NORTHFIELD, Ill. - January 30, 2012 - A century ago in S?o Paulo, Achilles Izella, the Swiss Consul in Brazil, introduced a locally-made, Swiss-inspired chocolate brand to Brazilians: Lacta. This month, Lacta celebrates its 100th birthday, reigning as the undisputed top-selling chocolate brand in Brazil with about 37 percent of the market. Part of Kraft Foods, the world's largest chocolate maker, Lacta joins the company's 40 other centenarians, including Cadbury Dairy Milk, Halls, Jacobs, Kraft, LU, Maxwell House, Philadelphia -- and soon Oreo, which turns 100 in March.
"Lacta is one of 10 power brands that play a
big role in our Developing Markets Winning through Focus /
5-10-10 strategy," said Sanjay Khosla, President,
Developing Markets. "Because of our increased
focus and the disproportionate resources we've put
behind Lacta, from 2006 through 2010
Lacta revenues more than doubled and the brand
grew more than 22 percent on average annually."
Lacta, Brazil's leading chocolate brand, makes
up over one-third of the roughly $2 billion in 2010 annual
revenues for Kraft Foods Brazil. And more than
one-third of the company's nearly 11,000 employees in
Brazil manufacture Lacta branded products.
Investing Big in Lacta and Brazil
To expand the brand's presence, the company previously
announced an $80 million investment in a new
270,000-square-foot manufacturing facility that will bring
Lacta, and other products, to the fast growing
north-northeast region of Brazil. Combining the new
plant and other planned expansions, the company committed
to invest approximately $200 million in Brazil over 2010
and 2012 - the largest investment in the country in a
decade.
Kraft Foods also boosted marketing investments with its
2011 "Entregue-se" or "Surrender
Yourself" Lacta campaign. And
Lacta remains as innovative today as in its
formative years with new resealable packaging across its
chocolate tablet line and its Sonho de Valsa
brand.
A Brazilian Icon
Brazilian consumers enjoy Lacta in many forms and
textures from Lacta tablets, to Bis wafer
bites to Sonho de Valsa bonbons to Laka white
chocolate to Diamante Negro milk chocolate.
Lacta is a sought-after treat, shared among family
and friends. It's also given as a gift. In
fact, Sonho de Valsa, "waltz dream," has
been exchanged among Brazilians as a symbol of love for
generations. And selling 26 million chocolate Easter
eggs in 2011 alone, Lacta is synonymous with
Easter in Brazil.
Lacta is such a cultural icon in Brazil that even
its sub-brands are market leaders. Bis is
the top-selling chocolate brand and the Sohno de
Valsa bonbon is twice as large as its nearest
competitor .
A Rich History
Today, Lacta is thriving. But the road
to 100 was not easy. The brand survived a plant fire
in 1925. It endured a bankruptcy of its former
holding company in 1937. And in 1995, its important
Easter season was threatened with extinction.
"We knew Lacta was a beloved Brazilian brand
with tremendous potential," said Gustavo Abelenda,
President, Latin America. "But when we acquired it,
the brand was days away from shutting down its Easter
operations because it couldn't afford the production
costs. We immediately invested behind this important
selling season and made Easter a success for
Lacta. By 2010, Easter made up nearly 20
percent of the brand's annual sales and today we're
the top selling chocolate at Easter and year-round in
Brazil."
Over the years, Lacta has had many highlights:
? 1912 - Lacta is introduced.
? 1938 - For the first time, Brazilians taste
Sonho de Valsa bonbon - chocolate and a thin wafer
layer holding a creamy cashew filling. And
Diamante Negro ("black diamond") milk
chocolate is introduced.
? 1942 - Bis wafer is introduced and
becomes a leader in its segment.
? 1947 - Lacta produces its first batch of
chocolate Easter eggs.
? 1960 - Ouro Branco is introduced as the
first Brazilian chocolate product coated in white
chocolate.
? 1962 - Laka white chocolate tablet is
introduced, becoming the first white chocolate bar in
Brazil.
? 1998 - Pascoal, the Lacta Easter
rabbit, is "born" and becomes the Lacta
mascot.
? 2009 - Mini Bis chocolate covered wafer
bites are launched under the Lacta brand.
? 2010 - Delice, a mousse-filled chocolate
tablet, is introduced.
? 2011 - Inauguration of the Pernambuco facility in
northeast Brazil.
100 Reasons to Celebrate
Don't be fooled by the many candles on its
birthday cake. Lacta really knows how to
throw a party. In fact, nearly 11,000 employees in
Brazil participated in birthday parties for
Lacta.
"To celebrate the 100 years of Lacta,
we'll delight consumers with even more new product
innovations and breakthrough marketing," said Marcos
Grasso, President, Brazil. "And we're on
track to bring Lacta to an additional 100,000
retail outlets, so even more people can enjoy this
Brazilian icon."
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Contact:
Lisa Gibbons
(847) 646-6268
lisa.gibbons@kraftfoods.com
About Kraft Foods
Kraft Foods Inc. (NYSE: KFT) is a global snacks powerhouse
with an unrivaled portfolio of brands people love.
Proudly marketing delicious biscuits, confectionery,
beverages, cheese, grocery products and convenient meals in
approximately 170 countries, Kraft Foods had 2010 revenue
of $49.2 billion. Twelve of the company's iconic
brands - Cadbury, Jacobs, Kraft, LU, Maxwell House,
Milka, Nabisco, Oreo, Oscar Mayer, Philadelphia, Tang
and Trident - generate revenue of more than $1
billion annually. On Aug. 4, 2011, Kraft Foods
announced plans to divide and create two independent public
companies: a high-growth global snacks business and a
high-margin North American grocery business. The
transaction will take at least 12 months to complete,
during which time plans regarding the structure,
management, governance and other matters will be
announced. A leader in innovation, marketing, health
& wellness and sustainability, Kraft Foods is a member of
the Dow Jones Industrial Average, Standard & Poor's
500, Dow Jones Sustainability Index and Ethibel
Sustainability Index.www.kraftfoodscompany.com
and www.facebook.com/kraftfoodscorporate.
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