Being lactose-free is useful in brand building

Dóra Pessenlehner
shopper marketing manager
Coca-Cola HBC
Magyarország

According to Dóra Pessenlehner, shopper marketing manager of Coca-Cola HBC Magyarország, sales of the company’s plant-based drinks have kept growing in the last few years.

The company’s new brand AdeZ was launched in 2018 and they plan to strengthen it this year.

Kitti Szalay
junior brand manager
FrieslandCampina
Hungária

Kitti Szalay, junior brand manager of FrieslandCampina Hungária Zrt. told our magazine that shoppers demand new products in the market of dairy snacks. In the autumn of 2016 Milli entered the lactose-free segment with great success: currently they are present in the market with 2 flavours; 2018 was also a good year in the lactose-free cottage cheese cream segment.

Miklós Rohony
export and marketing
manager
Szarvasi Mozzarella

Miklós Rohony, export and marketing manager of Szarvasi Mozzarella Kft. revealed that their sales had increased in the lactose-free segment last year.

Tamás Kohánszky
brand manager
Savencia Fromage
Dairy Hungary

Savencia Fromage & Dairy Hungary Zrt.’s brand manager Tamás Kohánszky informed that in 2018 they had realised nearly 20 percent of lactose-free product sales with their Pannónia and Medve brands.

Éva de Gereczné Rudnai
sales manager
Real Nature

Éva Gereczné Rudnai, sales manager of Real Nature Kft. told Trade magazin: they launched many new innovations in 2018 and theirs sales are rising in the lactose-free segment.

Savencia Fromage&Dairy Hungary Zrt.’s brand manager revealed that the buyers of lactose-free cheeses spend more on the category than ordinary shoppers. In 2018 one kilogram of lactose-free cheese cost about 25 percent more than ‘normal’ cheese. This category is also going in the direction of convenience products. In 2018 the majority of lactose-free cheese sales was realised in discount supermarkets. Real Nature Kft. is present in the market with lactose-free dairy products and lactose-free plant-based products. The company’s experience is that consumers are much more loyal in this segment than in the classic ones. These days a growing number of shops are displaying lactose-free products in a separate section.

Coca-Cola HBC Magyarország’s shopper marketing manager spoke to our magazine about plant-based drinks offering a lighter and lower-calorie alternative instead of milk. AdeZ products stand out from the crowd with their eco-friendly (PlantBottle™) PET bottle packaging and premium design. Szarvasi Mozzarella Kft. makes all of its products from cow’s milk, using no ‘tricks’ at all. They pay special attention to packaging, because product looks are important to consumers. FrieslandCampina Hungária Zrt.’s objective is to make as many shoppers try their products as possible. They are lucky with the Milli brand, because consumers are loyal to them as these cottage cheese cream products have been available for more than 50 years.

In the lactose-free category the most popular Szarvasi Mozzarella Kft. products are Lactose-free Mini Mozzarella and Lactose-free Mascarpone – the latter is a new product. Another new product will be launched this year. Within Coca-Cola HBC Magyarország’s AdeZ portfolio almond and coconut are the most popular flavours, but shoppers also appreciate the 250ml product size. These plant-based drinks are mixed with fruit juice and they perfectly fit into the on-the-go consumption trend. New flavours can be expected from the brand in the future.

Andrea Princz
marketing manager
FrieslandCampina Hungária

We learned from Andrea Princz, marketing manager of FrieslandCampina Hungária Zrt. that the Pöttyös brand is the chilled dairy snack market leader with a 43.9-percent value share in sales. The company has also developed the popular product’s lactose-free version that tastes exactly the same, and within the lactose-free Túró Rudi segment Pöttyös’ value share is 70 percent.As for the company’s Landliebe brand, the delicious strawberry and vanilla yogurts are also available in 500g lactose-free version; the 150g variant offers four flavours.

In Savencia Fromage & Dairy Hungary Zrt.’s lactose-free portfolio we can find market leader manufacturer brands such as Medve and Pannónia. Last year Pannónia Original dominated the market in terms of volume sales with lactose-free cheese in block, piece and sliced variants. The plain version of Medve processed cheese has been available for years. Sliced version Medve Szeletem came out last year in Classic, Light and Deli versions. From Real Nature Kft.’s lactose-free dairy products 1-litre UHT NÖM milk is the most popular, while from the company’s plant-based products shoppers prefer the Joya range. In early 2019 they put the Real Nature lactose-free Greek-style yogurt on the market in 1kg size. Soon two 300g Real Nature lactose-free yogurt drinks will appear on store shelves. //