Australia’s largest fresh baking business, Bakers Delight, is investing $6 million in a major repositioning of the business. A 24 week plan will focus on the expertise and authenticity of the franchise network’s baking methods, starting with a new series of tv commercials launching on Wednesday 9 June.

Seven new 30 second tv ads will run across the commercial stations for the duration of the 24 weeks.

Chris Caldwell, general manager at Bakers Delight, said “Our new brand communication reinforces that all Bakers Delight bread is handcrafted and baked fresh, from scratch each day. These are principals that the network was founded on, so itÕs a case of the business getting back to its roots.”

The focus on fresh bread is in response to a growing customer awareness of the quality of products and ingredients, said Caldwell. “We’ve always had preservative free bread and wholegrain, but it is more important to the customer now than it was 10 years ago.”

The message that fresh is best will also be conveyed through magazine and online advertising, in-store merchandising, on the company website, and on new packaging and uniforms.

And the costs to franchisees will be incidental, said Caldwell. “It won’t cost more than their existing marketing fund. We’ve built up a bit of a war chest over the last few months to get more of an impact,” he told Franchising.

Franchisees will pay for the uniforms which will be introduced later in the year, and for packs detailing ways to reinvigorate the stores.

“Our network has been fantastic for the last two months,” Caldwell said. “There has been a huge amount of effort and time to get the stores ready for the launch.”

The bakery franchise chain expects the new business reinvigoration will contribute four to five per cent growth over the 2010-11 financial year, which will generate an expected global turnover of approximately $600 million.