How Rose Marketing has injected some fun into the freezables category.
“It’s an Ice Pop.” “No it’s an Ice Pole.” “It’s a Tip Top”. “Sorry but it’s definitely a Freeze Pop.”
A recent thread on www.mumsnet.com offers many more takes on a product bought by millions of people every summer. Let’s agree to call them ‘freezables’ if only for the purpose of completing this article without argument.
Freezables are a summer product, peak sales are weather dependent, so needless to say last year was a good year.
Designed to freeze at home, these little frozen treats evoke fond childhood memories of momentary refreshment on a hot day. Looking back, we forget ripping them with your teeth, and the clear block of ice left after just a couple of ‘big sucks’ took all the flavour (behave, those with a dirty mind).
These icy treats now come in all shapes and sizes and Rose Marketing UK’s market strategy was, and still is, to not just offer quality at the right price, but to disrupt a frankly boring and flat category. To inject some fun, innovate with packaging, improve taste and introduce brand licensing.
2012 saw the first ever cross over drinks brand into the Freezables Category with the launch of Vimto Pyramids. It was an instant hit with trade and consumers.
Fast forward to 2019 and the Eezzy Freezy Vimto Freezable range comprises five fantastic lines, including the award winning Pyramids.
The scene was set, there was still room to develop more well thought through new licensed products using beverage brands consumers bought every single day. Building from the commercial success of Vimto, came the first Tango line – Tango Two In One Pops – which was another category innovation. Once frozen they break it in half to share. Tango Triangles just had to happen the year after, with a special Blue Raspberry flavour.
Tango products sell in significant volumes each year and this summer Rose added to its acquisition of Britvic brands launching both Robinsons and R Whites products. Robinsons Freeze Pops contain real fruit in every pop and are Roses’ first No Added Sugar Triangle with just 6 K/Cals per serving.
Poundland also signed up to an exclusive R Whites Lemonade Triangle, made with real lemons – no more secret lemonade ‘slurping’ in this case.
Rose followed on with two new delicious premium sorbettos from Italy. The new Robinsons Fruit Cordial flavours – pressed Pear & Elderflower and Crushed Lime & Mint – form the base of this refreshing dessert. Made with real fruit juice, gluten free and no sweeteners or preservatives, they are available in Tesco this summer.
Rose has been working closely with Ian Downes, director of Start Licensing, who has been delighted with the new products. “They are a great representation of the Robinson’s brand, matching the brand taste and flavour well while delivering a new product experience for consumers,” he said.
The licensed beverage brands are enveloped into Rose’s Eezzy Freezzy umbrella brand, seen by trade and consumer as a mark of quality and innovation with the strap line ‘where ideas never freeze’.
Carl Richardson is the founder of Sweet Connexion, a sales and marketing consultancy of which Rose Marketing is a client. He can be contacted by clicking here.
