Nidar’s brands are ‘celebrities’ to Norwegians. Most people are familiar with Laban and know that Stratos is the milk chocolate with bubbles of air. They also know that the products taste the same each and every time they buy them.
There are many definitions of a brand. We see our brands as being celebrities, because a brand is a product known and liked by many. Nidar’s brands are bearers of both tradition and history, and they are the most valuable assets Nidar owns. Brands like Smash!, Stratos, Laban, Troika, IFA and Doc' are more valuable than Nidar’s factory buildings and machinery combined.
“Without our brands, we would not be worth much. We would be just another chocolate producer with a public that has no associations with our products. A brand, however, eliminates uncertainty because you know exactly what you get every time you buy a brand chocolate”, says Anne Borgen Sturød. As marketing director in Nidar, she is responsible for taking good care of Nidar’s brands and for creating new ‘celebrities’.
“Consuming sweets, is about treating yourself to one of the small pleasures of everyday life. Most people prefer a brand which they know will make their “sweet moment”, a moment of real pleasure”, she says.
Supplying what people want
From its start more than 90 years ago, Nidar has created brands which the Norwegian people appreciate. Several of our present brands have been with us for many years. For example, Stratos is more than 70 years old, while Laban is more than forty years old.
Over the years, Nidar has, however, created a number of products which hardly anyone recalls today. Have you perhaps heard of Domen, Tøff or Speider chocolate? These are all former Nidar chocolate brands which disappeared many years ago.
“The brands which survive, are those which give people what they want continuously year in and year out”, says Anne Borgen Sturød.
“Take Stratos, which is one of our strongest brands. When you feel like having a Stratos, you immediately make several positive associations. When you bite into the light chocolate and sense the taste exploding in your mouth, it will be exactly as you had imagined it would be. Stratos has time and time again satisfied a lot of chocolate lovers”, she says.
Meeting different needs
A brand is created when the taste, packaging, size and advertising of a product interact together in a way which is consistent over time, and which provides people with exactly what they want. Different brands meet different needs. Here are some examples:
Nidar Julemarsipan (Christmas marzipan) is associated with Norwegian tradition. Many say that Julemarsipan is an important element when you wish to recapture your childhood Christmas and transfer the tradition to your own children. Advertising, design and packaging therefore, contribute to communicating a warm Christmas atmosphere. Therefore, the traditional Norwegian Marsipan Pig, is far more than just any lump of marzipan.
Laban is ‘Sweet for the playful’. Laban (Jelly men) provides scope for creativity and playfulness, which is reinforced not least by the advertisements. Laban is also a good example of how a traditional brand can grow and renew itself. After the introduction of Laban Seigdamer (Jelly ladies) in 2002, Laban obtained an even stronger position in the Norwegian market. In 2007, Laban Sure Skrikerunger (Sour Jelly Crybabies) complemented the Laban family, and reinforced the brand name further.
Troika is the chocolate for when you wish to enjoy a quiet moment by yourself, for example curled up on the sofa with a good book. It is a chocolate with an intricate and a mildly adult taste, a confectionery chocolate of sorts. The slogan we have chosen ‘Take time for a Troika’, shows that this is a chocolate best suited for moments of relaxation. Through the Troika advertising films, we attempt to tell the story of such pleasurable moments.