Alison Whritenour Chief Commercial
Officer from Unreal shares how the brand approaches candy marketing by aligning with modern health expectations. She also shares how they turn first-time buyers into loyal fans through trial
while engaging them in various channels.
Unreal is built around making candy with real ingredients without
compromising taste. How do you balance indulgence and health in your messaging?
We don't ask people to choose between taste and better ingredients
– that's the old reality we're here to disrupt. Unreal has flipped the script on an entire category by proving chocolate can taste amazing and be made with simple, real ingredients, and up to
51% less sugar than leading brands. Our messaging keeps it straightforward: we've created delicious chocolate snacks that are unjunked, uncomplicated, and un-freaking believable. We’re focused
on communicating to the customer that you don’t have to compromise between what tastes good and what’s better for our health. Every product delivers on our "taste first" promise and
that’s the standard that guides everything we make.
Candy is nostalgic and brings
consumers back to childhood. How do you lean into that while modernizing the category for today’s consumer?
We honor those childhood memories while
pioneering new norms of what your nostalgic favorites can be. The old reality was accepting that your favorites had to be packed with artificial ingredients and unnecessary sugar in order to taste
great. Unreal was actually founded by two kids who asked the question: “Why do the foods we love the most have to be so bad for us?" As these kids have grown up, we've recreated those classics
that consumers crave using ingredients you actually know, modernizing a snack made to be enjoyed whenever cravings kick in. For us, it’s about finding the balance of the playful and delicious
nature of chocolate coupled with being candid, vibrant, and bold about our mission to unjunk the world.
What channels or tactics have been most effective in turning first-time buyers into loyal fans?
We know that if you have one
bite of Unreal, you’ll never go back, so trial is everything to realize chocolate snacks don’t have to include artificial ingredients to deliver a blow-your-mind taste. Unreal has been
heavily focused on expanding our retail channels, developing a bold and vibrant packaging story to disrupt the category on shelves, and building out our product line to feature new better-for-you
snacks such as chocolate covered pretzels and chocolate covered almonds. Our success in expanding to 33,000 retail locations shows there’s a massive demand for better-for-you, higher quality
snacks everywhere from mass-market to grocery to convenience, and natural channels. We're currently testing and scaling our digital media strategy and IRL experiences that spark trials from
influencer-led content to strategic brand partnerships and community-driven activations. The team has also designed a loyalty channel strategy to further connect our community to our values, mission,
and brand personality through email, SMS, and owned social.
What brand or campaign do you admire for
its creativity or connection with consumers?
I am really inspired by all things Goodles right now! Similar to Unreal they are on a mission to wake up an
outdated category with a bold vibe and great flavors. I LOVE that their target audience for mac n cheese is adults - it's fun to feel permission to eat the nostalgic, kid oriented food but now with a
grown up twist.
What’s your go-to Unreal product right now?
Our milk chocolate gems are my current favorite, but it’s hard to pick! I love that they taste so great without all of the artificial dyes. I feel like a super mom when I add
a few to the kids lunches.
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