United Biscuits is ramping up the marketing budgets behind its key brands by 30% this year to £44m, but is axing one of its key recent launches.
Major backing will once again be given to the company’s snacking portfolio, with Hula Hoops and The Real McCoy’s set to be key beneficiaries.
However, UB is planning to call time on the flagging Hula Hoops Shoks sub-brand
following a torrid time on shelf.
A source at the company said: “Shoks is officially under review but it has not worked. Consumers found the product quite hard work to get through and it is likely to disappear by the summer.”
Shoks’ demise will not come as much of a surprise to retailers who have been complaining of poor sales for some time.
Even a revamp last summer, reducing the price and size of
packs, failed to win over consumers. One buyer said: “It was a good-looking product but consumers failed to buy into it. If you can’t get that to happen then it’s right to call time on it.”
UB will now turn its attention to reviving Hula Hoops, which suffered a 14.6% dip in sales last year (The Grocer Top Products Survey 2003), and building on the success of The Real McCoy’s, up by almost 30% last year.
Key projects on the former will include improved flavour delivery, a new Shake 2 Flava product and a new TV ad.
The Real McCoy’s is being given a new pack livery, new flavours and more multi-packs. The brand will also get a major on-pack promotion to coincide with this summer’s Euro 2004 football championships.
UB commercial director Richard Pearson said: “We are trying to put value back into the market due to the deflationary activity which is happening in some of the multiples.”
Simon Mowbray
Major backing will once again be given to the company’s snacking portfolio, with Hula Hoops and The Real McCoy’s set to be key beneficiaries.
However, UB is planning to call time on the flagging Hula Hoops Shoks sub-brand
following a torrid time on shelf.
A source at the company said: “Shoks is officially under review but it has not worked. Consumers found the product quite hard work to get through and it is likely to disappear by the summer.”
Shoks’ demise will not come as much of a surprise to retailers who have been complaining of poor sales for some time.
Even a revamp last summer, reducing the price and size of
packs, failed to win over consumers. One buyer said: “It was a good-looking product but consumers failed to buy into it. If you can’t get that to happen then it’s right to call time on it.”
UB will now turn its attention to reviving Hula Hoops, which suffered a 14.6% dip in sales last year (The Grocer Top Products Survey 2003), and building on the success of The Real McCoy’s, up by almost 30% last year.
Key projects on the former will include improved flavour delivery, a new Shake 2 Flava product and a new TV ad.
The Real McCoy’s is being given a new pack livery, new flavours and more multi-packs. The brand will also get a major on-pack promotion to coincide with this summer’s Euro 2004 football championships.
UB commercial director Richard Pearson said: “We are trying to put value back into the market due to the deflationary activity which is happening in some of the multiples.”
Simon Mowbray
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