- Mondelez’s Oreo made its entry in India in 2011 and since then, it has become one of India’s most loved premium biscuit brands.
- To further increase its shelf space and strengthen its play in the country, Mondelez is bringing the globally loved variant, ‘
Oreo Double Stuf ’ to India. - We speak to
Sunainika Singh , Category Head – Biscuits & Bakes,Mondelez India on the latest innovation, the idea behind the interactive marketing campaign, Oreo’s journey in the country since its launch and Mondelez’s overall play in the biscuit category.
The brand is also extending its global campaign ‘Oreo Lick Race’ challenge, which was taken up by even Former US President Donald Trump, to India on social media platforms. Participants are encouraged to twist the Oreo biscuit and lick off the crème filling, before showing it to their opponent, dunk the biscuit, eat the Oreo and drink all the milk. The first one to finish the ritual, wins.
“Oreo Double Stuf is really a lot more Crème and what it does is it gives us a lot more experience than just it being another variant differential experience. Globally, Oreo Double Stuf is a great strategic base for us. It's number two in the UK and the US. We actually consider Oreo Double Stuf to add incrementality to the Oreo base itself; adding more households and more occasions,” said Sunainika Singh, Category Head – Biscuits & Bakes, Mondelez India.
Mondelez India has been actively trying to expand Oreo’s presence in the country with its variants including Cadbury Dairy Milk Silk Oreo, Oreo Cadbury Dipped, etc. With its latest variant, Oreo is also targeting India’s growing appetite for ready-to-eat, snacking products, especially after consumers are increasingly spending more time in their homes due to the pandemic.
Oreo Double Stuf’s packaging and price point will be different from its other variants. Its red colour stands out on a shelf, giving it a premium look. Oreo singles are available for Rs 10 and Rs 30 and Oreo Double Stuf is priced at Rs 20 and Rs 40.
Telling us why the price point differs, Singh explained, “It gives us a great breakthrough into new price points, which should help us open up to new occasions, new consumers and better household penetration. We've done some consumer work around it and the consumer finds it very differentiated from Oreo. So we're looking to increase the depth as well amongst existing Oreo households through Oreo Double Stuf.”
Oreo’s primary target market for this variant is families with kids as it is hoping to give them an opportunity to spend more time together and make the much-loved ‘Twist Lick Dunk’ a ritual. And to gain new consumers and spread the word, Oreo is going all digital.
Sharing the media strategy behind the campaign, Singh said, “We're going to go with an all-out digital marketing campaign. Oreo Double Stuf will be available across all channels from traditional trade and modern trade and we're also doing a lot of partnerships with the ecom team. We are tying up with Instagram Reels and YouTube shorts. We're also looking at partnerships with platforms like MOJ, and also some collaborations that allow us some gamification. So we are going wherever the consumer is to excite them about this new product.”
The brand made its entry in India in 2011 and since then, it has become one of India’s most loved biscuit brands. According to Tofler, Mondelez India’s revenues for financial year 2020-21 were up 10% to ₹8,038 crore and the company claims to be a market leader in the chocolate category in India with over 65% of the market share (as per Nielsen), with Cadbury Dairy Milk alone commanding a market share of over 40%. And for its biscuit brand Oreo, India is its third largest market after the US and China. Today, it is not only a biscuit in India, it has become a ‘flavour’ that you find in every Juice and Shake Center in our country.
As the brand launched new variants, its brand image and communication also changed over the years. We asked Singh about Oreo’s secret sauce when it comes to India. Telling us what has worked for the brand, she shared, “For us, number one is listening to the consumer, being where the consumer is and looking at how the consumer is evolving. Again, COVID has taught us a lot. How are the parents-kids relationships changing -- that's something that's core to Oreo. The second, of course, is media, and where does a consumer reside today and how do we interact with the consumer across various digital platforms that are available beyond television, to really make them engage with Oreo beyond just being a product to consume and the thirdly, being available across the right price points in the right channels is absolutely pivotal to our growth.”
Singh added that with the launch of the new variant, Oreo is hoping to cement itself into the entire portfolio instead of staying at a variant level and help drive strong growth for the brand.