Four variants have been created for British palates
Froneri is looking to return value to the ice cream cone market with the UK rollout of Extrême – a premium handheld range to take on Cornetto, Unilever’s flagging mid-tier offer.
Extrême was Froneri’s “first major strategic launch” in the UK since the autumn 2016 merger of Nestlé’s and R&R’s ice cream operations, said Charlotte Hambling, Froneri’s UK head of marketing. The brand – launched in 1987 by Nestlé – was worth about €100m (£88.2m) across mainland Europe, she added.
The ice cream’s arrival in the UK follows more than 12 months’ development to suit British palates. Salted Caramel & White Chocolate, Fresh & Fruity Raspberry with Double Cream and Smooth Hazelnut with Creamy Vanilla are expected to be fully available across the mults by early March. A fourth flavour, Gooey Chocolate Fudge, is rolling out this week exclusively to Tesco.
Each Extrême variant comprises a wafer cone filled with layers of ice cream, a ‘pocket’ of sauce and a chocolate ‘nugget’ in the tip. Rsps are £1.70/120ml and £3/4x120ml. An initial promotion will the see the multipack priced at £2.
A £2m marketing investment would target millennials and adult evening occasions, rather than the family audience more commonly associated with ice cream cones, said Hambling.
The ice cream cones market had “become boring and commoditised” and had been “pretty stagnant for a number of years” she said. “We are hoping to turn that on its head with a premium offer that’s targeting a different kind of audience from where cones appeal right now.”
The UK’s leading cone brand Cornetto saw value sales plunge 15.6% last year to £28.9m under pressure from premium handheld ranges from the likes of Häagen-Dazs [Nielsen 52 w/e 9 September 2017].
No comments yet