Napolina is kicking off an aggressive marketing strategy as the Princes-owned brand aims to become a one-stop shop for Italian-style food.

Napolina is set to launch six ambient pestos this month, and will also push the pasta bake sauces and pitted olives it has quietly rolled out over the past six months.

The move comes a week after The Grocer reported value and volume sales of Napolina olive oil had grown 48% year-on-year [Focus on Oils, 26 May 2012]. Promotions played a big role in the growth, with at least one Napolina olive oil SKU on deal at Tesco every week in the past 12 months [BrandView.co.uk].

Napolina confirmed it would be supporting its newest products with promotions, adding that it would cross-promote them with its other products such as tinned tomatoes, pasta and olive oil.

“By offering shoppers the chance to try new products from a brand they know, Napolina will drive long-term growth,” said marketing director Dean Towey. Napolina moved into pesto in March with two lines in Sainsbury’s, but now produces Green, Red, Chilli, Ricotta & Walnut, Rocket, and Red Pepper with Pecorino cheese (rsp: £1.99). The £32.2m pesto market has fallen 2.6% by value with most brands in decline as own label has grown 17% to £12.4m [SymphonyIRI 52 w/e 12 May].

Sacla’ - which holds a 50% share of the category and is in 4.4% year-on-year value decline - said competition was healthy. “If Napolina’s promotions help to drive trial that can only be good for the market,” said UK MD Clare Blampied.

The pasta bake sauces, taking on the likes of Homepride and Dolmio, launched in November and are in Tesco and Sainsbury’s, while olives rolled out in January in Tesco. Neither have been supported until now, but will be backed by brand-wide ads this summer.

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