Nestlé is investing £6m (US$11.5m) to revolutionise its Aero brand. In a move that includes new bite-sized product development, revamped packaging and an updated recipe, Nestlé will be able to draw on its experience of extending and modernising its Kit Kat brand. Although the move may be met with scepticism from some industry buyers, the revamp should help reignite consumer interest in the brand and drive revenues through the creation of new snack occasions.
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According to The Grocer, Nestlé is hoping its Aero makeover will add more than £28m in sales over the coming 12 months to turn Aero into a £100m brand. Nestlé also hopes the marketing investment will add incremental sales to both the brand and the overall chocolate confectionery category.
The packaged goods giant is introducing two new varieties as part of a revamp of Aero’s block chocolate offering, backed up with a new packaging drive to increase shelf standout.
The most notable aspect of the investment is the launch of bite-sized peppermint chocolate balls called Aero Bubbles which are due to hit UK shelves in April. Packaged in 42g impulse packs and sharing resealable pouches, the extension is expected to add £25m in sales to the Aero brand.
One possible motivation underpinning the bubbles variant may be Nestlé’s desire to respond to a demand for products that can be shared among friends and family. The chocolate will also appeal to the growing number of people who prefer to eat bite-size confectionery as they can control how much they eat across the day and feel less guilty.
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By GlobalDataThe bubbles launch has many similarities to the 2003 launch of Kit-Kat Kubes and no doubt Nestlé will be looking to apply a number of lessons learnt during that product’s short shelf life to date. Despite some scepticism that such extensions can overstretch a brand and are symptomatic of unimaginative innovation, Nestlé has nevertheless insisted that its brand extensions have substantially improved Kit Kat sales.
As long as Aero bubbles retain the values of the parent range there should be little reason to see this as a case of overstretching the brand. Instead, Nestlé’s new Aero bubbles are well poised to capitalise on consumers’ growing desire to indulge in both shared and solitary moments, and in volumes of their choosing.
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