caytoo’s Ice Cream Brand Landscape explores how key trends are impacting the key players of the ice cream industry and how they are using sports marketing.
Executive Summary
The ice cream market is dominated by three parent companies: Unilever, Froneri, and Nestlé.
But a new player is disrupting the landscape. In 2017, Halo Top was announced as ‘the best selling pint of ice cream in America.’ Unilever tried to buy the creamery making a name for itself against the ‘big three’ in 2018 but later pulled out of the $2 billion deal. Halo continues to out-perform the market leaders when it comes to YouTube metrics, including the most views on a single video.
One of the reasons Halo has risen so dramatically was its ability to adapt to changing consumer demands. Their low-cal ice cream appeals to health-conscious consumers in addition to Ice cream’s traditional audience. Ben and Jerry’s and Mackies Ice cream focus on sustainability. This apathy to adapt to the mindsets of modern consumers is enabling brands to connect on a deeper values-driven level.
Similarly, the premiumisation of ice-cream is taking place with brands broadening their range of flavours available. Innovative flavours like ‘birthday cake’ are available alongside family favourites; indicative that consumers are willing to step back from tradition and experiment with novelty.
Although not a snack traditionally associated with sport, Haagen-Dazs has successfully aligned its ice cream with some significant sporting events and stars. The key? Seasonality. Tennis and its summer identity was a natural fit for their strategy; to provide a treat to eat and enjoy on a hot day which will ultimately enhance their spectator experience. The brand became a partner of Wimbledon and has since activated alongside top tennis stars for influencer campaigns and limited edition flavours.
In contrast, Jude’s Ice Cream activates in sport with a grassroots focus, sponsoring the junior teams at an amateur cricket club with charity status (Easton and Martyr Worthy Cricket Club) from 2017-2019. This partnership is part of Jude’s commitment to supporting young people and children.
Ice cream brands use sports sponsorship to attract new audiences, grow brand saliency, and grow brand equity. Associating with the excellence of a sporting event or athlete allows them to do this.
Contents
- Executive Summary
- Key Players
- Market Trends
- Sports Marketing
- Use of Social Media
- Niche Brands
- Sponsorship Trends
- References
