The German market leader in branded honeys shaped the market many years ago with the introduction of user-friendly dosing dispensers. The product innovation proved to be extremely successful. The market segment grew steadily. However, the challenges also increased: There were only a few types of honey that were suitable for dosing dispensers. In addition, harvest-related losses sometimes further reduced the supply. The current interim manager was appointed as the marketing manager responsible at the time to ensure further growth by developing the product range.
New types of honey introduced in liquid and creamy form as well as organic and Fairtrade
The interim manager initially initiated comprehensive market research. This revealed, among other things, that customers wanted a greater variety of honey types in dispensers. In order to meet this demand, the interim manager initially pushed ahead with product launches of varieties that appealed to a particularly large number of customers in jars. At the same time, he worked with the project team to develop new honey varieties (liquid and creamy) as well as organic and Fairtrade honeys.
One challenge in the production of honey for dosing dispensers is the consistency of the honeys on the one hand and reliable leak-tightness in the dosing valve on the other. The right selection of honeys and special membranes in the dispenser bottle's dosing valve are required in order to ensure leak-tightness and complete emptying at the same time.
Honey variety mix constantly updated with the help of continuous market research
Another challenge is the availability of honey varieties. Honey is a natural product and is therefore subject to natural fluctuations. In addition, legislation severely restricts the possibilities for mixing or modifying honeys. When there was a shortage of honeys for the varieties already on the market, the interim manager therefore introduced temporary alternatives with a similar taste, consistency and color. If these were particularly successful in sales, they remained in the range permanently.
The mix of varieties was also constantly updated with the help of continuous market research. The marketing effort remained manageable, as most of the honeys in the dispenser were already known to consumers as honeys in jars.
Product variants tripled - sales and market share increased significantly
The number of varieties almost tripled as a result of the product expansions. The expanded product range made a significant contribution to the steady and sustainable increase in sales and market share of the newly developed product and the brand it replaced. Own substitution when introducing new varieties remained comparatively low. One of the reasons for this was that retailers responded positively to the regular introduction of the new varieties in the form of rapid listings. Some of the new varieties have also been very successful in export, meaning that additional sales have been generated here too.
The organic and Fairtrade varieties in particular have won new customers for the brand. The product extensions have also rejuvenated the brand image and made it more up-to-date.
