Unilever plans to launch Marmite breakfast bar

by Gemma Charles, marketingmagazine.co.uk 28-Apr-09, 08:30

LONDON - Unilever is planning to extend its Marmite brand with the launch of a breakfast bar.

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It is understood that the FMCG multinational is eager to grab a share of the booming cereal bar market, which grew by 6.6% last year to reach a total value of £300m, according to Nielsen.

The Marmite breakfast bar would be the first significant attempt by any company to introduce a savoury product

to this sector. Its launch will be supported by a campaign that will build on Marmite's ‘Love it or hate it?' positioning.

The product, scheduled to roll out next year, is the latest extension of the Marmite brand into the healthy snacking market. At the end of 2007, Unilever introduced Marmite-flavoured rice cakes and breadsticks.

Since last year, Marmite has been run from a business unit in the Netherlands, which was established to manage Unilever brands that have local, rather than global, appeal.

 

 

Comments

Kevin Gordon

Kevin Gordon - 28/04/2009

Mmmmmm... Yum Yum ! Where?

 
 
 
James Amoroso

James Amoroso - 28/04/2009

A brave, lateral and sensibly pragmatic attempt to extend the brand franchise, but I don't see how you are going to recreate for the consumer the warm, buttery, crunchy-gooey feel of toast & marmite in a RTE bar. You can replicate RTE sweet cereal in a RTE bar, but not with this product \(unless it's microwaveable... but then you would counter the 'on the go' benefit normally associated with a RTE bar). Could this product development represent the downside of taking 'local jewels' out of the local market?

 
 
 
Bill Britt

Bill Britt - 29/04/2009

Can't wait for it to launch

 
 
 
Matt Burgess

Matt Burgess - 29/04/2009

Hi James/Gemma Im Matt Burgess and Im the Managing Director for Marmite. I do want to clarify that all Marmite sales, marketing and production is still completely UK based. I work with my mktg team in the UK office in Leatherhead and whilst Marmite reports into a business cluster controlled in Holland \(as reported in the press late last year), all day to day responsibility resides here in the UK. Hope that is clear

 
 
 
sue turner

sue turner - 30/04/2009

On reading the headline before the article \(natch) I initally thought that the 'breakfast bar' was an experiential extension. An eaterie devoted to Marmite, with the brown stuff being served up on whatever or however they \(the customer) wants. What a great idea I thought. But, alas, it's not that kind of bar at all.

 
 
 

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