Eastern Europe builds on brand awareness
this week focus on Eastern Europe. The launches also reflect a
growing trend towards maximizing the marketing potential of brands
that have been long established in Western European markets.
The Milka chocolate brand is rapidly growing throughout the region, and only this month Kraft Foods announced that it was launching a major marketing drive for the brand in the all-important Russian market. In Hungary the brand is at a more advanced stage of development and mirroring the patterns seen in other western European markets, Kraft Foods is launching a new derivative of the well known family chocolate. Milka Marzipan-Crème is a range extension which has been launched onto the market this month. It relies on the strong brand awareness of the existing Milka range, drawing on the distinctive lilac packaging which has traditionally been used to distinguish it. Sold in 100 gram bars, the product is being retailed at €0.93 and is marketed on the strength of a marzipan cream filling and a high cocoa content chocolate covering.
Similar to the position with Kraft's Milka brand, Nestle is launching a white version of its internationally known After Eight brand, again on the Hungarian market. This time aimed more at the luxury end of the market, the distinctive dark green packaging of the traditional dark chocolate brand is replaced by a boarded carton in cream, to distinguish the brand extension. After Eight White Chocolate Mints were launched on to the market this month in 300 gram cartons retailing at €2.72. The packs contain 50 wafer thin mint creams covered in white chocolate.
Moving on to the Russian market, Rossia has launched a brand new line of chocolate confectioneries called Oduvanchik Chocolates. Packaged in flexible plastic bags containing 130 grams of individual 'crème brulée' style chocolate covered confectioneries, the product is aimed at the adult market and is marketed as an accompaniment to tea. The basic ingredients include sugar, concentrated milk, melted butter, syrup and cocoa powder and the product will retail at €0.37.
The Mentos brand goes from strength to strength in Eastern Europe, this time with the launch of two brand extensions in Poland, aimed at the growing market for sugar-free and tooth-kind confectioneries. Cool Active Sweets from Perfetti Van Melle were launched last month in tamper evident cartons using a litho decorative process. They are sold in 28 gram pack sizes which retail at €0.52. The product has been launched in orange mint and fresh mint varieties which are said to help balance out the ph levels in the mouth, in turn leading to fresher breath and cleaner teeth.
Nestle has launched another brand extension, this time in the highly developed Czech Republic market. Skvelá Nová Chut' chocolate is an extension the Orion brand and includes extra milk powder and hazelnut paste. It was launched this month and will retail at €0.78 for a 100 gram tablet of family chocolate.
This range of finished food and drink products is part of a selection from Mintel's Global New Products Database.
