Dive Brief:
- Coca-Cola and The Ferrero Group are partnering up to release a limited special edition Tic Tac Coca-Cola.
- The cola-flavored breath mints will be available in three sizes in 70 countries worldwide and are already available in Germany.
- The release of the product will be accompanied by an integrated communication plan with marketing initiatives on TV, online and social media.
Dive Insight:
Coca-Cola has a long history of brand licensing. From skis to chewing gum, the soft drink brand is a purveyor of much more than its namesake beverage. The result is a powerful brand that is able to successfully sell in far more categories than soda.
With recipes for Coca-Cola cake, cookies and barbecue sauce readily available on Google, it stands to reason that Ferrero sensed a market for flavoring sweet treats with the soft drink's iconic fizzy flavor and partnered with Coke to capitalize on this consumer love affair with the beverage.
Tic Tac is no stranger to branded partnerships either. The brand previously partnered with DreamWorks for the release of "Minions," creating special banana Tic Tacs. It has also done limited edition releases with radio stations and awareness groups including CancerCare.
Having the iconic red and white labeling associated with Tic Tac could help increase impulse buys of the mints at cash registers in convenience stores and supermarkets around the country. If it works, the partnership could be invaluable. Research from Euromonitor International reported by Food Navigator found a shift toward e-commerce means consumers have made fewer unplanned snack purchases in the last five years.
And while this product will be lining checkout aisles nationwide, Coke may also want to push the product through its online channels, which has proved to be a lucrative strategy in recent years. Nielsen data shows shoppers are 5% more likely to make an impulse grocery buy online than in-store, a trend from which the snack category particularly benefits.
Though the press release indicates it was Tic Tac’s idea to bring Coke on board, the Atlanta-based soda manufacturer will also benefit from the partnership. This is another avenue to reach deeper into the snack and candy market, in which sales still edge higher, even as consumers gravitate toward healthier products. Non-chocolate candy sales rose 2.1% in the 52 weeks ended April 21 of this year, according to data from IRI.
Limited-edition releases are a good choice to bring renewed attention to a classic brand. It is also an ideal way for brands to test a more targeted product and connect with audiences by tapping into trends. This limited-edition release approach is gaining popularity across the CPG space. It is an opportunity to stumble upon a product that resonates well enough with consumers that it can be incorporated into a brand's permanent portfolio.
As the first Coke-flavored breath mints, this partnership makes a foray into uncharted territory. However, with a history of Coke-branded products being popular and Tic Tac’s experience creating wild flavors that resonate with consumers, there is a good chance this newest flavor will find a place in many consumers' pockets and purses.