Sugar confectionery specialist Perfetti Van Melle (PVM) is set to launch its latest travel retail customer engagement concept at next week’s TFWA World Exhibition (Mediterranean P8).
The company said its latest activation will increase footfall and underscore its focus on fun for its key Chupa Chups brand. A human-size tiger mascot will be roaming the exhibition halls to highlight the new concept, following earlier promotions in Italy, Saudi Arabia and India.
PVM Travel Retail Director Dennis van der Wulp said: “The recovery within our industry is really speeding up… preparing for 2023 feels like a turning point, leaving the COVID crisis hopefully behind, enjoying the current period of recovery, but especially looking ahead positively to a bright future.”
The activation includes a photo booth and product promotion area to encourage customers to engage with the Chupa Chups brand. They can have their photo taken as one of the Chupa Chups backpack animal family, take away a polaroid memento and enter their contact details to receive the digital photo to use its across social media platforms.
PVM International Product Manager Global Travel Retail Emma Helleman commented: “We are always looking at new ways to create customer engagement for our brands. This latest promotional concept for Chupa Chups creates a fun memory and offers something interactive for our travel retail partners.
“At PVM we know our sugar confectionery assortment can make a difference when it comes to creating fun and engagement on the shop floor. We are confident our new Chupa Chups activation concept will set new levels of engagement and drive footfall.”
According to PVM, Chupa Chups is set to become a key POS tool for increased cash till engagement across PVM’s global travel retail customer base.
“We have an extremely strong presence at the cash till with our domestic business,” said PVM Brand Manager Global Travel Retail Femke van Veen. “We want to replicate that strength at the cash till in partnership with our travel retail customers and driving consumer engagement.”
At the Cannes event, PVM will introduce new travel retail exclusive products for both Chupa Chups and Mentos.
New children’s gifting offers include an extended Chupa Chups plush animal backpack range. A pink flamingo and green dinosaur join the tiger and elephant designs, all carrying 16 lollipops in Strawberry, Orange, Watermelon and Raspberry flavours.
Chupa Chups has partnered with Looney Tunes for a new kid’s markers and colouring set. Each set contains eight markers, seven lollipops and a colouring book, with the choice of Bugs Bunny or Tweety packs.
As reported, Chupa Chups’ transition to paper sticks in travel retail started in June. PVM expects the full travel retail range to be available in paper sticks in all stores by the end of this month.
PVM aims to reinforce the freshness appeal of Mentos in 2023 with new Mentos Mints and Mentos Gum offers.
Breath freshness is a core focus for PVM with Mentos Gum at the centre of its strategy. A smaller, curved pack design is available for the Mentos Gum bottles: Pure Fresh Fresh Mint and Spearmint. The range will be expanded with two new flavours – Strawberry, the best-selling fruit flavour and Vitamins Gum in citrus flavour – for the European market.
Also new for 2023 are Mentos Mints Peppermint and Strawberry flavours in slimline tins with flip top lids.
PVM will also launch a Mentos Candy Fan which sits on top of a tube carrying four Mini Mentos flavours: Cola, Orange, Lemon and Strawberry.
A limited-edition Mentos Fanta will roll out to selected European and global markets in Q4 2022, with further availability in 2023. The launch marks a partnership with The Coca-Cola Company and is the first global licensing offer from PVM.
“The partnership is a perfect match for two well-loved brands; both have a long history of delivering refreshment and fun to consumers worldwide,” PVM said.
“The two global power brands have joined forces to target Gen Z consumers. PVM knows pairing candy and soft drinks is an ideal combination for this demographic who love trying out limited edition products new to market.”
“We are aggressively targeting travel retail sales levels of 2019 for 2023,” van Veen added. “Before the pandemic we knew we needed to address decreasing levels of footfall; now that passenger numbers are up again, we are paying attention to increasing customer footfall in line with returning passenger numbers.
“We are looking at new ways to be visible on the shop floor, with more focus on cash till opportunities and POS for both Chupa Chups and Mentos,” she concluded.
