LEADING soft drinks, cakes, snacks and biscuit producers are intensifying launch and marketing activity on Halloween-themed products in an attempt to boost sales during what’s seen to be the increasingly popular scary season.
AG Barr will give a seasonal makeover to several of its products, with the likes of Scream Soda, Slimy Limeade and Chilling Cherryade. Coca-Cola
“Seasonal occasions… provide a great opportunity to boost soft drink sales.”
Enterprises will introduce themed packs of Fanta. The soft drinks giant, which is targeting at-home celebrations, says Nielsen research suggests soft drink sales rose by 4% year on year in the lead up to the occasion in 2012.
According to AG Barr, shoppers bought over 1.3m of the company’s Halloween-themed packs last year, and the firm it expecting sales to rise this year.
• United Biscuits is also getting in on the act, with products from the McVities range being given a seasonal slant and spooky shapes. The company will also bring back the lemon and slime Jaffa Cakes, which it says were a success in 2012.
• Mr Kipling and Cadbury cake producer, Premier Foods, will rebrand some of its lines for Halloween, including Fiendish Fancies and Spooky cake bars. Premier claims that the Mr Kipling brand was the biggest ambient cake brand during the season last year, with more than a quarter share of the market, bolstered by the Fiendish Fancies line.
• Other snack-related products for Halloween come from KP Snacks’ Hula Hoops and Intersnack’s Pom-Bear. The packaging of both brands will be Halloween themed, with Hula Hoops releasing a fun-sized format aimed at consumers buying in for trick or treaters. Pom-Bear on the other hand, is bringing back last year’s “spooky” pickled onion, which the company claims was a runaway success in 2012.
• Tangerine Confectionery activity for Halloween and Bonfire Night sees Butterkist Popcorn launch a limited-edition popcorn in a Toffee Apple flavour.
The 150g pack of Butterkist Limited Edition Toffee Apple comes available in a 16-pack shelf-ready outer case,and has an RRP of £1.49.
