Ferrero Introduces Butterfinger Salted Caramel
Ferrero, the company behind popular treats like Ferrero Rocher and Nutella, is set to launch a new limited-time offering – Butterfinger Salted Caramel. This marks the first major innovation for the Butterfinger candy bar in nearly a decade.
Neal Finkler, Ferrero’s senior marketing leader and general manager, revealed that this new flavor is just the beginning of several temporary flavor launches that will be introduced in the near future. Butterfinger Salted Caramel will feature the same beloved peanut butter taste, but with a caramel coating instead of milk chocolate. The product is expected to hit shelves in April for a limited time.
Following Ferrero’s acquisition of Butterfinger in 2019 from Nestlé, the company has been focusing on enhancing the quality of the iconic candy bar. This includes incorporating higher-quality ingredients such as jumbo runner peanuts and increasing the cocoa and milk content in the chocolate coating. The packaging has also been revamped with a new yellow color to make it more visually appealing on store shelves.
While previous years saw Ferrero experimenting with different shapes for Butterfinger, such as a Halloween skull and a Butterfinger-Tini cocktail, the company is now ready to introduce new flavor innovations. Finkler expressed confidence in the brand’s growth potential and the positive impact that innovations like Butterfinger Salted Caramel will have on attracting new consumers and increasing consumption among existing fans.
With Butterfinger sales exceeding $200 million annually and showing a steady growth rate of 12% since Ferrero acquired the brand, the introduction of new flavors like Salted Caramel is expected to further boost sales. While the new flavors will initially be temporary, Ferrero may consider making popular ones permanent fixtures in the market.
Looking ahead, Ferrero has plans to introduce new flavors and textures to other acquired brands like Crunch and potentially Baby Ruth. Finkler emphasized the importance of innovation in the mainstream chocolate industry and expressed confidence in the pipeline of new products that Ferrero is developing.