Natalie Marshall has been named as Ritter Sport’s new brand manager for trade and shopper insight, as the business targets reaching millions of new consumers in the UK, writes Neill Barston.

As our title has previously covered, the German-founded firm, which has more than a century of history to its name, engaged with a high profile campaign around Britain this Spring, in a bid to expand the company’s presence within the region.

The company recently marked its first decade of operating in the UK, and has attracted interest within the travel retail market, as well as gaining listings in a number of supermarkets this past year.

For her part, Natalie, who was previously at  Aston Manor Cider, Natalie brings more than 10 years’ FMCG experience spanning trade and shopper activation, category insight and commercial growth strategies across convenience, wholesale and modern trade channels, and joins the UK team as Ritter Sport continues to recruit new shoppers to the category through its accessible quality positioning and distinctive flavour range.

The company’s new appointee will support the brand’s continued UK growth strategy, helping drive trade and shopper marketing initiatives focused on increasing penetration, physical availability and consumer trial.

Benedict Daniels, Managing Director at Ritter Sport UK & Ireland, said: “Natalie joins us at a hugely exciting moment for the business as we continue our mission to inspire millions more consumers to discover Ritter Sport quality and never compromise again.

“Shoppers are increasingly frustrated with the shrinkflation and cheapening that has become commonplace across the category. We know once people try Ritter Sport, they understand the difference immediately.

“Natalie brings exactly the right combination of commercial understanding, shopper insight and activation expertise to help us bring quality chocolate to consumers across the UK.”

As the company noted, while some brands continue to cut corners, Ritter Sport remains committed to a simple principle: the true difference in chocolate isn’t what you see, it’s what you taste.

That conviction has helped propel Ritter Sport to become the fastest-growing brand in the UK block chocolate category, delivering +46.7% value growth and +19.3% unit growth over the latest 52 weeks (Circana).