Posted by Anne-Cecile Bertrand on February 4, 2010
Being a chocoholic I can never stop myself from strolling along the chocolate shelves. Most recently, when yet again in the mood for chocolate, I came across these two new products by Malteaser and Kit Kat:

Kit Kat just simply sticking a bunny on their chocolate bar – sweet – yet low cost, low impact!?

Whereas MaltEaster did something a tiny bit more clever by changing name and product format, which put a smile on my face. A lovely example of how to tweak a product.
Posted by Giles Lury on November 5, 2009
They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, so is Prestige doubly flattering?

I came across this brand in Prague and couldn’t help but see it as a Nestle Kit Kat dressed up in Cadbury clothes…
Posted by Sally Moses on April 29, 2009
Green & Blacks are really pushing their recently launched NEW 30% cocoa ‘Creamy Milk’ bar – apparently aimed at those people who find ordinary milk chocolate too bitter, but white chocolate too light…

Is this a great example of a brand seeking to innovate by forcing a market in the gap rather than the other way around? The accompanying press ads (crawling all over a broadsheet near you now) do lead with the message that this is a whole new chocolate market sub-category.
Or is it just a tactical move to re-cite the brand as a mainstream competitor to the likes of Galaxy and Cadbury? Indeed a recent article in Marketing Magazine takes the view that the brand may be struggling in its premium positioning: http://www.marketingmagazine.co.uk/news/898351/Green—Blacks-targets-mainstream-chocolate-market
Or maybe it does neither – if I’m a Galaxy lover surely I’m addicted to the specific, unique taste of Galaxy (not the fact it’s “creamy”) and therefore won’t be swayed in my loyalty by a pretender… And if I’m a Green & Blacks lover who simply wants something creamier, I’d be looking for more of a ‘reason to believe’ around creaminess (rather than the simple 30% cocoa message) to help me make the switch.
Or maybe I’m over-intellectualising it and actually it’s just chocolate… who knows.