“Consumers are looking for something beyond products – they’re looking for inspiration and discovery,” says Ferrero Travel Market Category Manager Premium Chocolate, Tic Tac and Fine Biscuits Roberta Masia.
It is a shift that Ferrero is responding to through product innovation, new category opportunities and a growing emphasis on creating engaging experiences for airport shoppers.
Speaking to The Moodie Davitt Report Managing Editor Ameesha Raizada at the TFWA World Exhibition in Cannes, Masia and Ferrero Travel Market Category Manager Kinder, Nutella & Biscuits Chiara di Canossa discuss how the confectionery group is building on its established brands while adapting to changing traveller expectations.
For Canossa, the expanding biscuits category offers considerable potential, particularly as travellers increasingly seek products suited to different occasions, from personal treats and on-the-go snacks to gifting and sharing.
“It’s not just a matter of injecting new products in the market, but they have to have a great link with the brand itself.”
The conversation turns to the growing expectations of younger travellers and what this means for Ferrero’s approach to innovation and in-store engagement.
“They come to the airport already excited for the trip, so they want something at the same level of excitement within the activation,” Masia explains.
From emerging flavour preferences to immersive activations, Ferrero is exploring different ways to capture shoppers’ attention and encourage discovery, while retaining the familiarity of brands that consumers already know and trust.
Digital engagement is another key part of the discussion, with Canossa outlining how Ferrero is using interactive experiences and content to engage different generations of travellers.
The conversation also touches on the opportunities presented by shopper data and greater collaboration between brands, retailers and airports.
“We want to be relevant for travellers before, during, and after the journey, creating this connection, this emotional bond with them,” Masia says.
Watch the full interview to discover more about Ferrero’s upcoming launches, its ambitions for the biscuits category and how it is rethinking the confectionery experience in travel retail. ✈
