"Bournville will see an increase in cocoa content from 44 to 50 per cent": Siddhartha Mukherjee, Cadbury India

Recently, Mondelēz India Foods (formerly Cadbury India), part of Mondelēz International, made a few changes, both cosmetic and product-related, to some of its chocolate confectionery brands. Cadbury Dairy Milk has received a packaging revamp across its variants, of which Cadbury Fruit and Nut, Crackle and Roast Almond have undergone a recipe and mould change for the first time since they were introduced almost 10 years ago. And Bournville, the company's premium dark chocolate offering, just got darker.

The shift to the new design is being implemented across the globe and has been developed by Cadbury Dairy Milk's global team in partnership with Pearlfisher, a design agency.

We spoke to Siddhartha Mukherjee, director, chocolate category and media, Cadbury India - who has worked for the company across markets including India, South Africa, Brazil, Russia, Eastern Europe and Southeast Asia - about these changes.

Reminding us that the last time Cadbury Dairy Milk underwent a packaging change was five years ago, he says, "The new look is based on the 'say what you see' philosophy," which paints a vivid picture of the product inside.

About what led to this change, he goes on, "Evolving consumer preferences are a direct result of more and more consumers travelling internationally and an increased exposure to a variety of products and experiences."

We see what he means by 'say what you see'; instead of regular product shots, the packages now have near-caricatures of the product inside. Moreover, brighter colours have been introduced to improve on-shelf presence. Is this an attempt to make the packaging more appealing for kids/teens? "Cadbury Dairy Milk has a mass appeal so the TG of course remains the same. We are just aiming to further enhance their chocolate experience," Mukherjee clarifies.

Speaking of a younger TG, one would assume a mould change is also an effort in that direction. Why was it important to change the shape of the chocolate? "The mould design has a significant impact on the way the consumer actually experiences the product," Mukherjee insists, saying, "A change in the mould means that the new line will have curved or rounded edges, instead of the current square cubes, to improve the way the chocolate melts in the mouth."

As regards the recipe change in the Fruit and Nut, Crackle and Roast Almond variants, Mukherjee tells us that these changes are backed by research, which indicates that "the inclusion of nuts, raisins and 'crispies' are preference drivers in this category."

Even so, a recipe change is a big move; after all, people are used to a certain type of taste and take comfort in that familiarity. And, the recipe for this product line hasn't been changed since it was introduced almost 10 years back. Mukherjee explains, "With time, consumer preferences have evolved and these changes have been picked up by us through various consumer research studies done by us."

In line with the findings of this research, the company decided to increase the quantity of nuts, raisins and other such crispy items. "We have made the chocolates chunkier/crispier to suit the needs of the consumer," he says. For instance, there will be 50 per cent more almonds in the new Roast Almond offering.

Speaking of recipe changes, we also learn that Bournville will see a 6 per cent increase in its cocoa content (from 44 per cent to 50 per cent).

"We relied heavily on the company's international expertise and the accumulated understanding of the Indian consumer's dark chocolate preferences to upgrade Cadbury Bournville," Mukherjee says about the company's premium dark chocolate brand that was launched in 2009.

In general, in what ways has the chocolate category evolved in the recent past? Mukherjee answers, "The rising affluent urban demographic has increased spending across consumer categories. The overall chocolate market is showing double digit growth every year and the growth in modern retail has also been strong. We have also observed an increase in the gifting culture in the country with more and more Indian consumers replacing traditional sweets with chocolates."