Mars Chocolate North America has unveiled more than 30 product extensions for its M&M’s, Skittles, Twix and Dove brands.
The products include caramel chocolate, white chocolate and strawberry nut chocolate versions of M&M’s; Twix dark chocolate and white chocolate cookie bars; new flavours of its Dove dark chocolate, including cherry and sea salt almond, mixed berries, and peanut butter; plus new editions of its Starburst and Skittles confectionery.
What’s more, Mars’ Wrigley brand will expand into the mints category in December with the launch of new Extra Chewy mints, available in two flavours: peppermint and polar ice. The mints have a thin, crispy outer shell and a chewy core. They will be available in a 1.5oz pack and 7.5oz stand-up bag with recommended retail prices of $2.19 and $6.99 respectively.
Mars Chocolate North America president of sales Timothy LeBel said: “This year we’re launching more than 30 new products and packs that offer a range of choices to meet consumer preferences. Our new products deliver on several key industry trends, including focusing on transparency and choice, offering the opportunity to indulge in moderation, and meeting consumers’ desire for fun and functional gum and mints as well as new formats and flavours in chocolate.
“We’re tapping into consumer trends and producing surprising twists and experiences from our most popular brands.”
The products will be unveiled at the National Confectioners’ Association Sweets & Snacks Expo in Chicago this week.
In addition to product innovations, Wrigley and Mars Chocolate will unveil new selling strategies aimed at driving sales for retailers.
Wrigley vice-president of US sales and operations Edward Taylor explained: “We’re looking within and even beyond our category to not only understand what innovations will resonate with consumers, but also to truly understand the way they shop for those products. Helping our partners maximise opportunities is a top priority for us and to expand on the success of our Transaction Zone Vision programme, we’ll be highlighting a variety of new shopper behaviour findings from our Path-to-Purchase research at this year’s show, as well as sharing online insights.”
Activations for 2017 include the Chew to a Better You campaign, which will encourage consumers to incorporate sugar-free gum into their diet.
It will also embark on sponsorship of Nascar events with its M&M’s brand, NFL-themed packaging for Snickers and Skittles, as well as a promotion of Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2 with M&M’s, Skittles and Starburst.
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