As the fallout from its salmonella scare dies down, Cadbury Trebor Bassett has taken the wrapper off new confectionery lines targeted at the growing areas of indulgence, dark chocolate and calorie control.
The company is also putting five of its recalled products back on shelves, resuming its ongoing sponsorship of Coronation Street and increasing media spend by £7m to cover additional TV and poster advertising, including backing for the newcomers.
Cadbury has admitted that the discovery of salmonella at its Marlbrook plant has hit sales and could cost it £20m. Some supermarkets reported a 25% decrease in the sale of the company's products in the six weeks since the recall (The Grocer, 29 July, p10). However, head of customer relations Mike Tipping insisted that there would be no delay in the autumn NPD programme, adding that the new products and increased media presence would have "positive effects for the business of our customers".
First off the blocks is a 35g 49p no-added-sugar Highlights chocolate bar, launching in the middle of this month. It has 160 calories and is an evolution of the Highlights low-calorie drinking chocolate brand. It is aimed primarily at sugar-sensitive consumers and a female audience looking for permissible indulgence.
Three flavours of premium Dairy Milk Melts follow next month. Each box contains eight individually wrapped pieces of chocolate, with a chocolate centre in a Dairy Milk shell.
Meanwhile Flake Dark arrives in October, reflecting the increasing popularity of dark chocolate. Cadbury said the UK dark chocolate market was worth £160m and growing at 13%, driven by three million new shoppers in the past two years.
Other UK innovations include an addition to the repackaged Snaps sharing range and Cadbury Roses Truffle Selection boxes.
The company is also putting five of its recalled products back on shelves, resuming its ongoing sponsorship of Coronation Street and increasing media spend by £7m to cover additional TV and poster advertising, including backing for the newcomers.
Cadbury has admitted that the discovery of salmonella at its Marlbrook plant has hit sales and could cost it £20m. Some supermarkets reported a 25% decrease in the sale of the company's products in the six weeks since the recall (The Grocer, 29 July, p10). However, head of customer relations Mike Tipping insisted that there would be no delay in the autumn NPD programme, adding that the new products and increased media presence would have "positive effects for the business of our customers".
First off the blocks is a 35g 49p no-added-sugar Highlights chocolate bar, launching in the middle of this month. It has 160 calories and is an evolution of the Highlights low-calorie drinking chocolate brand. It is aimed primarily at sugar-sensitive consumers and a female audience looking for permissible indulgence.
Three flavours of premium Dairy Milk Melts follow next month. Each box contains eight individually wrapped pieces of chocolate, with a chocolate centre in a Dairy Milk shell.
Meanwhile Flake Dark arrives in October, reflecting the increasing popularity of dark chocolate. Cadbury said the UK dark chocolate market was worth £160m and growing at 13%, driven by three million new shoppers in the past two years.
Other UK innovations include an addition to the repackaged Snaps sharing range and Cadbury Roses Truffle Selection boxes.
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