Nestlé International Travel Retail (NITR) has introduced a range of new products and related campaigns for 2019 at the TFWA World Exhibition in Cannes.
The confectionery specialist has focused on three key strategic travel retail brands: KitKat, Smarties and Nestlé Swiss.
NITR said that the new set of travel retail-exclusives and campaigns link in to its SOUL (Stories, Occasion, Unique, Local) strategic framework, with a particular emphasis on attracting more spend from Millennials.
The travel retail-exclusive KitKat Senses range, primarily targeted at Millennials, has a new portfolio member in the shape of KitKat Senses Mini Desserts. It comes in a 202g format with five flavours: Milk Chocolate, Tiramisu, Crème Brulée, Strawberry Cheesecake and Cherry Brownie.
KitKat Senses Mini Desserts will be available from March 2019.
The original products in the KitKat Senses range have been given a new visual identity, with KitKat’s red ‘K’ “standing out in harmony with the vibrant triangles and patterns on the packaging”, according to NITR.
The range will also benefit from in-store brand activations and new point-of-sale materials featuring internationally recognised British icons such as the double-decker bus.
To celebrate 20 years of KitKat Chunky, NITR is also launching new travel retail limited-edition packaging “leveraging 90s nostalgia through look and feel” across the Chunky gift range, it said. The new packaging will be available from March 2019 in Milk, Mix, Hazelnut and Peanut Butter (250g).
Millennials are also the key target for new products from NITR’s travel-retail exclusive range, Nestlé Swiss. The brand re-launched earlier this year after undergoing a 12-month programme of redevelopment.
Premium innovations for 2019 include three new Nestlé Swiss 195g tablets: Milk with Cranberries, Almonds and Hazelnut; Milk with Raisins, Almonds and Hazelnut; and Dark Chocolate with Orange Zest and Cacao Nibs.
NITR will also be launching a Nestlé Swiss Assorted Box (183g). Available from March 2019, it contains 20 chunks in five flavours, including two new variants (Milk with Biscuit Cereals and Blond Almond) adding to the existing Milk, Dark and Hazelnut flavours.
Children are at the heart of the marketing plan for new products in Nestlé’s Smarties range. In 2019, NITR said it is looking to “spark kids’ creativity”, with an extension of a campaign that aims to inspire children to “discover the possibilities of the imagination”.
As a result, NITR has launched the Smarties Music Creator. The product includes a Smarties 38g hexatube, a “quality” recorder instrument and a music sheet, which teaches children how to play three popular children’s songs.
Available from March 2019, the Smarties Music Creator adds to an existing range which includes Smarties Toppers (a giant tube with a reversible finger puppet and crayons), Smarties Telescope, and Smarties Creatorbook.
Nestlé ITR General Manager Stewart Dryburgh said: “Continuing our focus on insight-based innovation, we are creating an outstanding range of exclusive travel retail products combining quality ingredients, engaging packaging and unique brand experiences.
“We are confident that these new propositions for 2019 will resonate with consumers, particularly Millennials, and will continue to drive category growth.”
Note: For more on the Nestlé vision and the SOUL strategic framework, read our recent in-depth feature here as The Moodie Davitt Report visited the confectionery company’s chocolate factory in Broc, Switzerland.
