Classic brand still going strong at 90 years young
MAKING it to 90 is an achievement for anyone, but to make it nine decades in the competitive confectionery market is something special, which explains why Swizzels has been eager to celebrate reaching this major milestone.
The Derbyshire-based confectionery firm behind some of Britain’s best-known brands started producing sweets in 1928, with Rainbow Drops among its early creations.
Innovation has been coming through the Swizzels factory gates ever since, with many classic sweets still selling well in Scottish convenience stores today, albeit with some tweaks along the way.
First launched in 1954, Love Hearts is one such brand that’s been a consumer favourite down the years, although Swizzel’s has understandably altered the messages embossed on the candy down the years.
From the ‘Hey Daddio’ Love Hearts of the 1950s through the 1970s ‘Groovy’ Love Hearts variation Hippy Bits to the tech-touting ‘Fax Me’ messaging of the 1990s and the emoji embossed sweets of today, Swizzels hasn’t been afraid to put tongues in cheeks alongside its sweets.
Other Swizzels brands that have continued to perform from generation to generation include Parma Violets, Refreshers and Double Dips.
“Swizzels continues to innovate and lead the industry by regularly producing new and exciting brands that consumers love.”
Jeremy Dee, managing director at Swizzels, believes the firm’s willingness to continually refresh its brands down the years has been a key part of its success.
“Swizzels continues to innovate and lead the industry by regularly producing new and exciting brands that consumers love. This is something the company continues to do in its 90th year,” he said.
Dee highlighted the firm’s ongoing consumer competition, inviting Swizzels fans to invent their own sweet as an example of how the firm continues to innovate in confectionery.
As part of Swizzels birthday celebrations, retailers are being offered the chance to enter a ‘Display to Win’ prize draw, exclusive to convenience throughout August and September.
Prizes on offer include free stock and an iPad. To be in with a chance of winning, retailers are invited to post a photo showing how they merchandise Swizzels ‘super 6’ hanging bag range via the firm’s website.
The Swizzels boss also pointed to recent NPD from the firm around its classic Drumstick brand as further evidence of the kind of innovation that has kept the confectionery brand in business since 1928.
“The ongoing popularity of Drumstick, first launched as a lolly in 1957, was in part the inspiration behind one of Swizzels’ most successful modern creations: Squashies,” he said.
First launched in 2012, Squashies is now the company’s bestselling range and Dee said the brand is still growing at pace.
In 2017 Squashies was joined by Choos, Swizzels’ first vegetarian and vegan friendly sharing bags. Dee explained that the firm’s decision to use vegetarian and vegan friendly recipes when creating Choos was in keeping with the demands of modern consumers.
It’s a decision that’s paid off according to Dee who said the Choos have proved “hugely popular” since their launch last year. If Swizzels can continue making decisions like that, it looks like 100 years could be a date worth saving.
