It's been a rollercoaster year for one of the most innovative product launches in hot beverages for a long time. Nescafe Hot When You Want, self-heating cans of instant white coffee, were launched amid mcuh fanfare as a trial last summer.
Rolling out to selected stores in the Midlands, the newcomer featured decades-old military technology using a quicklime and water reaction in the membrane of a 330ml can to instantly heat up 210ml of fluid inside. Yet the concept immediately fuelled the imaginations of consumers everywhere, gaining coverage in the national press and scooping a prestigious Sial d'Or award ahead of this October's Sial international food show in Paris.
So successful was the £1.19-a-can newcomer that brand owner Nestlé ³oon admitted it had lost control of distribution as the cans cropped up in outlets, including the multiples, nationwide.
Yet the brand is still awaiting the fairytale ending the latest twist being Nestl駳 admission that it has yet to perfect the technology. In short, the cans don't always work. They perform best in summer when base temperatures are higher (the chemical reaction heats the drink up by 40C above starting temperature). That means they fare worst in winter when impulse-driven sales of hot drinks are most likely.
The company has withdrawn the product pending further tests on the technology. Nescaf駳 brand strategy marketing manager, Simon Thong, says: "Hot When You Want is the sort of product that can really drive the category. If we can solve the problems then it will come back and I see no reason why we can't achieve that. The real issue is to get the product to work consistently so there is no consumer disappointment.
"There will be a big investment in the brand if it comes back."
Retailers are advised to keep some shelf space warm then.
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Rolling out to selected stores in the Midlands, the newcomer featured decades-old military technology using a quicklime and water reaction in the membrane of a 330ml can to instantly heat up 210ml of fluid inside. Yet the concept immediately fuelled the imaginations of consumers everywhere, gaining coverage in the national press and scooping a prestigious Sial d'Or award ahead of this October's Sial international food show in Paris.
So successful was the £1.19-a-can newcomer that brand owner Nestlé ³oon admitted it had lost control of distribution as the cans cropped up in outlets, including the multiples, nationwide.
Yet the brand is still awaiting the fairytale ending the latest twist being Nestl駳 admission that it has yet to perfect the technology. In short, the cans don't always work. They perform best in summer when base temperatures are higher (the chemical reaction heats the drink up by 40C above starting temperature). That means they fare worst in winter when impulse-driven sales of hot drinks are most likely.
The company has withdrawn the product pending further tests on the technology. Nescaf駳 brand strategy marketing manager, Simon Thong, says: "Hot When You Want is the sort of product that can really drive the category. If we can solve the problems then it will come back and I see no reason why we can't achieve that. The real issue is to get the product to work consistently so there is no consumer disappointment.
"There will be a big investment in the brand if it comes back."
Retailers are advised to keep some shelf space warm then.
{{FOCUS ON }}
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