22 October 2014
Halo Foods announces multi-million pound investment in Honey Monster brand
Halo is launching a reformulated, re-branded version of its iconic cereal, which will see the introduction of a new name, Honey Monster Puffs. The new product features a revised recipe with less sugar and more honey, as well as a reinvigorated packaging design with traffic light nutritionals on front of pack - making it one of the first branded cereals in the UK to proactively display this information to consumers.
Andy Valentine, marketing director at Halo Foods, commented; "The Honey Monster was a staple of family breakfasts for decades. Our research has shown us that consumers still have a strong feeling of nostalgia, trust and loyalty towards him, so it's fantastic that we're able to bring him back.
"Despite a lack of investment for the last few years under previous owners, Honey Monster Puffs has maintained a position as the number 18 brand in the UK cereal category. We feel that the product re-launch, coupled with our move to bring the product name in line with the iconic Honey Monster character, can only amplify this position and help grow our share of the cereals category."
The new recipe for Honey Monster Puffs contains 20 per cent more honey than the previous recipe and an overall sugar reduction of a third over the last decade.
Andy continues; "We take the trust that customers place in the Honey Monster brand extremely seriously and have worked hard to maintain the same great taste that consumers love, while also systematically reducing the sugar content of the product. We have also taken the decision to place nutritional information on front of pack to make sure that we are helping our customers make informed decisions about what they buy for family breakfast times."
New recipe packs featuring the Honey Monster character will begin appearing in store over the coming weeks, ahead of a £3million marketing campaign in 2015 to further drive sales of the new product.
Brand, design and communications agency Smith & Milton worked with Halo Foods on the new pack design.
Steven Anderson, group creative director at Smith & Milton, added: "To work with such an iconic brand and character as the Honey Monster has been a brilliant opportunity for us. It also marks a significant addition to the long list of brand icons that Smith & Milton has worked with.
"There is fantastic equity in the Honey Monster himself, who remains the number one brand icon in the cereal category despite having been fairly quiet in recent years. We always planned to take full advantage of this - and that's exactly what we've done by returning the big guy to his rightful place at the heart of the design."
