Ferrero aims to bring joy to Americans

Ferrero’s famous chocolate-toy hybrid Kinder Surprise will soon be available to US consumers due to an innovative change to the classic design.

Safety regulations have previously prevented the sale of the popular Kinder Surprise eggs in the US because the plastic toy capsule hidden inside the chocolate egg was considered a choking hazard.

The Kinder Joy egg overcomes these safety challenges, as the Kinder Joy egg contains two distinct sealed halves. One half contains a milk crème and cocoa filling; while the other half contains the toy.

The novel Kinder brand is sure to hold strong appeal to American parents looking for exciting treats for their children. A total of 79% of US parents surveyed by GlobalData in 2016 claim to buy new varieties of chocolate regularly, which is higher than the average of 70% among all US consumers.

The adjustment in design for the US markets demonstrates how global brands can adapt innovation to target the needs of specific areas and should help Ferrero gain a foothold in this high-potential market.

The launch comes as the brand pushes to gain share in the lucrative US chocolate market, which was worth US$20.6 billion in 2016 and is forecast to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.9% between 2016 and 2021. While Ferrero features among the top five chocolate brands globally, its performance lags behind in the US, currently ranking outside the top ten brands.

Ferrero’s US expansion plans do not stop with the Kinder egg. The brand is opening America’s first Nutella-themed café in Chicago next week, serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner items with a famous chocolate-hazelnut twist.