Swiss herbal confectionery specialist Ricola will highlight its latest packaging upgrade at the upcoming TFWA World Exhibition in Cannes (Mediterranean Village N9).
The new look aims to strengthen the brand’s reputation for strong on-shelf appeal and its popularity as an impulse purchase. It features the work of London design agency Lewis Moberly and, according to Ricola, reflects a “new positioning with a more confident contemporary stance”.
The brand refresh also underlines Ricola’s ‘nature-loving and down-to-earth’ approach while emphasising that the brand’s products are made with Swiss Alpine Herbs. A new-look logo is included in the upgrade with products already available in domestic markets and in travel retail from Q4.
Ricola CEO Thomas P. Meier said: “We needed to showcase our natural attributes and delightful taste properties and, at the same time, ensure consumers can navigate an extensive range with ease.
“Our strategy is seamless with the new design direction, which quite simply makes Ricola more of what it is, and always has been. Staying true to the essence of the brand was very important.”
Ricola’s new look is expected to further strengthen the brand’s recovery in travel retail. In Europe, sales have exceeded expectations, driven by Ricola’s impulse assortments: 75g sugar free tins and its recently-introduced 90g tins with sugar.
Ricola Vice President Sales Middle East & Travel Retail Andreas Reckart noted the challenges facing the confectionery market.
“The sourcing of packaging material has become a challenge and prices of both raw materials and packaging materials have skyrocketed. Prices for the shipping of products remain high and the availability of shipping options is very volatile. The prices and uncertainties on the energy market also complicate our own manufacturing,” he said.
“These challenges will remain with us for some time, but the long-term outlook is now once again bright for Ricola in the travel retail channel, as traffic in airports across the world moves back towards pre-pandemic levels, especially in Europe.
“The return of meaningful levels of passengers in Asian airports is eagerly anticipated, as that part of the world is an important part of our planned expansion going forward.”
Looking ahead to next month’s TFWA event, Reckart added: “We are very much looking forward to meeting with our customers in Cannes, both the ones we have been seeing regularly and the ones who we were not able to meet since the pandemic.
“We look forward to introducing our stand visitors to our great new packaging, alongside the established range of Ricola products – an authentic herbal confectionery taste of the Swiss mountains – of which we are fiercely proud.”
Ricola celebrated its 90th anniversary in 2020. Check out the brand’s development in the video below.
