Müller® UK is set to re-launch Vitality® – Britain’s No 2 functional yogurt and drinks brand1 – following in-depth research into consumers’ attitude towards and usage of functional yogurts and yogurt drinks.
Spearheading the re-launch is a new Vitality® brand proposition – ‘Keeps your tummy working like clockworkTM’. This is reinforced visually by the new pack designs which focus on the product’s health benefits, highlighting that Müller® Vitality® is a ‘Pre+Probiotic low fat’ yogurt and yogurt drinks range.
As a result of the independent consumer research, the company has revised the ingredients for both Vitality® yogurts and yogurt drinks. The most significant change is more than doubling the prebiotic content from 1g to 2.5g. Prebiotics occur naturally in foods such as chicory, onions, garlic, bananas and artichokes and can work for everyone as they encourage the growth of our own natural good bacteria.
In reviewing the packaging as part of the re-launch, Müller® UK has reduced the size of the Vitality® yogurt pots from 150g to 125g to bring Vitality® in line with other functional yogurt propositions in terms of calorie, fat and sugar content. This has the additional benefit of reducing the amount and weight of packaging for the pots, sleeves and trays.
Chris McDonough, Müller® UK’s Marketing Director, says: “Functional yogurts and yogurt drinks have seen phenomenal growth over the last five years with sales having grown by almost five-fold and four-fold, respectively, since 20021.
“Although functional yogurts are still performing relatively well their growth has slowed over the past year and the yogurt drinks sector has already plateaued and started to decline. People have started to opt out of the functional sector and we have undertaken in-depth consumer research to understand why this is happening.
“The research found that the main barriers to purchasing these products are: a lack of trust that the products have any real benefit; a perception that it’s all about hype and not real science; and scepticism that the products do not contain enough of the beneficial ingredients to make a real difference.
“Doubling the prebiotic content of Vitality® means that it now delivers half of the daily amount which can have a beneficial impact on the digestive system2 and this a fact which we will be communicating on-pack and via our website so that consumers have a clearer understanding of the contribution prebiotics can make to their diet and well-being”.
1 Source: IRI, MAT w/e 17.5.08
2 Source: AFSSA (The Food Safety Agency of France) reviewed daily dose data of 5g for digestive health
3 Source: IRI, MAT 12weeks w/e 17.5.08
http://www.muller.co.uk/
