Three Branding Strategies That Made Nutella a Business Success

As hazelnut spread Nutella celebrates its sixtieth anniversary in 2024, it’s price taking a moment to look back at the marketing strategies that helped make Nutella such a beloved brand.

Nutella’s holding company, Ferrero, calls the story of Nutella “a story of love, innovation and passion.” But at least in the United States, the story of Nutella is also a story a unique marketing mix that may function a case study for entrepreneurs, showing tips on how to run a business and tips on how to use effective marketing strategies.

According to the company, a jar of Nutella is sold every two seconds and is enjoyed by hundreds of thousands of individuals in 170 countries. The company’s Facebook page has more followers than most celebrities. And the original Nutella spread has spawned derivatives, including Nutella cookies, muffins and a croissant.

But it wasn’t all the time that way. In fact, when Nutella arrived in the U.S. in 1983, it struggled to develop marketing strategies that might break through to an American market that was unfamiliar with nut spreads.

While the product’s popularity steadily grew, its real success got here after the company implemented three intelligent branding strategies:

1. It focused on the breakfast market.

When Nutella first got here to the U.S., it positioned itself as an alternative to a few things, like chocolate, jam and frosting, says Jason Biddle, a brand expert and content creator at US Imprints. Customers in other countries had already discovered its many uses, so Nutella’s product strategy was based on the assumption that the U.S. market would quickly catch on to the concept.

“But consumers just weren’t convinced that the company’s spread was a miracle product that was everything it said it was,” Biddle says of the breakfast that was at the center of Nutella’s marketing mix. “Nutella tried to be everything to everyone, and ended up being nothing to no one.”

In 2009, Nutella began focusing its branding strategy and goal market almost exclusively on becoming a breakfast staple—something so as to add to toast, waffles and bagels. That marketing strategy helped consumers understand tips on how to best use the product as a part of a balanced breakfast, Biddle says.

“Instead of the previous general call to action of ‘eat this with everything,’ we have a concise call to action of ‘eat this with everything,’” is how he describes this revolutionary marketing strategy.

2. It appealed to a universal desire.

The second branding strategy in Nutella’s marketing mix proved controversial: Nutella marketed itself as a part of a healthy eating regimen. Although the company never explicitly claimed that the nut spread itself was healthy, it cleverly named the spread to suggest a balanced eating regimen, Biddle says.

“Nutella did it so well that parent company Ferrero had to change its advertising and pay $3 million in a class action lawsuit for deceptive advertising,” Biddle says of the focus on health as a part of Nutella’s marketing mix. “It was the health aspect that led so many parents to add the spread to their children’s diets, and Nutella managed to enter the homes of its target consumers.”

3. Social proof was used.

Once it was in people’s homes, curiosity led consumers to experiment with its use in other products, and soon people were sharing their creations on social media. That helped prove that Nutella was greater than just a breakfast spread, without pushing that time (which they did unsuccessfully at first), Biddle says.

“Social proof helps convince potential customers,” Biddle says. “It’s a case of, ‘If Susie uses Nutella, maybe I should try it, too.’ Nutella’s strategy for turning that fan base into a legion of advocates can be seen in its targeted social media efforts.”

Nutella uses its social media pages to drive consumer engagement. For example, in honor of its birthday, Nutella launched a global campaign called “50 Years of Stories,” asking fans to share their memories of using the spread. Those who shared their stories via text, email, or video received a personalized tag and could win prizes. Nutella’s marketing strategies also focus on visually intensive platforms, equivalent to Tumblr, Facebook, and Pinterest.

“At this point, Nutella’s ability to gain market share is based on the product itself,” Biddle says. “Consumers can justify buying Nutella by taking the position that it may not be the healthiest spread, but there are worse things to eat, like doughnuts and cinnamon rolls. And when it tastes this good, it’s hard to give it up.”

Nutella Marketing Strategy: What Can We Learn?

As the world’s leading nut spread, Nutella has turn into a household name and a beloved treat for people of all ages. Nutella’s success could be attributed to several aspects, including its unique taste and high-quality ingredients, but one of the key aspects behind its success is its branding and marketing strategy.

In this text, we glance at three branding strategies that made Nutella a successful business and how these strategies could be applied to other businesses. We also look at Nutella’s marketing strategy and the way it contributed to the brand’s success.

When it involves Nutella’s marketing strategy, there are many other key elements that have contributed to the brand’s success. One of the most vital elements of Nutella’s marketing strategy is its focus on social media. Nutella has a strong presence on social media platforms equivalent to Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, where it commonly posts engaging content that resonates with its target market. By using social media to attach with its customers, Nutella has been in a position to build a strong community around its brand.

Another key a part of Nutella’s marketing strategy is the use of influencer marketing. Nutella works with influencers who have large social media followings to advertise its products. These influencers create content that presents Nutella in a positive light and encourages their followers to try the product. This has helped improve Nutella’s marketing mix, increasing brand awareness and driving sales of the hazelnut-based sandwich spread.

In addition to social media and influencer marketing, Nutella also invests heavily in traditional promoting as a part of its marketing mix. To help its brand succeed, Nutella has created a variety of memorable ads over the years, including the iconic “Spread the Happy” campaign. These ads have been a key aspect of Nutella’s marketing mix, helping to build brand awareness and reinforce Nutella’s position as a premium product.