As part of our partnership with candy and gum experts Mars Wrigley Confectionery, we held a customer trial day last month to let some of our regulars try new Extra Minis Handyboxes for the first time.
As a rule, shoppers love a bit of NPD, especially when it’s from huge brands like Extra from Mars Wrigley. To celebrate the launch of the new Extra Minis Handyboxes, we decided to have a bit of fun by running a trials day in the store to let our customers get their teeth into the new products for the first time.
The new product delivers fun, smaller pellets in a portable format which allow consumers to ‘choose their chew’ with as many (or as few!) pellets as they like. Available in best-selling flavours Peppermint and Spearmint, the product comes in a 48-piece handybox format at an RSP of £1 . The recently-launched Starburst Gum will also join the handybox line up – although we haven’t managed to get our hands on any of those yet.
Almost half of UK shoppers buy gum so it’s a highly important and hugely impulsive category. Worth over £130m [Nielsen, Sep 2017], Extra Peppermint and Spearmint flavour variants are the top two performing singles in the confectionery category and the launch of Extra Minis aims to create new occasions to enjoy these bestselling products in smaller, fun-sized pellet forms.
Advertising-wise, the Extra brand will be on TV for 28 weeks this year, as well as featuring in a new digital media campaign.
Claire Domoney, Extra Marketing Manager at Mars Wrigley, says: “We recognise that gum covers a number of moments – whether it’s to freshen breath or simply for enjoyment. With the new 48 piece handybox format of Extra Minis, we hope to help establish a new opportunity of enjoyment for younger generations: fun smaller pellets in our bestselling Peppermint and Spearmint flavours.”
But what did our customers think?
- “I like that the wee mini pellets mean you can just keep adding them until you get the right amount. They’re a bit more flexible than the bigger pellets.”
- “I buy Extra normally anyway but these make a nice change. If you just chew one or two they freshen your breath just right.”
- “I actually think I’ll eat them one at a time! You get just the right amount of flavour but without having to chew so much. I love them!”
- “For £1 it’s a pretty good deal. They’ll last a few days and they taste great.”
- “They’re great because the flavour lasts and if you want a wee boost you can just stick another one in.”
