Arla will launch its premium Finnish yogurt Ihana into the UK and Denmark as the company looks to move away from the breakfast associations of yogurt.
Meaning ‘wonderful’ in Finnish, Ihana was launched through an extensive brand introduction in 2016. Arla said that indulgence is one of the few areas in growth within the yogurt category, as consumers look for something new and different.
With its range of sorbet-style flavour combinations such as pink lemonade and papaya with lime, the flavour creations, striking packaging and dessert-style approach aim to ensure Ihana is positioned to offer shoppers a distinctive choice.
Arla Foods brand and category manager Betina Karvinen said: “Finland is very innovative when it comes to the dairy industry and has previously seen trends travel across markets to benefit Arla’s growth.
“Our successful protein range began as a Finnish initiative born out of consumer trends and we have seen that become one of Arla’s most successful brands, so we certainly have the same aspirations for Ihana.”
“Being able to roll out successful brands into new markets and share innovation with other countries is a key focus for Arla as part of its ongoing strategy and growth.”
Following the announcement of an extensive cost-cutting plan earlier this year, one of Arla’s ambitions is to reduce complexity across the business. With Ihana packaging being shared across markets and its teams becoming more collaborative, the firm said that “sharing success stories across borders is going to play a crucial role in Arla’s future development”.
In the UK, the launch of the Ihana range marks the next step in Arla’s ambition to expand its offering across the different sub-categories within yogurts.
James Quayle, brand manager for Arla yogurts UK, said: “The role of the Ihana brand is to offer something new and different to the existing options within the luxury yogurts market, primarily driven by the sorbet style-inspired flavours such as pink lemonade. This is based on the insight that consumers are looking for flavour inspiration and new eating experiences within yogurts.
“Arla’s ambition is to role the range out across the UK retail market over the course of 2018-2019 and a view to expanding the number of variants in line with the other market offerings once the brand is established.”
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