FDBusiness.com

Arla Foods, the UK’s largest dairy company, has launched a unique branded milk product – Arla ‘Best of Both’ (Arla BOB®), fat-free milk that tastes as good as semi-skimmed, packaged with a distinctive yellow top. The farmer-owned dairy co-operative has spent three years developing the technology to produce Arla BOB. It involves collecting some of the naturally occurring protein in milk and carefully adding more of it back into skimmed milk to deliver a taste and texture that is as good as semi-skimmed and fat-free. In addition, with Arla’s unique PurFiltreTM process, it also lasts longer in the fridge.

At a time when the UK Government is encouraging consumers to consider their eating and drinking habits, Arla BOB is set to rewrite the rules on what milk drinkers can expect from the traditionally blue, green and red-topped milk aisle.

The launch is part of Arla’s drive to support its farmer owners and become a leading household brand by adding value to its milk, through the development of innovative products, with a focus on the inherent naturalness of dairy. It follows on from the successful launch of Arla Protein, Arla Skyr and Arla Big Milk last year. Through 2016, Arla will also unveil further innovative products as well as range extensions across the dairy portfolio.

The launch of Arla BOB is supported by a £7 million integrated marketing campaign designed to announce the product with bursts of ‘yellow’ across all consumer touch points. Featuring a national TV and shopper marketing campaign as well as 48 sheets, six sheets, press, digital and social media plus sampling and PR.

Available in retailers nationwide from 11 January in 2-litre (rsp: £1.50) and 1-litre formats (rsp: £1).

Sarah Baldwin, vice president, Marketing at Arla Foods UK, comments: “We are perfectly positioned to launch something genuinely pioneering and Arla Best of Both is one of the biggest innovations we’ve created in the milk category. Our innovation strategy is to develop great tasting and healthier products whilst investing to help drive consumer understanding of dairy which we feel is part of our responsibility.With organisations like Public Health England encouraging people to consider drinking lower fat milks, we believe Arla BOB will be a popular choice for many consumers.”

According to recent research conducted for Arla,49% of semi-skimmed buyers say they would buy skimmed milk but don’t like the texture and 33% would buy skimmed but don’t like the taste.

As well as being number one in fresh liquid milk, butter, spreads and cream, Arla is the UK’s largest cheese manufacturer. It has also built the world’s largest fresh milk facility located at Aylesbury and has plans for it to be the first zero carbon site of its kind.