By Gary Symons
TLL Editor-in-Chief
As if chocolate and pretzels weren’t tasty enough by themselves, now we have “Chocolate Enrobed Pretzels.”
Snack Iconic provided the pretzels while Dove contributed the chocolate to create this new treat, which will be debuting this month in convenience stores across America.
The licensing partnership for this delicious, diet-destroying treat was brokered by Brand Central, Mars Snacking’s licensing agency.
The launch pairs the recognizable Dove chocolate brand with a familiar salty snack format, creating what the partners call “a premium, indulgent sweet-and-salty offering.”
Brand Central says two SKUs will be introduced at launch; Dove Milk Chocolate Enrobed Pretzels and Dove Dark Chocolate Enrobed Pretzels.
Snack Iconic says the initial convenience-store rollout will focus on packaging and price points developed specifically for the channel, giving consumers a new way to experience Dove beyond the traditional confectionery aisle.
“Convenience was the natural place for us to introduce this product,” said Phil Gorman, founder and CEO of Snack Iconic. “Dove has tremendous consumer recognition, and chocolate-covered pretzels are an easy-to-understand indulgence.
“Offering both Milk Chocolate and Dark Chocolate gives retailers two highly familiar varieties that appeal to different consumer preferences,” Gorman added.
Gorman says the launch represents another step in Snack Iconic’s strategy of using established consumer brands to create new products with immediate familiarity and relevance at retail.
Rather than simply placing a well-known name on a new category, Snack Iconic says it develops products around the brand, consumer occasion, and the identified needs of the targeted retail channel. Package format, price point, merchandising location, manufacturing, distribution, and product economics are considered from the outset, Gorman explained.
“Different retail channels demand different products and different approaches,” he said. “We developed Dove Chocolate Enrobed Pretzels with convenience in mind from the beginning. The objective is to give retailers a premium snack with a brand consumers already know, in a format that works for the way people shop the channel.”
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