>>recent launches from around the globe which could have potential in the UK

Unilever’s Magnum ice cream brand has launched into chocolate confectionery in Italy. Praline, Infinity and Essence all contain 60% pure chocolate. Magnum has also been extended into heated desserts with Magnum Hot in Portugal, a microwaveable ice cream which can be heated in and consumed from a mug.
PepsiCo’s quest to get as much mileage as possible out of its Doritos brand has now seen the snack turn a lurid green colour in the US with the launch of a Guacamole line. Time will tell whether or not the company reckons UK consumers are ready for such a colourful challenge.Unilever is getting extra mileage out of its burgeoning Knorr brand in Austria with a range of frozen fingerfoods. Offerings include flaky pastry filled with spinach and sheep’s milk cheese, crêpes with ham and Mozzarella and rectangular-shaped pastries with tuna and crème fraîche.
Nestlé’s Nescafé Bom Bôn is hotly tipped for a roll-out further afield. The liquid blend of soluble coffee and condensed milk, which has appeared in Spanish supermarkets, is used by squirting a bit of the product in a mug and then adding hot water or milk, offering an easy alternative to instant granules.Kraft has extended its Lunchables kids’ proposition to adults in the US with Lunch Specials. The $2.99, low calorie kits include a microwaveable Pasta Anytime spaghetti variant with cookies for dessert and sugar-free lemonade all in a single pack. Such an idea could well have some mileage here, too.
Philadelphia To-Go is another recent meal solution from Kraft in the US. The $2.49 packs contain two servings of cream cheese with a bagel and are aimed at lunch packs and those eating on the hoof. Phildadelphia is already a successful brand in the United Kingdom so adding to it would make sense.Red Bull has been flexing its muscles beyond its standard variant boundaries in the Philippines under the Barako sub-brand. The ready-to-drink cans of coffee with milk offer a very different proposition for the brand, while the presence of the Red Bull logo adds value and brand clout to the line.
PepsiCo has launched Pepsi X Energy Cola in Sweden. The new formula includes extra caffeine for energy, a small amount of guarana extract and taurine.
Such an offering could well be a useful weapon in Pepsi’s perennial battle with Coca-Cola.

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