Kellogg's readies Special K crisps launch

Special K Cracker Crisps will launch at the end of the month and will be backed by sampling and PR activity. A £3m marketing campaign will launch in January.

The range, made from potato and wheat, will be available in three flavours; sea salt and balsamic vinegar, sweet chilli and sour cream and onion.

Kellogg’s claims the Special K Cracker Crisps range has “game-changing” incremental sales potential for the convenience snacks channel in the UK as the brand looks to target women who say they love crisps, but see them as a guilty pleasure to be avoided.

Sanjeev Khan, head of specialty at Kellogg’s, says: Historically big game changing innovation has driven big jumps in sales for crisps in the specialty channel – such as Pringles and Doritos. We believe Special K Cracker Crisps will be the next big driver of such growth by tapping into the huge market of women who want the best of both from crisps – all of the want and taste but none of the worry or guilt.”

The UK launch comes after Kellogg’s introduce the range in the US in July, a move it claims has generated a 18 per cent boost to the category.

The company has stepped up its efforts to extend its brands into new categories to exploit the rise of new consumption occasions and a shift in eating habits. In July, it launched the first ever biscuit for its Special K range.

Kellogg’s say the recent activity is aimed at making Special K snacks a £100m value sales brand.

The launch will see the brand go up against all natural US crisp brand Popchips which launched nationwide earlier this year to target young health-conscious consumers.