Sauce brand Kikkoman is rolling out a programme of hard-hitting support for the summer months demonstrating its commitment to remain the nation’s favourite soy sauce.
Under the tag line "Fire Up the Umami", a dedicated BBQ themed neck hanger will appear on over one million bottles of Kikkoman products. The neck hanger, which will appear on shelf from May, will carry a wide selection of BBQ inspired recipes using meats, fish and vegetables and featuring the brands core products, Kikkoman Naturally Brewed Soy Sauces and Teriyaki Marinade and Sauces.
The promotion will be seen across the range including its iconic 150ml red top dispensers and 250ml bottles of Soy Sauce, Less Salt Soy Sauce, Tamari Gluten Free Soy Sauce, and Teriyaki Marinade and Sauces.
Further major marketing investment will include a high-profile digital BBQ seasonal recipe campaign which will take place from mid-May and will target consumers interested in great tasting barbecue dishes for the whole family.
Supporting the neck hanger promotion in store is a 25 per cent-off price deal which will feature across the range. The price promotion will be carried by most of the major retailers in May and June.
Commenting on the package of summer support for the brand, Kikkoman UK General Manager, Bing-yu Lee said, “Consumers are becoming more adventurous around summer eating and barbecuing plays a big role. We want to bring more flavour and depth of taste to their barbecue experience with easy, yet mouth-watering recipes contained in our neck hanger and digital campaigns. In addition, we want to reward consumer loyalty during this cost of living crisis with our generous price promotions in store.”
Kikkoman Naturally Brewed Soy Sauce is the brand leader in the soy sauce market with a 31.7 per cent market share. Its famous 150ml dispenser bottle is the top selling SKU accounting for 12.6 per cent of all soy sauce sales, up 3.5 per cent year on year.
Fish4Ever, a small yet influential tin-to-table voice within sustainable, responsible fishing is proud after many years of polite jockeying to finally add Cornish Sardines to its new look range for 2025.
Probably best known for its award-winning, 100 percent pole-and-line tuna, which was once described by Greenpeace as “the best tuna in the world for sustainable and equitable sourcing”, Fish4Ever has also secured a distinguished +20-year reputation selling Scottish mackerel and sprats.
“As a UK protected, designated origin hero, Cornish sardines are a ‘local shores’ success story we’ve been seeking to champion for many years at Fish4Ever, albeit it was imperative we worked with a like-minded, home-grown cannery in keeping with our ‘socially positive’ priorities,” said founder Charles Redfern. “Sardines are not only insanely moreish but a nutritionally-ripped, lean protein superfood jam-packed with omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D, B12, calcium, selenium and phosphorus.”
The arrival of Cornish sardines to the Fish4Ever platter couldn’t have been better timed with the burgeoning reputation of its meticulously prepared canned fish as a cult larder essential, which first grew at pace during Covid amongst health-conscious individuals.
Fish4Ever is also unveiling a vibrant new livery and extended range that’s a playful nod to cult Portuguese conservas, but with an informal British storytelling twist, celebrating Fish4Ever’s unrivalled reputation as the only tinned fish business in the UK that enjoys B-Corp status. The new packaging even supports modern QR codes so that inquisitive fish nerds can trace their catch back to the actual small boat that caught it.
NB Should one prefer Mediterranean sardines, Fish4Ever also has an array of stunning offers using only organic land ingredients:
A first for the brand in the UK, Lipton is entering the kombucha space with the launch of its bold and refreshing Lipton Kombucha range. The innovation is poised to shake up the market and tap into its immense potential, promising a delicious burst of flavour and variety for new drinkers to the category and existing kombucha enthusiasts. The new Lipton Kombucha, available now, is a combination of great tasting flavours, including Strawberry Mint, Raspberry and Mango Passionfruit.
Lipton, the UK’s number one Ice Tea brand, is looking to tap into the kombucha segment opportunity further. The launch, from the already well-known and well-loved Lipton brand, looks to bring a wide variety of customers into the space and bring kombucha to the mainstream with new, delicious tasting Lipton Kombucha flavours.
The Kombucha market has been growing rapidly at 39 per cent since Covid and is now valued at an impressive £33 million, showing the growth opportunity this represents for retailers. As experts in tea, Lipton has blended kombucha with natural fruit flavours, the brand’s famous Lipton tea and tiny bubbles to make a great new drink for customers, which is low in sugar, low in calories and made with naturally fermented tea.
“We know how popular the kombucha trend is and believe Lipton has created a product that can introduce even more people to the category and its benefits," said Ben Parker, VP Sales Off-Trade, Carlsberg Britvic. "As a brand, we are in a good position to grow an exciting category and we’re really looking forward to shoppers being able to try the flavours and for retailers to reap the current untapped rewards of stocking it.”
Lipton Kombucha is available in 250ml single cans and multipacks of four, meeting demand for those on-the-go moments as well as for at-home enjoyment.
The launch will be supported by the new campaign "Kombucha-cha-cha", dramatizing how Lipton Kombucha makes you feel alive with tea that’s bursting with life, delivered with great taste and flavour. As well as this, there will be out-of-home advertising, PR, social media, disruptive marketing in-stores and sampling.
250ml single – RRP £1.99
4-pack – RRP £4.99
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Orange and pineapple-flavoured Squashies Drumchick sweets for Easter
British sweet maker Swizzels has revealed new, limited-edition Squashies Drumchick.
Ahead of Easter, Swizzels has given its popular treats a seasonal twist, inspired by the success of Squashies – the No.1 sugar confectionery brand in the market*. The new Squashies Drumchick feature bright packaging and a chick-shaped design, set to stand out on shelves and drive seasonal sales.
Featuring a unique dual-flavour combination of orange and pineapple, Squashies Drumchick will offer retailers a chance to expand their Easter range beyond chocolate and cater to increasing demand from consumers for alternative sweet treats.
The limited-edition, 120g bags are now available to purchase in cases of 12 (MRSP: £1.15) and retailers are encouraged to stock up as shoppers plan ahead for Easter.
This year, the sweet maker’s range sees the return of the best-selling Sweet Shop Favourite tubs and vegan-friendly variety bags, including Scrumptious Sweets, Luscious Lollies and Curious Chews.
These individually wrapped sweets appeal to shoppers looking for treats to gift, share with family and friends and use for Easter egg hunts over the bank holiday weekend.
“Whilst Easter is usually associated with chocolate, we’ve noted rising demand for alternative sweet treats," said Clare Newton, trade marketing manager at Swizzels. "As a result, we’ve launched Squashies Drumchick to help retailers elevate their Easter offerings and boost sales.
“Squashies Drumchick play into the popularity of fruity flavours and limited-edition, seasonal treats and are ideal for retailers looking to diversify their Easter range, compliment chocolate confectionery and appeal to a broader range of shoppers looking for something refreshing, fun and affordable this year.
“Our variety bags and Sweet Shop Favourite tubs are also a perfect addition to retailers' Easter selection, offering something for everyone celebrating the occasion.”
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New Frubes yoghurt pack design with natural flavours and gaming QR codes
Kids’ yoghurt brand Frubes, owned by Yoplait, has relaunched with a new-look pack in a bid to drive differentiation, bring fun and excitement, increase loyalty and make Frubes the yoghurt brand of choice for lunchboxes and snacking.
The new pack design dials up naturality, calling out the use of natural flavours, no added colours and will also carry a new reassurance message focused on the nutritional benefits of Frubes. This focuses on dairy goodness, fortification critical for kids’ bone development and a call out on the taste and texture that kids love.
Children will now be able to find a new game on the back of pack which taps into the craze for gaming. Targeted at children aged seven-13-years-old, the new packs feature QR codes which unlocks characters and skills and there is £1,000 worth of gaming vouchers up for grabs every month.
“Our new Frubes packs have been updated to bring the fun we know kids are looking for from their favourite brands and also bring the reassurance we know parents and carers are looking for from a nutritional perspective,” explains Ewa Moxham, Head of Marketing for Yoplait.
“Keeping our brands relevant is critical to ensuring shoppers pick them up and children want them included as part of their lunch and snack times. We are putting a huge focus on Frubes in 2025 with the aim of bringing new shoppers into the kids’ yoghurt category and retaining our existing loyal consumers.”
The Frubes re-launch is being supported by £1.5million marketing investment which includes on-line video advertising, video on demand advertising, digital out of home advertising, social and influencer campaigns.
Milk brandYAZOO is set to “shake” up the milkshake category and inspire incremental growth with the launch of its new “Inspirations” range.
Available in wholesale and grocery now, the YAZOO 'Inspirations' range, featuring Birthday Cake and Caramel Blondie flavours, has been developed to capitalise on the growing consumer demand for indulgent, on-the-go treats and support driving incremental sales for retailers. With a recommended retail price of £1.50 and available in cases of 12, the new flavours offer a strong margin opportunity for retailers.
With consumers continuing to seek affordable “pick-me-up” moments, sales of dairy drinks are performing well, growing faster than the market at +28.4 per cent YOY. This success is buoyed by the performance of the YAZOO brand, which sells two bottles every second across the UK.
This presents a significant opportunity for retailers to cater to demand by offering a range of high-quality, indulgent products that satisfy the desire for great taste and value – from a brand that consumers know and trust. These unique flavours aim to drive incremental sales by attracting new customers and increasing basket spend.
Following an extensive R&D process, which included taste tests with over 2,000 consumers, the two new YAZOO flavours outperformed the leading indulgent flavoured milk in testing, with a higher overall appeal, purchase intent, and taste preference. Two-thirds of people felt that these flavours were unique to the market, with testing results demonstrating a 91 per cent concept appeal and a high purchase intent of 82 per cent.
"YAZOO has always been about delivering delicious and convenient milk flavoured drinks that consumers love," says Gabriella Sudall, Marketing Manager, FrieslandCampina UK Ltd. "With our new YAZOO Inspirations range, we're taking that to the next level. These unique flavours, inspired by popular treats, offer retailers a fantastic opportunity to tap into the growing demand for indulgent, on-the-go options and drive incremental sales. We're confident that Birthday Cake and Caramel Blondie will be a hit with both existing YAZOO fans and new customers alike."
Packaged in 100 per cent recycled plastic (rPET) bottles with easily peelable sleeves and tethered caps for effortless recycling, YAZOO Inspirations is as convenient as it is delicious. Consumer feedback directly influenced the packaging design, ensuring maximum shelf appeal and encouraging impulse trial.
YAZOO is supporting the launch with a robust £3m ATL media campaign invested in driving awareness, trial and loyalty and targeted support within both grocery and wholesale. The campaign kicks off with in-depot activity, including demo days with sampling, online support and OOH activity.
YAZOO Inspirations Birthday Cake and Caramel Blondie are available through all major wholesalers and distributors. Retailers should stock up now.