Arla Foods Postpones Revamp for Cravendale and Anchor in UK

The packaging seen at IFE included the strap-line 'Purer milk, nothing added, lasts longer, stays fresher'. It is not known whether these will be retained.

30/04/09 Arla Foods has postponed the launch of new-look packaging for its Cravendale and Anchor brands, which would have seen the Arla brand name taking centre stage. The milk brand leader had unveiled new packaging in March at IFE; the international food and drink event trade show, in London, but later withdrew the prototypes.

According to leading food retail magazine The Grocer, Group brand manager for milk Jessica Hardcastle would not comment on rumours the redesign had been pulled after unfavourable consumer testing feedback, but stressed Arla would re-launch it later this year. "We are revisiting the brief," she added.

The packaging seen at IFE included the strap-line 'Purer milk, nothing added, lasts longer, stays fresher'. It is not known whether these will be retained.

"This year our key messages are that Cravendale milk is filtered for purity with a 'fresher for longer' message to be promoted below the line," said Hardcastle. "We also aim to become the milk experts through the ownership of certain generic milk messages."

According to Marketing magazine, the original decision to brand products in the UK under the Arla name was thought to be aimed at bolstering Arla Food’ share of the dairy market and reflects a strategy already in place in other European countries.

Arla's UK managing director, Simon Stevens, had said its existing brands would not change: "We wouldn't just call the existing brands 'Arla Anchor' and 'Arla Cravendale'.''

Arla's now postponed plans echo those of other multinational that have begun playing more heavily on their parent name in the UK. These include Unilever, Reckitt Benckiser and insurer Aviva. At present in the UK, Arla's logo appears only on feta cheese brand Apetina.