Unilever is looking to dial up the premium credentials of Flora and entice block butter buyers to the spreads category with the launch of Gold from Flora – a new spread blended with butter.
Gold from Flora will be a stand-alone sub-brand, with distinct packaging and a different colour scheme to the rest of the Flora portfolio.
With 40% less satfat than block butter than 30% less than spreadable butter, Gold would fill a gap in the market for consumers who wanted the health credentials of a spread but also craved the taste of butter, said Unilever.
“It offers all the sunflower goodness of Flora with the taste of butter – it’s lighter than a spreadable butter but creamier than a buttery spread,” said Patty Essick, UK brand building director for spreads.
Gold was already available in other European countries, where it had successfully attracted block butter shoppers to spreads, she added. “We found it disproportionately sourced from block butter users. It’s a trade-up for the entire category, as shoppers trade up from blocks and also increased their usage.”
In the UK, Gold will roll out to the mults on 12 May (rsp: £2.49 for a 400g tub and £1.49 for 225g).
At the same time, Unilever will launch a blended butter spread for Bertolli. Essick said Bertolli with Butter was primarily aimed at the over-45s, whereas Gold from Flora would appeal more to younger families.
Unilever is backing both launches with a £10m marketing budget for 2014 that will include a TV push and an extensive sampling campaign.
The overall Flora brand has struggled in recent times. Last year, Unilever launched a £12m campaign to return it to growth. This included bringing back the brand’s iconic sunflower design and launching a new TV campaign targeting families.
Essick said the campaign had already started to pay dividends, with combined volume sales of Flora Original, Light and Buttery up 1% year on year since the relaunch.
.
5 Readers' comments