Arthur Gerritsen – Uitgekookt

Uitgekookt is a leader in fresh, ready-made meals, and has successfully positioned itself as a solution for time-conscious consumers seeking healthy alternatives. In a recent conversation with Arthur Gerritsen, Marketing Manager at Uitgekookt, we explored the company’s innovative strategies for brand growth and how creativity fuels its success. From breaking down misconceptions to delivering a consistent, relatable message, Uitgekookt is navigating the complexities of today’s market with a clear focus on expanding its reach and enhancing customer engagement. This article delves into the key elements driving their brand’s growth and the strategic importance of creativity in shaping the company’s future.

KPIs for Brand Growth

At Uitgekookt, the number of meals delivered per week is the most crucial KPI, directly reflecting the company’s growth trajectory. This metric is more than a measure of commercial success; it guides operational planning across departments, ensuring scalability as the business expands.

For marketing, the size of the active customer base plays an equally important role; “You can see weekly or monthly growth in this customer base, and we’ve tied a growth plan to it, which relates to the number of meals. So the number of active customers is our most important indicator to focus on.”

By closely tracking customer engagement, Uitgekookt ties its growth strategy to the increase in weekly revenue, ensuring that every marketing action contributes to sustained customer loyalty.

To drive growth, the brand is looking at increasing its brand awareness. “We’ve always linked brand awareness to commercial action, so it was never just awareness alone. It was always about being visible in the media to acquire new customers. Now, we see more and more that we need to convince people. We’re at the stage where we need to explain what Uitgekookt actually is,” Arthur says.

‘’We’ve always linked brand awareness to commercial action, so it was never just awareness alone. It was always about being visible in the media to acquire new customers.”

Growth Barriers

Despite the increasing demand for convenience, Uitgekookt faces some barriers to growth. In contrast to the main competitor HelloFresh, Uitgekookt is selling meals that are already cooked, which on the one hand supports the shift towards convenience, but creates some growth barriers relating to the perception of ready-made meals. Many consumers in the Netherlands still view cooking at home as the norm, often associating ready-made meals with being unhealthy or expensive.

“These perceptions create resistance, even though cooking fresh meals from scratch can be more time-consuming and costly, especially for individuals or smaller households,” Arthur explains. Addressing these misconceptions through targeted communication is key to breaking through and convincing customers of the value and convenience of Uitgekookt’s offerings. Hence, brand knowledge and consideration are also important KPIs along with brand awareness.

Consistency in Brand Creativity

Creativity is at the heart of Uitgekookt’s growth strategy. Arthur explains: “I strongly believe that a brand needs to be consistent. A clear, strong creative concept that can be rolled out across various platforms really helps with that.”

Uitgekookt’s recent adoption of a 3D character in its campaigns has helped unify its messaging across multiple platforms. The process of creating this character started with the question of who the brand wanted to reach. “The challenge for us was that we historically catered more to an older demographic, but we also saw a lot of potential with younger people.”

However, Uitgekookt didn’t want to create sub-brands, even though it can be effective in reaching more people. “There are arguments for having two brands, as you can be more specific with each, but we see enough examples in the market of brands that can appeal to all of the Netherlands” Arthur says. From the question of creating something that appeals to both demographics, the lively 3D character was developed.

This consistent creative approach ensures that Uitgekookt appeals to both older and younger audiences, without the need for sub-brands. By maintaining a strong, recognisable identity, Uitgekookt enhances its ability to engage new customers while reinforcing its brand message among existing ones, laying a solid foundation for long-term growth.

“I strongly believe that a brand needs to be consistent. A clear, strong creative concept that can be rolled out across various platforms really helps with that.”

Balancing Long-Term Branding with Short-Term Performance

Uitgekookt is striking a delicate balance between short-term conversions and long-term brand building. Arthur reveals that the organisation used to be more focused on short-term gains, looking solely at conversion and acquiring new customers. Of course, this is still important, but the company has shifted its focus to include more branding efforts, recognising that brand awareness and customer trust are essential for sustained growth.

“In the past, we were very focused solely on conversion and acquiring new customers. Now, the mix is healthier, and we’re also investing in the brand. We can see that our brand awareness is increasing, and I believe that’s the result of having all your communications aligned. You don’t have to see the whole ad anymore; just a part of it is enough to recognise that it’s from Uitgekookt.”

Of course, a campaign can sometimes be focused on short-term goals, but it benefits from the previous branding efforts. “When we look at our brand tracker, which we run with DVJ, we can see that recognition of the assets is increasing. People see the character more often, and we get feedback that it’s a fun, friendly, and positive character, so they don’t mind seeing it, even though it’s coming from a commercial sender.”

This blend of tactics ensures that Uitgekookt not only attracts new customers but also strengthens its relationship with existing ones, positioning the brand for long-term success in an increasingly competitive market. “After all, you don’t do branding just for the sake of it; you do branding because you want to achieve a certain effect. Of course, it takes more time, but branding is not a hobby,” Arthur concludes.

“After all, you don’t do branding just for the sake of it; you do branding because you want to achieve a certain effect. Of course, it takes more time, but branding is not a hobby.”