Lance Armstrong from the sports world. This is one of the reasons that Waitrose, a fairly conservative brand with a hypersensitive target audience, came into this late in 2010, long after Sainsbury's/Tesco had gone down this route," he says. |
| He thinks Middleton's appointment is further evidence of the retailer subtly recalibrating to target a younger generation, in the wake of it ditching Smith. "Although still largely female, this group has more male decision-makers – Blumenthal and Middleton both appeal to men – and views cookery as a lifestyle choice, as much as a means of survival," he says. | He thinks Middleton's appointment is further evidence of the retailer subtly recalibrating to target a younger generation, in the wake of it ditching Smith. "Although still largely female, this group has more male decision-makers – Blumenthal and Middleton both appeal to men – and views cookery as a lifestyle choice, as much as a means of survival," he says. |
| If you shop in Waitrose, does Pippa Middleton speak to you? Or for you? | If you shop in Waitrose, does Pippa Middleton speak to you? Or for you? |