Mondelēz International (MDLZ) is once again bringing their festive favourites to market this year with a sleigh-load of confectionery and biscuit treats. It will be helping retailers to make the most of a potentially great festive period with treats from iconic brands such as Cadbury, OREO, Maynards Bassetts and Green & Black’s.
Mondelēz International is central to Christmas confectionery, leading the market with the #1 SKU in seven sub-categories – seasonal sharing, advent calendars, selection boxes and tree decorations, just to name a few. Shoppers clearly trust MDLZ to bring them the products they love come Christmas-time, with total seasonal sales growing over six per cent last year. In seasonal biscuits, MDLZ also has a strong presence, growing over three per cent last year with top-performing products from Cadbury Biscuits and OREO.
This year sees a re-design across the seasonal range with new and eye-catching packaging that raises the "specialness" element and builds on seasonal and gifting cues present on-pack. The new look will help drive further value for retailers and shoppers with a fresh touch of Christmas magic guaranteed to create excitement in-store.
The Season – Part One: "Fast Start"
Remember that the festive season actually starts as early as September, with shoppers beginning to cosy-up indoors due to the darker nights and cooler weather. As a result, retailers may see an increase in Big Night In sharing occasions, which they can cater to with sharing packs, multipacks and block formats. Cadbury’s range of sharing pouches (such as Cadbury Dairy Milk Classics and Cadbury Roses) are shopper favourites in the category, with the Cadbury Heroes pouch achieving the #1 SKU in Grocery.
In October, the upcoming seasonal occasions are becoming prevalent in shoppers’ minds, and many will be looking for self-treat and sharing novelties. MDLZ is launching an NPD, the Cadbury Mini SnowBalls 110g Bar, the ultimate combination of the UK's #1 sharing novelty treat, now in a tablet format. OREO will be bringing a playful twist to Christmas with seasonally coloured cremes through the classic Original flavour. OREO Festive Colours are perfect for sharing, with three 114g roll packs which include red, green, and white coloured-creme options. Cadbury Puds made a much-anticipated return last year, and were quickly a huge hit with shoppers becoming the season’s #1 NPD.
The Season – Part Two: Driving the Excitement
By November, the countdown to Christmas has begun. Shoppers begin preparations for the season by purchasing of advent calendars and tree decorations. This year, Mondelēz International is bringing consumers a Christmas challenge in the form of brand-new Cadbury Dairy Milk Advent Bar featuring 25 individually-numbered chunks of the nation’s favourite chocolate, with a resealable wrap for stand out on-shelf. Tapping into festive fun, the unique "One Chunk a Day Challenge" is something everyone can take part in.
Finally, as we enter December and the big day approaches, retailers can profit by stocking up on larger gifting and sharing formats. This year, Mondelēz International is rolling out a brand new treat, the Cadbury Chunk Collection, to include individually-wrapped chunks of various Cadbury chocolates, including Cadbury White, Cadbury Dairy Milk, and Cadbury Dairy Milk Wholenut. The Chunk Collection is available in a 243G Carton format, with an eye-catching design that is sure to stand out on-shelf. The iconic Cadbury Heroes Tin will also be available in a new "Who Am I?" card game edition that will bring the entire family together. These gifting and sharing formats elevate festive moments, and are a fantastic opportunity to drive maximum sales from shoppers by providing the option to “trade up” their treats.
All in all, MDLZ have executed a fresh and coherent, excellently integrated re-design of the Cadbury range, using the (now copyrighted) purple livery in a subtle and enticing manner to best present a slew of NPD and traditional favourites.Susan Nash, Trade Communications Manager at Mondelēz International, commented that despite the growing cost-of-living crisis, the prospect for improved sales over the festive period is excellent this year, due to shoppers looking for "value self-treats" and gifting chocolates in place of more expensive consumer durables.
The products
September/October: Festive Firsts
Cadbury Mini Snowballs Bar
Cadbury Dairy Milk Winter Mint Crisp
Cadbury White Jingly Bells
November: Countdown To Christmas
Cadbury Chunk Collection
Cadbury White Santa
Cadbury Dairy Milk Advent Bar
Oreo Festive Colours
December: Christmas Magic
Cadbury Dairy Milk Tins
Cadbury Heroes Game Tin
Toblerone Selection Box
Cadbury Favourites Selection
