Cadbury builds on Darkmilk success with new formats

Cadbury Darkmilk with Crunchy Cocoa Pieces is the first of the two new products to hit shelves. Available now, it combines rich and creamy Cadbury Darkmilk with crunchy cocoa nibs for added texture and an intense cocoa hit. Available in an 85g tablet format, the bar aims to tap into the key Darkmilk occasion where shoppers are looking to unwind in the evening.

“Shoppers tell us that they are looking for intense, rich and chocolatey flavours as they unwind in the evening and that they are looking for foods with added values or benefits as they indulge,” said Cadbury Darkmilk brand manager Pippa Rodgers. ”By adding cocoa nibs to the rich and creamy Cadbury Darkmilk chocolate, we are giving shoppers exactly that.” 

The second new line, Cadbury Darkmilk Giant Buttons, will be available from March. The combination of Cadbury Darkmilk in a proven format offers an ideal product for sharing with loved ones, perfect for the Big Night In occasion, the company says.

Rodgers added: “We know that Cadbury Darkmilk has been a tremendous success with shoppers over 45 years old. This demographic under-indexes in sharing bags, and by bringing a brand they love to them in a format that is loved by shoppers, we are confident that we can help retailers drive sales for the Darkmilk brand.”

Cadbury Darkmilk was the biggest confectionery launch of 2019 (Nielsen and KWPO w/e 28 December 2019 MAT 2019), with a repeat purchase rate of 27.5% (KWPO w/e 1 December 2019 MAT). The brand is worth £13.3m (Nielsen and KWPO w/e 28 December 2019 FY 2019) and 18% of sales of Darkmilk were incremental to the block chocolate category.

“Dark chocolate accounts for 6% of total chocolate sales, and sales are growing at 16% (Nielsen data MAT to w/e 28 December 2019 FY 2019) which is 6% ahead of milk chocolate. We know that shoppers respond to more innovation in the category, and that’s what we’re introducing with these two new launches,” said Rodgers.

The launches will be supported by two bursts of advertising across April and October this year. The campaign will include PR, TV and out-of-home advertising, as well as in-store support for retailers. There will also be strong sampling activity and a social media influencer campaign.

“We know that sampling is really important for Darkmilk. When we get people tasting the product, they fall in love with it,” concluded Rodgers.

Cadbury Darkmilk with Crunchy Cocoa Pieces (85g) is available with an rrp of £1.50, case size 18. Cadbury Darkmilk Giant Buttons (105g) has an rrp of £1.99, case size 10, while Cadbury Darkmilk Giant Buttons 90g is available in a £1 pricemarked and non-pricemarked format, case size 10.