New Thorntons boss set to shift the brand
Thorntons, the upmarket confectionery manufacturer and retailer, is believed to be considering implementing a marketing strategy which will shift consumer perceptions of the brand.
Despite a reported rise in profits last year the company is rumoured to be struggling with its image on the high street as customers see the traditional Thorntons shops as unapproachable and the products themselves as too rich.
Thorntons has already begun to combat this with the launch of a new chocolate range ahead of the lucrative Valentine’s Day period.
The new range, named Eden, is a selection of nine different ‘lighter’ chocolates designed to appeal to a broader target market than the traditional Continental Thorntons ranges.
The re-think is said to include the company’s distribution strategy and may also involve a change in branding and even the possible relocation of some of the Thorntons high street shops.
The change in direction follows the appointment last year of Philip Douty, who stepped into the top marketing role at the company in September. Douty had previously been managing director of Boots Wellbeing Services.
The company ran a series of ads on the run up to Christmas with the strapline ‘Confection is Perfection’. The ads were created by London-based Miles Calcraft Briginshaw Duffy.
Neither Douty or PR manager Julia Hall were unavailable to comment on the new strategic direction as The Marketeer went to press.