Nestlé celebrates travel retail KitKat series with Chinese livestream event
Nestlé International Travel Retail (NITR) has linked-up with Chinese duty free retailer Sunrise and the China Duty Free Group (CDFG), to showcase five of its core KitKat ranges, reports Neill Barston.
The move was timed to celebrate the nation’s New Year holiday, which is officially on 1 February, and traditionally features a wide range of festivities, with sweet treats including confectionery playing their part in celebrations.
As part of the Sunrise livestream on 13 January, Nestlé’s segment was approximately 15 minutes long, featuring four lifestyle Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) who discussed the “taste sensations” and “convenient snacking” options available from the KITKAT and Nestlé SWISS products available at CDFG-owned Sunrise retail locations in Hainan.
Furthermore, during the event, its leaders introduced four of iconic brand KITKAT’s ‘hero’ products for travel retail: KitKat Chunky Mix, KitKat Chunky Milk, Minis 517g, and three flavours of the new Senses tablets – Hazelnut Crunch, Caramel Crisp and Cookie Crumble. They also introduced the two Nestlé Swiss 170g tablet flavours: Dark Chocolate Blueberries, Almonds & Hazelnuts and Milk Chocolate Cranberries, Hazelnuts and Almonds.
The digital event builds on NITR’s successful brand showcase during last year’s China International Consumer Products Expo in Hainan in May. The global travel retail division will be exhibiting at the event, as part of the corporate Nestlé stand, again this year.
As the business added, the hosts of the stream held a lively discussion and tasting demonstration moving through each of the products, noting the crunchy wafer texture of the Senses series, with the Mini praised as an on-the-go option ideal as a gift for the Chinese New Year holiday.
Nestlé general manager Stewart Dryburgh added that the livestream event was the first time Nestlé has promoted KITKAT and travel retail exclusive Nestlé SWISS in this way and the company views it as a success, with over 23,000 viewers for the chocolates category section and a triple digit uplift in sales.
He said: “We will try to do more of this kind of activity along with our travel retail customers, since it has already become a very common way to sell products in China. It really enhances the premiumisation of chocolate snacks for the gifting market.”
