Haribo Dunhills reckons it has found the next big thing in gums and jellies with Strawbs, and is throwing its weight behind the brand with new product development and marketing investment.
The launch this month of Sour Strawbs (rsp: £1.02 for 200g) follows the decision earlier this year to put Strawbs - Haribo’s best-selling countline - in a bag. The product contains strawberry juice and, according to Haribo, fits the consumer trend for intense flavours, particularly sour sweets.
The market leader in gums and jellies is hoping Strawbs is the answer to its long search to add a fourth product to its three best-selling bagged lines, Starmix, Tangfastics and Kiddie’s Supermix. MD Per Henérius said the total confectionery market was down nearly 1% in value to £1.3bn in the multiples [IR w/e April 16, 2005], and the only way to achieve growth was through taking share from other companies and innovating.
“Companies will have to invest in developing new products and brands that will excite consumers,” he said. He was confident the company could increase sales by 10% in 2005. Strawbs will benefit from a £5m advertising spend on Haribo this year.
Haribo is also adding a sour Brixx to its 4p sweets, available to independents and wholesalers from July, and plans to release a Bratz Pex and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Pex range to coincide with the rescreening of the TV series in November.
Claire Hu