United Biscuits announces 2013 activity

United Biscuits (UBUK) has announced its 2013 Q1 activity including significantly upweighted NPD for the nation’s favourite biscuit brand, McVitie’s. Featuring brand new products and campaigns to drive growth into the Biscuits category, UBUK’s plans will ensure retailers have everything they need to help grow their biscuit sales throughout 2013.

McVitie’s is adding more chocolate to its milk and dark chocolate digestive biscuit ranges to make the nation’s favourite biscuit brand even better. The improved products will be available from January in 300g and 400g roll wrap formats with MRRP’s of £2.49 and £2.89 respectively, as well as a £1.85 300g price marked pack.

At the beginning of February, McVitie’s is extending its Digestives range to include new McVitie’s Double Chocolate Digestives, a chocolate flavoured biscuit containing chocolate chips and half coated in milk chocolate. The new product will provide Digestive fans with an indulgent everyday biscuit that will drive growth into the Everyday Treat segment of the category. McVitie’s Double Chocolate Digestives will be available to buy in a 300g roll wrap format with an MRRP of £1.75.

McVitie’s Chocolate Digestives will be going on TV in February for the first time since 2008 as part of its £2.2m heavyweight marketing campaign, which also includes in-store sampling.

Launched only two years ago, the McVitie’s Medley range taps into the ‘Keep me Going’ snacking occasion[1] and is already worth £13m. Sales have grown 26% over the last year, demonstrating what a great sales opportunity this young brand offers retailers. McVitie’s is continuing to invest in its highly successful Medley range in 2013 with exciting new products to drive distribution further still.

McVitie’s Medley new Rocky Road variant combines delicious McVitie’s Rich Tea biscuit chunks with crunchy cereals, cocoa crispies, juicy raisins and milk chocolate chips, finished off with a layer of milk chocolate. Launching in mid-January, the new product will be available in a carton containing six 30g bars with an MRRP of £1.95. McVitie’s Medley Rocky Road will be supported by a £1.5m TV spend later in 2013.

The brand new Composite Case for the popular brand combines a mix of the 40g Digestive & Hazelnut and Hobnob & Double Chocolate variants, within a convenient counter display unit with an MRRP of 55p per bar

Continuing the success of the McVitie’s VIP Club promotion, 2013 will see new rewards on offer through the loyalty promotion between March and April. In addition, McVitie’s Digestives Original will run an on-pack promotion which will offer consumers the chance to choose either a free magnetic note-pad, save their points for something bigger, or use their points to enter into a monthly prize draw on www.uk.mcvitiesvipclub.co.uk. This added value promotion will help to drive even further growth of the Everyday Biscuits segment which is worth £323m.

McVitie’s is launching four new fun and engaging products that are perfect for mums looking for tasty treats for the family, sharing and the ‘My Treat’ occasions.

Launching in January, the new McVitie’s Mini Pirate Crew and McVitie’s Mini Jungle Friends include biscuits shaped as a pirate crew and jungle animals which crack’n’snap into four mini individual characters. The biscuits are each half-coated in a layer of milk chocolate and are portion packed with two biscuits strips, making them perfect to eat on-the-go. The two new ranges are each available to buy in a 155g carton with an MRRP of £2.05.

Also new for January 2013 are McVitie’s Mini Gingerbread Men, engaging and cute gingerbread-men shaped mini biscuits. February will see the arrival of new McVitie’s Mini Chocolate Digestives Fun Shapes, a variety of fun shaped mini milk chocolate digestives. Both ranges will be available to buy in a multipack containing six 25g bags at an MRRP of £2.05.

Jon Eggleton, marketing director at UBUK, comments, “2013 will benefit from one of our biggest years yet in terms of NPD. We’ve invested heavily into new products, new advertising campaigns and category enhancing activity for the nation’s favourite biscuits brand, McVitie’s, and we’re confident our Q1 plans will drive fresh growth into the established biscuit category and in turn boost sales for retailers in 2013 and beyond.”