Lifting the lid on Müller®

It can be a healthy breakfast or a luxury dessert, you can eat it frozen or drink it from the bottle, and it appeals to consumers of all ages. The growth of the yogurt category over the last decade must in part be due to the extraordinary innovation of market leader, Müller® .

With over 170,000 Müller® products consumed every hour in the UK and almost 73 per cent penetration of all UK households, Müller® boasts a portfolio of products that seems to cater for every consumer need.

Innovation is at the heart of the Müller® brand. Its success through the 1990s came from its introduction of the Corner range of twin-pot yogurts. Other innovations include Müllerice and Müllerlight, and there has been a constant stream of introductions such the recent Mullerlight Layers range.

It’s had to work hard to maintain its market share, with rivals such as BioActivia and Yeo Valley Organic developing new products at an even faster rate, and supermarket own-brand products must provide stiff price competition.

The increased competition means that advertising spend has increased. Recent campaigns aim to engage with the consumers and include the successful Lead a Muller Life and Lick the Lid of Life campaigns which stress the positive nature of the Muller brand.

Following is a timeline, tracing Muller's development:

1896: The Muller company is established in Germany by Ludwig Muller, grandfather of the present owner

1970: Theo Muller takes control and recognizes the opportunity to expand the products from small popular regional brands to those with nationwide appeal.

1988: Muller launches in the UK with a test market of three Muller Corner flavours. Muller Corner has gone on to become a £169 million brand.

1989: Muller Rice is launched in the UK

1990: Muller launces Mullerlight, now the UK’s leading healthy yoghurt brand with a calue of £109 million.

1991: Construction begins on a state-of-the-art production facility in Market Drayton, Shropshire

1992: Muller becomes UK market leader – a remarkable feat that took the brand just five years to achieve.

2000: The launch of Vitality takes Muller into the probiotic market with its Feel Good Bacteria.

2006: Muller Little Stars launches

2007: Muller launches Simply Desserts and Mullerlight introduces the Layers range.

 

Source: Superbrands, an insight into some of Britain’s strongest brands 2007/9