Müller is relaunching its £100m Light range in an attempt to stem falling sales as consumers turn their backs on diet yoghurts in favour of healthy options.

It is ploughing £4.4m into the Müllerlight overhaul, which will involve new packaging with healthy signposting, new varieties and a TV, press and sampling campaign from January.

The move is intended to shed the brand of its overt diet associations after Müllerlight's sales fell 17% last year and a further 6% this year to £107m, despite the overall category increasing almost 6% in the year to October [Nielsen].

"It is crucial that we turn it around and get positive momentum back on the brand," said Chris McDonough, Müller UK marketing and R&D director.

"The relaunch is about aligning Müllerlight with changing consumer attitudes. People are switching from diet-specific products to foods that help achieve a healthy diet.

"We're moving away from all the negative perceptions associated with dieting - what the brand doesn't contain - and putting the focus instead on the brand being a positive addition to healthy lifestyles."

The relaunch was founded on 18 months of research on consumer attitudes to healthy eating. It found people were moving on from prescriptive calorie-counting and the structured routine of diet plans, with just 3% of people on a diet compared with 8% four years ago.

The new pack design will use better visual cues to highlight the yoghurt's dairy and natural fruit ingredients, with close-ups of the fruit content. It will also add 'at a glance' nutritional information to pack sides, stating it's fat-free, rich in calcium, contains 110 calories and no colours or preservatives.

The TV campaign, which will be Müllerlight's first in 18 months, will follow on from Müller's Lid Lickers ads. It is also adding two more varieties to the 14-strong range with Wild Blueberry and Smooth Peach.

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