The crunch bunch
There’s no denying the Irish are a nation of snack-lovers, and Bord Bia’s research backs this up with numbers: Irish people snack two to three times per day on average; 78% of snacking occasions take place in the home, with 72% of snacks purchased in supermarkets. With this basic data in mind, ensure your snack offering is up to scratch with this guide to family favourites and new innovations…
Print16 June 2016
Bord Bia’s Snacking Report Ireland & UK, published in 2014, reveals that Irish people spend an average of €2.13 per snack. Health is a growing trend among snack options, with around a quarter of consumers looking out for healthy ingredients in snacks – but that’s not to say that indulgence isn’t an element in the decision process also.
More than a crisp
Tayto, Ireland’s favourite crisps and snacks brand continues to hold the number one position in the marketplace*. Although still best known for the original Cheese & Onion flavour, the Tayto brand goes beyond just crisps. Tayto Popcorn provides the ideal accompaniment to a movie, Tayto Bistro is a premium hand-cooked crisp for those seeking an indulgent treat, and of course the Tayto snacks range which includes established favourites like Snax, Waffles and Mighty Munch.
Key to Tayto’s success is its ongoing support above and below-the-line. Throughout this year, the “More than just a Crisp” brand campaign will feature across TV, outdoor and digital while also supporting individual campaigns. Following the successful launch of Tayto emojis, which allow consumers to communicate in a more ‘flavoursome’ way, they are now focussed on Ireland’s Euro 2016 campaign. The Euros campaign includes limited edition “Come on Ireland” value offering packs supported with an integrated digital strategy and in-store shopper activity engaging with core consumers.
After that, the next stop is the summer festivals, where brand mascot Mr. Tayto will be busy as he continues throughout 2016 to drive category growth for the crisps and snacks segments.
*Source: Nielsen Markettrack, Value, MAT M/A 2016
Bold and cheeky
Hunky Dorys, Ireland’s number one crinkle crisp brand, continues to grow year-on-year, with the brand currently holding 19.2% value share of the crisp market*. Providing a satisfying chunky alternative to a standard crisp, Hunky Dorys is known for its fun, bold and cheeky nature as well as its strong flavours including the iconic Buffalo flavour. A playful and exciting brand, Hunky Dorys prides itself on its sense of humour. The brand loves to engage and entertain consumers through its marketing campaigns, most recently with its well-received “Satisfy Yourself” campaign.
Meanwhile, the sharing pack continues to grow, with Hunky Dorys offering four core flavours in the portfolio: Cheese & Onion, Salt & Vinegar, Buffalo and Sour Cream & Onion.
*Source: Nielsen Markettrack, Value, M AT J/F 2016
Royal standard
Iconic crisp brand King currently holds the number four position in the Irish market, with 9.6% value share*. Irish consumers have engaged with the flavour of King for decades, savouring every bite, making the brand a true household name. Cheese & Onion is the number three impulse crisp brand in the convenience channel, while King 6 Pack Cheese & Onion is the number three selling multipack within the multiples.
In terms of promotion, King has proudly announced a brand partnership with GAA star Bernard Brogan. Brogan is to be named “King of the Hill” through a takeover of Croke Park, while executing a winning strike campaign from June through to the key time of the Championship season.
The King of the Hill campaign will feature outdoor, digital, PR and on-pack promotion and activation, reinforcing the brand’s strong connection with Dublin and beginning a new era for King Crisps
Luxury bites
Velvet Crunch is the snack that’s big on flavour and light on the conscience. In fact, Velvet Crunch is one of the top three choices among the ‘Better for You’ snack consumer*. With just 87 calories per pack, Velvet Crunch is a delicious and healthier snack, with less fat than standard potato crisps and no MSG, artificial colours or flavours. The brand’s market share has held firm in a growing and highly competitive category. So say yes to exquisite sales and no to compromise!
This delightfully moreish snack is available in three flavours: Thai Chilli & Aromatic Sweet Basil, Mature Cheddar & Onion and Salt & Rich Balsamic Vinegar.
Velvet Crunch showed its support for the Women’s Mini Marathon competitors earlier this month, with on-street activity, sampling and prize winning opportunities.
*Source: Nielsen Markettrack Value MAT J/F 2016
Hand-Cooked
Consistently the number one hand-cooked crisp on the market, O’Donnells defines itself as the crisp of choice. The brand’s market share has climbed to an impressive 6.8% in the competitive crisp market, growing by 26% year-on-year*.
The O’Donnells brand is proving its foodie credentials too, with its Mature Cheese & Red Onion flavour wining the Irish Quality Food Award last year, and the Sweet Chilli flavour winning silver at the Blas na hÉireann awards. These accolades will feature on pack from this month, highlighting the brand’s quality to new consumers in the premium crisp market.
O’Donnells is set to feature at the upcoming Taste of Dublin festival, with model turned food ambassador (and family member!) Roz Purcell on hand to showcase the dips she has developed as an accompaniment to the crisp varieties. These dips are set to introduce a secondary occasion for O’Donnells crisps.
From June until September, an on-pack offer will offer fans the chance to win a weekend away in O’Donnells neighbouring Cloughjordan House. With daily prizes also on offer, this promotion will excite consumers and drive pack sales throughout the summer months.
*Source: Nielsen Markettrack, Value, MAT J/F 2016
Carnival fun
Naturally, one of the most popular areas in snacking is in the crisp segment. Variety and choice is very wide here, with dozens and dozens of brands and flavours to choose from. Hula Hoops is a true Irish family favourite, as illustrated by the results of its recent shopper marketing campaign: the brand is number one for take-home multipack snacks*. Hula Hoops are equally popular in the impulse category as the multipack. The company is also planning to add to its already wide flavour range with some exciting NPD set to launch later in the summer.
Under the slogan “Fun Never Grows Up”, Hula Hoops will have a public presence this summer, including activity at the popular Indiependence music festival, among other events. The brand’s presence at music festivals will take the form of a carnivalthemed “hoopla stall”, complete with hula girls.
Continuing throughout 2016, Hula Hoops will continue to leverage its sponsorship of Basketball Ireland, which previously culminated with the Hula Hoops National Cup Finals in January.
Hula Hoops has more initiatives to come also, and the brand urges consumers and retailers to keep an eye out!
*Source: Nielsen Markettrack MAT, Value, Feb 2016
Crazy nuts
Brand market leader KP Nuts has seen significant growth on the same period last year; +8%, to be precise*. While already a household name for its Salted and Dry Roasted peanuts, KP Nuts are currently driving category growth through innovation with the recent launch of the KP XL Coated Peanut range. Available in three adventurous flavours – Flame Grilled Steak, Jalapeno Salsa and Sweet Chilli with a Twist of Lemon – the 140g bags are bringing exciting things to the sharing nut category.
Uptake on the new flavours has been strong, according to one retailer. “My customers keep telling me they are delighted about the new flavours,” says Dave Power of Newsrail at Dublin’s Connolly Station.
Meanwhile, KP Nuts has also just unveiled new packaging that brings a fresh, vibrant look to shelves while also answering consumer demand with its new resealable feature.
*Source: Nielsen Markettrack MAT, Value, Feb 2016
Proper success
Since launching in Ireland two years ago, Propercorn has quickly emerged as one of the most exciting and fastest-growing snack brands on the market. Tapping into the current trend for healthy eating, Propercorn’s multi awardwinning collection has grown the booming popcorn category more than any other brand in Ireland, and looks set to continue as the frontrunner throughout 2016.
Starting out in Cassandra Stavrou’s kitchen when she was just 25 years old, Propercorn is now selling more than 2.5m packs of popcorn per month in 10 countries across Europe.
As we have seen, the Irish are a nation of snackers, but with a quarter of people now on the lookout for a healthy, on-the-go alternative to crisps, popcorn has seen a massive surge in popularity. Propercorn’s five flavours are suitable for vegetarians and made using all-natural ingredients, while every pack comes in under 130kcals. The flavours, which come in single serve and sharing format, include: Sweet and Salty, Sweet Coconut and Vanilla, Sour Cream and Black Pepper, Lightly SeaSalted and Fiery Worcester Sauce & Sun-dried Tomato. The collection also taps into the burgeoning free-from segment, with every gluten-free recipe created by the Propercorn team using 100% natural ingredients.
Propercorn has recently secured listings with Centra, SuperValu and Eason, and has plans to launch new flavours and formats on the Irish market in the second half of 2016. For distribution enquiries, or to order a distinctive wooden FSDU, contact fiona@propercorn.com or visit www.propercorn.com.
No longer just for “lads”
Pot Noodle has proudly held the position of number one brand in the instant hot snack category, and built on that position in 2015 with the launch of a new £4.5m campaign and brand repositioning under the “You Can Make It” slogan. The objective of You Can Make It was to show Pot Noodle as no longer just a “lads’ brand”, but the perfect snack to fit into a young and go-getting audience of any gender.
Research suggested that young people spend 40 hours per week studying, and so created the You Can Make It campaign to show Pot Noodle as a convenient snack that can support the lives of an aspirational younger generation.
“We were determined to go into 2016 with a bang,” says Monique Rossi, Pot Noodle marketing manager, “and build on the momentum created by the You Can Make It campaign. We achieved this with exciting brand activities including on-pack promotions, new NPD and a music video created with rap artist RAYLO. “In January we launched one of our most popular flavours – Chinese Chow Mein – in a larger King Pot format, in response to consumer demand for a more filling snack,” Rossi says. “We followed this with an on-pack promotion giving away £1,000 a day for 60 days and launched a new Mac and Cheese-flavoured Pot Noodle, offering consumers something completely new while tapping into the trend for savoury cheese flavoured snacks.”
Convenience and taste are at the heart of the Pot Noodle brand identity. Rossi says the company understands the time pressure consumers experience; they are looking for flexibility in their food-to-go choices and seek out great value products from the brands they trust. “We do our utmost to ensure that we continue to stay relevant and stand out on independent retailers’ shelves,” Rossi says, “by offering new and exciting Pot Noodle flavours, a range of formats and on-pack promotions that help incentivise purchase and encourage a higher frequency of purchase.”
Pot Noodle also provides retailers with support on merchandising, advice on stock levels and planograms for its products.
Start from Scratch
Earlier this year, Ampersand took over the nationwide distribution of Scratch My Pork. Scratch My Pork Pork Crackling provides Irish retailers with a new and exciting alternative Irish offering in the snack category that has not previously been available on the Irish market. Scratch My Pork is the brainchild of Kiwi chef Matt Brownie of the No Nonsense Food Company, who set up home in West Cork in 2008 and brought with him a craving for something new. Using a combination of his skills as a chef and the best of Irish produce, the story of Scratch My Pork began.
After a period of development in Skibbereen, Co. Cork, Matt’s creation went on to become an award-winning snack: a natural product made 100% from Irish pork rind which, when cooked to specific temperatures with unique spices, results in a crunchy, crispy, flavoursome and nutritious snack. Pork Crackling with an Irish twist!
This hand-cooked savoury snack which is high in protein, gluten free, dairy free and MSG free retails at €2 and is available in three distinct flavours; Salted, Smokey and Cajun. The packaging is colourful and vibrant and foil-packed to lock in flavour and freshness. Scratch My Pork is also available on clip strips of 12 to allow maximum awareness and sales potential in-store.
Ampersand was a perfect fit for the No Nonsense Company to approach, having had great success developing the Irish meat snacks category over the last few years with the Jack Links Beef Jerky brand. The Jack Links brand continues to grow in popularity with different consumer segments all around the country. “Jack Link’s products are naturally high in protein and low in calories making them the perfect snack for health conscious consumers,” says Sinéad Smith, marketing manager at Ampersand. “They are also a delicious and premium offering for those consumers who have become more adventurous with their snacks while relaxing at home watching the TV with a few beers!”
For more information, contact Ampersand directly on 01 4130150 or visit www.ampersandsales.ie.
Irish from the ground up
Keogh’s prides itself on being Ireland’s favourite potato and crisp farmers, and thus was delighted last month to introduce two brand new flavours to the Irish market. Atlantic Sea Salt & Irish Cider Vinegar and Dubliner Irish Cheese & Onion multipacks were launched, with each flavour containing six individual bags of the thoroughly Irish flavours.
These new additions to the multipack range join the Keogh’s Farm Favourite’s Variety Multipack which launched in 2015 and has since become one of the brand’s best-selling products.
Keogh’s Multipacks – like all of its produce – contain only the highest quality and tastiest crisps, hand-cooked on the family farm in North county Dublin using ingredients from exclusively Irish suppliers. The flavours include the recognisable and distinct taste of Dubliner Irish Cheese, from Cork, Llewellyn’s Irish Cider Vinegar from Dublin and Irish Atlantic sea salt. All Keogh’s products are certified gluten free, allowing those with intolerances to enjoy the crisps too.
Tom Keogh, MD of Keogh’s Farm revealed that customer demand for multipacks has always been high. “Irish people love crisps,” he said, “and the classic Cheese & Onion and sharp Salt & Vinegar have always been the favourites. We’re delighted to bring multipacks of each variety out; the response to the new products has been very positive so far, and our customers appreciate the great-tasting local ingredients used in the production of our crisps.
“This is really important to us,” Keogh added.
The Keogh family has been farming the rich lands in North county Dublin for more than 200 years, and has been producing Ireland’s only “hand-cooked crisps” since 2011. Special potato varieties are chosen, grown in fertile soils and harvested with extra care and lots of love – from crop to crisp. Keogh’s multipacks are perfect for sharing during social occasions, or storing at home as a treat for all the family. Also, with the good weather this time of year, a few bags of Keogh’s in a picnic basket would be perfect – even to enjoy on the way to the picnic itself!
Keogh’s Farm Atlantic Sea Salt & Irish Cider Vinegar Multipack and Dubliner Irish Cheese & Onion Multipack are available nationwide from May 2016, RRP €3.99.
For further information visit Keogh’s Farm on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @keoghsfarm or visit www.keoghs.ie.
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