Ferrero is attempting to fend off competition in the light chocolate market from Mars and Kit Kat with the launch of Bueno White, which it hopes will become a £10m brand within the year.

The white chocolate version of the seven-year-old £21m brand will be backed by a £4m ad spend across TV, press and online, as well as a major one-million-bar sampling programme at supermarkets and on magazine covers over the summer.

The launch is part of Ferrero's ambition to increase its dominance in the indulgent light chocolate category in the wake of competition from Mars Delight and this year's new entrant Kit Kat Senses.

The company hopes to increase the penetration of the Bueno brand from 9.5% to 15% within three years by broadening its appeal with new formats. "We want to make it a power brand for Ferrero," said sales director Craig Barker. " We can stretch beyond countlines and flavour variants."

In less than two weeks of it hitting shelves on 10 May, Kit Kat Senses clocked up sales of £889,000, which when annualised would create a £30m brand [Nielsen, 4w/e 22 March]. However, that would not include the post-launch tail-off or seasonal variations.

During that same period, Bueno maintained strong growth, sales rising 13% to £1.5m for the four weeks, and 11% to £16m for the year. Mars Delight's sales were down 35% year-on-year to £504,000 during the four-week period when Senses launched, with annual sales down 26% to £7.2m.

"The launch of Bueno brought a unique product to the market in 2001," said Barker. "Since then there has been growth in the indulgent market with Mars coming in and now Kit Kat. From our perspective we're the ones innovating but it's flattering to see others targeting our consumers."

The line, which has been in Ireland since September, will hit UK shelves later this month.

Separately, Ferrero will be updating its packaging across Nutella and Kinder ranges from 2009 to include Guideline Daily Amount front-of-pack labelling.

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