Pragma Reviews Kettle Chips
1st December 2008
History
Kettle Foods claims to have recreated the art of hand cooking, with all natural gourmet potato chips.Based in Oregon Kettle began producing crisps (or chips as they maintain on calling them in the UK) in 1982. In 1998 Kettle began to supply the UK market.
The range now includes Lightly Salted, Sea Salt, Mature Cheddar, Honey Barbecue,Sweet Chilli and Cheshire Cheese and Chutney.
Kettle Foods has just unveiled a new look for its Kettle Chips Vegetable range, and is adding a new variant, ‘Select Vegetables', which mingles parsnip, sweet potato and beetroot chips. The 100g pack retails for £1.99.
Graphics 6/10
The redesign is aimed at highlighting the product's quality of ingredients and evoking taste cues. The redesign is based around owning the ‘banding' device on the packs, which helps create a consistent look and feel for the brand whilst enabling differentiation across the ranges.
Overall, the design of the vegetable range products fit very well with the family identity of the core range. However, the colours are more muted (some might say too muted) and there is a simple watercolour-style depiction of relevant vegetables.
The combination of these together with the old style printer's font, very successfully conveys the messages of: rustic, natural, wholesome, traditional.
The reverse of the pack reinforces the natural positioning, whilst clearly providing all nutritional information and highlighting the lack of artificial ingredients.
Function 7/10
There is little to say on function. One crisp packet is pretty much the same as another. Some are more difficult to open and this one is fairly easy and the packet is more robust than many other brands.
On-shelf 4/10
On-shelf presence is relatively weak. Other products stand out far more, from the distinctive market leaders such as Walkers and McCoys and own brands. In particular, direct competitors such as Tyrell's vegetable range succeed by having a brighter pack and bigger bolder illustrations of vegetables, with greater shelf impact. This reviewer had to browse the shelves too long before finding the Kettle product.
Overall 6/10
The product is ideal for the consumer who enjoys snacking but in a more healthy way. Our concern is that there is insufficient differentiation from the core range into which the Vegetable range blends seamlessly. It would be a pity if target consumers fail to appreciate the product for what it is.