“Macadamia Nut Brittle”, 20% of all Häagen-Dazs sales
By hearing the name of this brand, I would have imagined it to come from the most withdrawn areas of Norway or Sweden, created by a certain Gü Steffansson or any other nordic name.
The truth is far from all of what I would have “imagined”. One name: Reuben Mattus. One place: New-York (Bronx). One period: the 20ies. This young man had the idea of selling his mother’s delicious ice creams. Years later, his brand is now sold in 70 countries, and owns 652 shops. Nice success story, isn’t it?
Oh, I was about to forget, you want to know what Häagen-Dazs means? You may be disappointed to learn that the name was totally invented for its nordic consonance. This very common marketing technique is called “foreign branding”.
This post won’t be a full marketing review on this ice-cream but a reminder of the key factors of what makes its success:
- Natural and Premium ingredients: eggs, milk, crème fraiche (thick sour cream)
- Unique recipes: joining the brand’s main values (quality and innovation)
- Smoothness: creamy and intense, just taste it if you hadn’t yet.
- Know-How: more than 80 years of experience…
There is a lot more to be said, with quite interesting facts about brand strategy and global strategy. For instance: in France, Häagen-Dazs belongs to General Mills whereas in the USA and Canada it belongs to Nestlé…
