Candy Industry Senior Editor Liz Parker was recently able to touch base with Simge Weinling-Dogrular, head of marketing, pladis Americas, on its Flipz pretzels brand, as well as its chocolate- and caramel-covered Turtles confectionery line.

Liz Parker: How has pladis driven unprecedented growth for Flipz?

Simge Weinling-Dogrular: pladis has driven unprecedented growth by continuing to invest in the Flipz brand. We’ve been able to innovate Flipz with new offerings from existing product lines, as well as LTO varieties that allow us to reach flavor explorers seeking new snack experiences. This year, pladis has doubled down on funding to support Flipz’s growth through the This Flipz Everything brand campaign that we kicked off in April, which will help us reach new fans while also reinforcing the love our existing fans have for the brand.  

LP: What are Flipz’s core products? What are some new offerings for 2023?

SWD: Our core products are the classic Flipz Milk Chocolate Covered Pretzels and Flipz White Fudge Covered Pretzels. Since the year started, we’ve launched a new variety of our STUFF’D line, Flipz Double Peanut Butter STUFF’D, and our newest LTO product line, State Fair, which is available in two varieties: Flipz State Fair Churros and Flipz State Fair Strawberry Shortcake.

LP: Why has Flipz waited 25 years to do a brand campaign? What does the campaign include?

2022 was a milestone year for Flipz, where the brand passed the $100M mark in Retail Sales Value after consistently growing faster than the category. We doubled the size of Flipz in three years and had the ambition to continue fueling this outstanding growth trajectory. 

To achieve our ambition, we needed to step-change our brand building. We did extensive foundational work on the brand, crafting a brand house deeply rooted in consumer insights. In 2023, we are activating against those brand truths with the insight that Flipz’s unique sweet, salty, crunchy taste sensation turns any mundane moment into a fun, enjoyable one. 

The campaign is fully integrated and will reach consumers through digital and home advertising, shopper marketing, strategic partnerships and buzzy consumer-centric activations. We’ve received great, positive feedback on the This Flipz Everything campaign from consumers and our customers alike since our launch in April, and are excited to have launched a brand-building platform that will be here for years to come. 

LP: pladis also owns Turtles, Flipz’s sister brand. How has pladis grown the Turtles brand recently?

The Turtles brand has also seen remarkable growth, growing 62% in Retail Sales Value since just 2020. We’ve continued to further Turtles’ position as the leading nut cluster brand by breathing life into the products our fans know and love, while also reaching a young generation of consumers through new products like our latest launch, Dark Chocolate Pecan Turtles.  

LP: What’s next for the rest of the year and 2024 for both the Flipz and Turtles brands?

The Flipz Everything campaign is in full swing, so Flipz fans will continue to see us show up in various ways throughout the year. Our summer activation actually kicks off next month. Although road trips are an iconic part of summer holidays and everyone looks forward to them, it starts to become quite boring a few hours into the car ride. Our "This Flipz Everything" commercial hones in on this exact moment and shows how Flipz transforms it. We are excited to reach our consumers during pertinent periods like these, inserting the brand into culturally relevant moments through various activations.

We are also thrilled to be launching our new Turtles brand campaign with the tagline Find Your Happy Pace. This campaign is rooted in the insight that consumers are living hectic lives, and as stress, burnout, and isolation continue to plague consumers, there is an increased need for taking a moment with small pleasures and rewards. We are inviting our consumers to slow down and find their happy pace with Turtles. 

For 2024 and the years to come, people can expect pladis to continue investing in Flipz and Turtles through product innovation, in-store execution, and strategic partnerships so that both brands can continue to be leaders in the sweets and snacks category.