Greek yogurt has traditionally been the Kenny G of the dairy aisle: frequently vanilla and incredibly smooth.
However, Quebec’s 79-year-old Liberté has added some crunch to the category with the introduction of a new product called Liberté Greek Seeds and Fruit, which adds sunflower, pumpkin and flax seeds to the mix.
The product comes in two flavours: strawberry and pineapple-banana. It is being sold in a 150g “bowl” format the company said is 50% larger than standard single-serve yogurt.
Available nationally, it is being sold in two-packs, with a suggested retail price of $3.99.
Jenny Chiasson, communications manager for Liberté in Montreal, said the new product is a reflection of the so-called “multi-meal” trend, in which consumers are eschewing the traditional standard of three meals a day in favour of more frequent and smaller eating occasions.
Liberté Greek Seeds and Fruit is pitched at health-conscious consumers who enjoy an active lifestyle.
“It’s a tastier on-the-go option,” said Chiasson, who added the larger container size (standard single-serve yogurt containers are 100g) makes it a perfect “mini-meal.”
“We’re not saying this is breakfast or a snack,” said Chiasson. “It’s an additional option if you want to have a snack or a light meal or a more substantial end-of-day snack before going out at night. We don’t want to dictate how people should consume our product.”
Liberte is supporting the new product with a national ad campaign featuring the tagline “Crunchy. Creamy. New.”
The company has also partnered with Quebec recording artist Dumas, who created the soundtrack for a 15-second TV spot and also appears in a one-minute “behind-the-scenes” video on YouTube.
The campaign is aimed at primary grocery shoppers as well as foodies and health-conscious consumers. The TV elements are being supported by digital pre-roll, web banners and Facebook ads, while the brand also ran sampling programs at running events across the country during summer and fall. It is also being promoted via a new page at Liberte.ca.
The Liberté brand was established in Saint-Hubert, Que. in 1936, and was acquired by French multinational Yoplait in 2010 (General Mills subsequently acquired a 51% interest in Yoplait in 2011).
General Mills boasts a 41.4% share of Canada’s $2.2 billion yogurt industry, according to research firm Euromonitor International, with the Liberté brand accounting for 3.5% of the market on sales of $76.6 million.
Euromonitor does not break out the Greek yogurt category, though Chiasson said Liberté is the leading Greek yogurt brand in Quebec and the second leading brand in Canada.
This article originally appeared at CanadianGrocer.com.
