Global ice cream company Froneri has launched Cadbury Darkmilk ice cream stick with a flavor profile and positioning targeting UK adults who prefer dark chocolate offerings. The brand value is estimated at £14.7 million (US$16 million).

“We wanted to introduce a product that caters specifically for more grown-up taste buds looking for a richer chocolate taste experience,” says Brunhilde Van Antwerp, UK head of marketing, Cadbury ice cream.

“Our research found that 43% of consumption at family occasions are adults, making them a consumer that can’t go amiss,” she says.

Adults fancy dark chocolate treats 
Darkmilk is a dark chocolate ice cream stick that enrobes a chocolate center wrapped in vanilla ice cream.

Cadbury aims to further strengthen market share with the Darkmilk ice cream range which comes amid increasing NPD in the ice cream space.

Cadbury ice cream sticks are positioned for the adult palate.Innova Market Insights’ 2022 “Dairy based Ice Cream and Frozen Yogurt” report shows that Europe was the leading region for dairy-based ice cream NPD in the last two quarters of 2021. Unilever is the top company for global NPD along the same timeframe, primarily driven by the Magnum, Ben & Jerry’s and Walls brands.

Despite the relatively low penetration in desserts and ice cream in comparison with some other countries, Europe leads globally in terms of NPD, reflecting the developed nature of the market and the number of countries involved. 

In terms of sales, Asia is the clear leader, pushing Europe into second place, the market researcher reports. North America remains in third place for both NPD and sales. 

Overall, Europe leads NPD but Asia is ahead in sales value.

“We are confident that consumers are going to enjoy the new Darkmilk ice-cream stick. We have an exciting launch planned for Darkmilk, with a full marketing campaign in the pipeline which will feature a new TV creative, PR and social media activity,” adds Van Antwerp.

Popular flavor profiles
Flavors that are driving NPD in the ice cream category include keto-friendly selections with protein, botanical and herbal delicacies, upcycled frozen desserts, premium sugar-free blends and globally-inspired tastes such as Chinese black sesame and Spanish saffron, Innova reports.

Antioxidant-rich formulations and spicy tastes including pumpkin spice and turmeric are fueling NPD across Europe.

The traditional favorite ice cream flavors continue to dominate, particularly milk chocolate and vanilla, used for 30% and 22% of launches, respectively in the second half of 2021. Strawberry, caramel and almond are the other three in the top five flavors, with the ongoing focus on indulgence driving other popular options such as salted caramel, coffee, brownie and cookies and cream. 

Flavor is the most important choice factor and purchase driver for ice cream consumers, according to Innova. The market researcher flags that the non-dairy ice cream space has been flourishing in recent years.