Kit Kat under threat from Cadbury launch

Nestlé’s top-selling Kit Kat bar under threat from the launch of Cadbury’s Dairy Milk Wafer

Cadbury is planning an aggressive assault on one of Nestlé Rowntree’s top-selling products, Kit Kat, with the launch of Cadbury’s Dairy Milk Wafer. The new bar is the brand’s key launch under the Dairy Milk brand this year, and will be backed by a multi-million-pound advertising campaign.

The new variant will have the same block format as the rest of the Dairy Milk range, but with a wafer running through the middle. It will be launched in September and will be supported by a television campaign, as well as outdoor.

The Dairy Milk range was relaunched last summer as the company’s first power brand. Cadbury brought a number of sub-brands, such as Caramel and Fruit & Nut under its umbrella. It also axed the Wispa brand and relaunched it as Dairy Milk Bubbles (MW May 8, 2003). It launched a number of new products such as Dairy Milk with mint chips and crispy pieces.

Dairy Milk is the leading brand in the block chocolate market and, according to Euromonitor, holds a 30 per cent volume share of the market.

The relaunch aimed to create a dedicated Dairy Milk area on retailers’ shelves and Cadbury is planning to develop Flake as its second power brand. Cadbury has a number of new products planned for later this year, including a range of wafer-thin chocolates called Cadbury Snaps (MW June 24).