Picks of the Week

SPAR OWN-LABEL EXPANDS FOR SUMMER

The range will be supported with digital activity, including lifestyle and video content, to support and drive brand engagement.

Spar has launched a variety of own-label products to help retailers take advantage of the opportunities presented by this summer.

With 2022 seeing the first fully restriction-free summer since 2019, this year’s Spar Brand includes several products which will cover shopper needs for seasonal eating, BBQs, picnics and alfresco dining.

New for 2022 are Chorizo-style sausages, jumbo hot dogs, quiches, plus range extensions on dips. Many products from last year return as limited editions. Several categories have new packaging, and a handful of NPD lines have been added.

Joanne Cramer, Spar UK Senior Brand Manager, said: “This is a huge opportunity for stores to support Spar own label. We see stores that engage early and support the new lines to maximise seasonal performance reap the benefits.

“Shoppers to our stores can get great quality and value from choosing some of our award-winning hero lines such as our Spar Basil Houmous, Spar Lamb Koftas, Spar Feta and Spinach Parcels and Spar Spicy Tapas Collection. Plus, we have an ongoing 2 for £6 and 2 for £8 on our range of marinated and BBQ essentials this summer from Spar burgers, Chinese pork steaks, and BBQ chicken drumsticks.”

The Spar Brand summer range will be supported with digital activity. Lifestyle and video content will be available to support and drive brand engagement and the digital team will be using social polls, Instagram and TikTok to target foodies with a variety of content.

“We know shoppers are always looking to react when the sun shines and Spar stores are ready and able to fulfil all our customer needs with a great value, quality and tasty range of fresh foods whatever the weather,” Cramer added.

The Spar Brand summertime products range is available in participating stores now.

THE COLLECTIVE LAUNCHES THE YOG SQUAD

The nationwide campaign will include out-of-home advertising, digital media, and shopper marketing.

Yoghurt brand The Collective has launched its first Masterbrand Campaign, which introduces UK consumers to the Yog Squad.

The Collective’s new campaign emphasises how yoghurt can provide something delicious to eat for everyone, and entices all those in search for healthy, luxurious food items that don’t compromise on taste, to join the Yog Squad.

The nationwide campaign, which includes outof-home, digital media and shopper marketing, will be supported by an integrated, above-the-line approach, running across 1,222 UK sites, reaching millions and via digital channels.

This initial launch will be followed by two subsequent bursts of activity to increase brand awareness, with refreshed packaging set to be implemented later this year to ensure visual alignment across all The Collective’s products, while also encouraging families and friends to set up their own Yog Squads.

The brand says the squads will enable the coming together of communities that appreciate naturally great-tasting food, as well as enabling these groups to “act as wider forces for good”, for example, by volunteering their support for local charities.

Emma Gooden, Head of Marketing of The Collective UK, commented: “We are incredibly excited to be launching our first ever Masterbrand Campaign in the UK. At The Collective, we are on a mission to deliver taste and exciting eating experiences for everyone – with ranges for adults, kids and now dairy-free too, we are inviting everyone to join The Collective and be part of our yog squad.”

RINGOS OF FIRE

The brand says the new flavour taps into continuing consumer interest in spicy flavours.

Golden Wonder has added a new Spicy Thai variant to its popular Ringos range to tap into continuing consumer interest in spicy flavours.

Ringos Spicy Thai is available in 55g sharing packs (£1 PMP) and 6x12g multipacks (RSP £1.25).

Golden Wonder’s £1 price-marked pack range is consistently outperforming the market (+49.2% compared to +7.8%) and the brand said that early sales of the new flavour were “way ahead” of its expectations.

Matt Smith, Golden Wonder Marketing Director, commented: “With a real spicy kick and less than 100 calories per serving like the rest of the Ringos range, Spicy Thai delivers on Golden Wonder’s brand promise of ‘more punch per crunch’.”

Golden Wonder is currently celebrating its 75th birthday by bringing back Beef & Onion and Chip Shop Curry flavours in classic 1970s packs. This follows a vote to discover consumers’ all-time favourite Golden Wonder varieties. The brand’s flagship Cheese & Onion flavour, which launched in 1962, has also received an old-school makeover.

All three heritage packs also feature an on-pack competition to win one of 75 experience vouchers. As part of the promotion, every entrant will receive 10% off at experiencedays.co.uk.

The on-pack promotion is also running across Golden Wonder’s recently launched £1 crisps range. Promotional packs are available now and the campaign is being pushed across social, digital and trade channels throughout 2022.

COSTA REVEALS INDULGENT RTD FRAPPÉS

Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP) and Costa Coffee have unveiled a new ready-to-drink Frappé range.

The range launches with two popular flavours from Costa’s coffee shop business – Chocolate Fudge Brownie and Caramel Swirl – in a drink that’s said by the makers to be creamier, thicker and more indulgent than Costa’s existing RTD line-up.

The Frappés combine Costa’s slow-roasted, smooth and nutty Signature Blend coffee espresso with fresh milk, finished off with either fudge chocolate brownie or caramel swirl flavours.

Both variants are rolling out throughout May in 250ml, 100% recyclable bottles which are made with 100% recycled plastic (excluding caps and labels).

As well as having low caffeine intensity – which is attractive to younger adults – Costa’s RTD Frappés contain less sugar than many of the other brands on the market, meaning that even though they’re designed for treating, they still comply with England’s forthcoming HFSS regulations.

The Costa Coffee RTD range will be supported by a summer sampling campaign which will tour the nation, visiting 10 different cities and major events.

Despite RTD coffee’s current value of £228m, Martin Attock, VP Commercial Development at CCEP GB, thinks the category has still to reach its full potential. He commented: “We’re confident that, along with the great new taste across our Latte and Flat White variants, the Frappé range will help attract more consumers to the RTD coffee category this summer.”

PICKS OF THE WEEK

NICOTINE BOOST

Swedish Match brand ZYN has launched a tobacco-flavoured nicotine pouch with no tobacco.Tobacco Gold (RSP £6.50) is designed for nicotine users who do not wish to consume tobacco, but still enjoy the taste. It is available in medium (3mg) and strong(6mg) strengths.

PROTEIN DESSERT

Protein bar brand Grenade has launched a Lemon Cheesecake flavour. The 60g bar (RSP £2.85)contains 21g of protein and 1.6g of sugar. Available from June, it joins Chocolate Chip Salted Caramel,White Chocolate SaltedPeanut, White Chocolate Cookie, and Peanut Butter & Jelly.

HOWLING WINE

Accolade Wines has launchedWise Wolf, a range of wines in recycled packaging. Three varieties– Chardonnay, Rosé andCabernet Sauvignon – will be available from June with a recommended retail price of £11and a promotional offer price of £9.

CORDIAL COCKTAIL

Bottlegreen, the cordial brandowned by SHS Drinks, hasintroduced a new lime and mintflavour for summer. The newaddition comes in the brand’siconic 500ml glass bottle, with anRSP of £3.75. The new launchcomes alongside the brand’sbiggest advertising campaign.

WINE TINS

Wine producer Hardys willlaunch a single-serve cannedformat in June. The new HardysCans will be available in threevarieties – Rosé, Chardonnayand Shiraz. The aluminium cansare fully recyclable. The rangehas a recommended retail priceof £2.50.

FRUITY BOOST

Boost Drinks has reformulated itsFruit Punch 250ml SKU, whichwill replace the existing sugar-freevariant of Fruit Punch.The new flavour – which containspeach, passionfruit and bananaflavours – is available in wholesalersnationwide in cases of 24x 250ml cans (65p PMP).