With products in every dairy category proliferating, it pays to have a differentiating feature. Here are three companies that are innovating in very different areas.
1. Exotic ingredients
Organic dairy-free, vegan ice cream brand Zebra Dreams came to life in 2012 in the Melbourne kitchen of its founder, Zak Bennett.
The ice cream range, which is now sold nationally through health food stores, is creamy and easy to scoop, and is full of superfoods, he says.
Bennett is also dishing up some interesting flavour combinations, recently switching his Strawberry Coconut for Strawberry Baobab, to help stand out in the health food crowd.
Baobab is an African bush food that is high in antioxidants, vitamins and minerals.
The other ingredients are coconut milk, evaporated cane juice, strawberry puree, baobab, elderberry Juice and guar gum.
“I love baobab and our customers also enjoy it. It creates an amazing, creamy yoghurty sourness that works with strawberry really well,” Bennett says.
“Rawtanica sent me a sample a year ago, so I played around, and experimented with it until I found the best flavour combo.”
Bennett says he also plans to try some native ingredients like Kakadu plum, which is mostly wild harvested, as well as wattle seed, once available in good quantities and at an affordable price.
2. Foodservice focus
Australia's oldest dairy company, Warrnambool Cheese and Butter (WCB), has announced some new plans.
Earlier this year, the company – which was recently acquired by Canadian company Saputo – acquired Lion Dairy and Drinks' everyday cheese brands Coon, Cracker Barrel, Mil Lel and Fred Walker, and it has since introduced these retail products into the foodservice marketplace.
The company has also bolstered its foodservice team around the country as a part of this growth strategy.
Saputo considers the foodservice channel to be part of its core business worldwide, having developed its business in this area across Canada, the US and South America.
While WCB has had a relatively low profile in foodservice previously, it will also now be focusing its energies on this space.
The company’s foodservice range will include Coon, Cracker Barrel, Mil Lel and Fred Walker brands, as well as Warrnambool Heritage cheddars.
"We have always provided the input cheese to the Lion business and now we have these iconic brands coupled with our award-winning Warrnambool Heritage range it makes perfect sense to beef up and have a deliberate focus on our foodservice offering," said WCB's national business manager for Foodservice & Industrial, Damien Sorensen.
"When you have numerous categories in your business, there is always going to be multiple focuses for the organisation, however with WCB there is definitely an elevated focus on the foodservice sector."
3. Hip pocket hook
It may be a 1960s classic, but changes are afoot for Cornetto, which hit the freezers this summer with a new $2 price point, down from around $3.30.
The idea is to bring new consumers to the ice cream category, especially driving people into stores who may not have purchased an ice cream before, and who would normally choose other snacking options, or who may not have tried the product in a while.
Streets Ice Cream marketing director Anthony Toovey said: “We are always looking for opportunities to innovate in the ice cream category. This is a very competitive market and it’s important we provide consumers with even more reasons to love Cornetto.
“The $2 price point is about unlocking growth for Cornetto and bringing new consumers to the category through this ‘loose change’ offer. We believe that this initiative has the potential to significantly grow the ice cream category and reconnect consumers with ice cream on a more regular basis.”
The new Cornetto pricing began in November last year and has been supported by a multi-million dollar communications program including refreshed point of sale in store.
According to Streets’ brand owner, Unilever, the range will also be joined by a permanent new flavour, Cornetto Strawberry Choc.
