Premium chocolate sales are enjoying healthy growth in the European market. One of the brands driving this favourable development is NESTLÉ SWISS Chocolat Brut, which was relaunched in 2008 with attractive new packaging. In 2009, the range will grow by five novelty gift packs, two of them containing brand new Giant Pralines.
NESTLÉ SWISS is a travel retail exclusive brand sold predominantly in airport stores worldwide. High quality is a must in this channel and attractive packaging is of extremely high importance. "In travel retail, we don't have big marketing budgets for television or print advertising, so we focus on appealing packaging and point-of-purchase material. What works in our channel are exclusive formats not found in regular supermarkets," says Marcin Nawalany, Brand Manager of NESTLÉ International Travel Retail.
The new packaging is characterised by shiny silver colour and imagery of a chocolate mountain blending into an Alpine landscape. It appeals to "genuine sensation seekers" who appreciate authentic, Swiss chocolate that combines deliberate robustness, purity and delight. The package has received favourable feedback from customers, and the sales figures show that it has been a success with shoppers. During 2008, sales of NESTLÉ SWISS have been the fastest-growing in Europe compared with other products in the same category.
A world premiere in 2009
Promotional activities for NESTLÉ SWISS will continue at full strength in 2009, with increased in-store visibility and new product launches. To date, the range has consisted of six different flavours of 400g chocolate tablets. In March 2009 the range will be extended by five novelty gift packs. And what's even more exciting, two of them include Giant Pralines; a world premiere for travel retail. Beside the finest ingredients and quality image, the generous quantity has always been part of the product's attraction.
Stora Enso supplies Ensocoat solid bleached sulphate board for the NESTLÈ SWISS packaging. The raw material of Ensocoat is pure primary fibre, which has the strength and dimensional stability needed for good convertibility and whiteness and smoothness for an excellent print result. The purity also means neutral taint and odour: the maximum tolerance of Ensocoat in the Robinson test is just 0.5 for twelve months.
Shoppers scrutinize the package
"Striking visual appeal, exclusivity, durability and price efficiency are what we require from the package," Nawalany says. "The high quality of the packaging board is a necessity as shoppers scrutinize the package at the point of purchase. Asians, in particular, pay great attention to detail. Hot foil stamping and embossing are the special effects used on the boxes."
For NESTLÉ, it is most important that all partners in the packaging value chain have a solution-oriented mindset, starting from the producer of packaging materials, all the way to printing, manufacturing and filling. Well-defined responsibilities and speed of action are other success factors.
"We have built an efficient cooperation over the years with Model PrimePac, who prints the majority of the new NESTLÉ SWISS packs and delivers them to the NESTLÉ factory in Broc, Switzerland," says Yrjö Aho, Managing Director of Stora Enso Schweiz. "Our Baienfurt ServiceCentre in Southern Germany ensures rapid board deliveries in line with customer demands."
For further information
Yrjö Aho, MD, Stora Enso Schweiz AG, tel. +41 44 435 38 24
