Mars to redress Mars bar - Company News - Brief Article

Eurofood,  March 28, 2002  

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The makers of one of the UK's best known snack items, Mars bar is to change its packaging and slogan in an attempt to boost sales and increase its appeal to women.

The 40-year slogan, "A Mars a day helps you work, rest and play" is to be replaced with "Pleasure you can't measure", along with a new look, more contemporary packaging, and a slight decrease in size.

"The images of energy and accomplishment have a male bias," said a spokesperson for the company. "Mars are eaten by equal numbers of men and women, but in the market generally, more women eat chocolate than men. So we are trying to redress the balance and make it more appealing to women."

The packaging is to keep its three distinguishing colours of black, gold and red.

One further change will be to the composition of the product. To play on the theme of lightness, which has healthier connotations, the nougat filling is to be whipped more. The size of the bar is to reduce too, by 2.5g, but the price is to remain unchanged at its 1988 level of 0.29 [pounds sterling].

Sales of the bar are reported to have dropped from 2 billion in 2000 to 1.09 billion last year. The cost of the makeover is expected to total 7.5m [pounds sterling] (12.21m [euro]), the biggest for 70 years.

COPYRIGHT 2002 Agra Europe Ltd.
COPYRIGHT 2002 Gale Group