As a relatively small brand Little Moons has had a big impact on its category, becoming a pioneer in frozen snacking.

In an ice cream aisle traditionally dominated by wrapped sticks, cones or tubs, Little Moons’ bite-sized mochi ice cream balls introduced a novel snacking format. TikTok virality in 2021 helped propel the brand into the mainstream.

“We pioneered a frozen snacking category that didn’t exist really before, at least in the UK,” explains Ross Farquhar, Little Moons marketing, innovation and sustainability director.

Many other brands have since joined in, seeing the opportunity in the emerging freezer aisle category.

“We have driven a whole lot of value through that to retailers and to the category,” he says.

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Having successfully grown its brand, Little Moons is looking towards its next growth opportunity, by taking on “the big boys of snacking”. Looking beyond the frozen and chilled aisles, this means positioning Little Moons as an alternative to biscuits or a square of chocolate, for example.

People are “hardwired” to think of snacking foods coming from cupboards or drawers, Farquhar notes, meaning it can be difficult to drive shoppers down the frozen aisle in search of snacks.

“How do we get people who are on autopilot as they walk around the grocery store and are used to going down confectionary, bakery, biscuits to get their snacks, to reappraise frozen as a place worth visiting?” he asks.

Occasion, occasion, occasion

That mission to make the frozen aisle a more prominent destination for snackers is central to future growth.

Farquhar sees the brand’s marketing mix as three-tiered: being seen and heard, being talked about, and being bought.

The being bought tier is how the brand works with its retail partners, and indeed its competitors in the frozen and chilled snacking space, to drive shoppers into the aisle. That could be through signage, merchandising or trade marketing, designed “to interrupt that shopper journey” and prompt them towards considering the frozen aisle for snacking.

The work to make sure consumers are considering the frozen aisle, and crucially Little Moons, for snacking begins long before they set foot in store.

Consumers talk about it like a compulsion, almost that they can’t finish a meal or an evening without something sweet after their savoury.

Ross Farquhar, Little Moons

Last month, the brand launched new summer campaign ‘A Little Something’, designed to position Little Moons as the ideal product for “permissible” snacking occasions.

From its consumer insights, the business knows consumers often seek out small sweet treats during the day.

“Consumers talk about it like a compulsion, almost that they can’t finish a meal or an evening without something sweet after their savoury,” says Farquhar.

That quite often won’t be a full dessert, but something small like a few squares of chocolate or a couple of biscuits to fulfil that sweet craving.

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Little Moons knows its existing consumers often turn to the brand for that occasion. However, with household penetration of around 6% currently, the brand also knows there are plenty of people who would not think of Little Moons, or indeed frozen snacks, as being the answer in moments where they crave a sweet treat.

The campaign, which spans TikTok, digital and outdoor, is designed to tap into that specific moment, positioning Little Moons as the perfect choice when consumers want to grab a sweet bite.

“That’s why the campaign is always finished off with some way of describing that moment,” says Farquhar. “So, whether it’s a little something while you’re pretending to wash up, a little something while you skip the intro, a little something because the kettle takes ages. Consumers recognise themselves in that.”

Little Moons’ long-term ambition is to build a “global mega-brand in snacking”, Farquhar states.

Time to step up

There is a massive opportunity for Little Moons in the total snacking category, he notes. The category is forecast to be worth around £30bn a year by the end of the decade and is currently dominated by confectionery, biscuit and bakery brands.

There are many huge brands in that cross-category snacking group, giving Little Moons a whole new set of competitors.

With the goal of taking a bigger slice of the total snacking category, Little Moons knew it was time to “step it up”, says Farquhar. This mentality was the impetus for the creation of a new brand world, which includes a new logo and pack redesign.

According to Farquhar, Little Moons is a brand that combine a “sophisticated” and grown-up approach, with a fun and “poppy” feel. However, on the old packs some of the brand’s playfulness had been slightly lost, he states.

We’re really confident this is going to help us to compete with the big boys of snacking in other categories.

Ross Farquhar, Little Moons

With the new design, the brand sought to successfully walk the “tightrope” between encapsulating its premium nature and its sense of playfulness. Little Moons also looked at its competitive set across snacking to ensure its packs were in a position to compete.

“If you look at some of those brands, they are big and bold with their word mark, their logo, and they use colour really effectively and consistently. They’re very purposely building distinctive assets,” Farquhar says. “We just thought we have more to go after there.”

The new brand world was two years in the making, with plenty of research behind it. Little Moons found the new pack both made its products more likely to stand out and increased the likelihood of new consumers buying into the brand.

“We’re really confident this is going to help us to compete with the big boys of snacking in other categories,” Farquhar asserts.

Being more interesting

The frozen snacking category has seen product launches from the likes of Magnum, Ben & Jerry’s and Häagen-Dazs. This is something Farquhar actually sees as a net positive, believing more interest in the category means “the tide will rise for all”.

However, he also recognises it means Little Moons must work to stand out as more products flood a category where it was a first-mover. Of course, pack design and communications play a role, but what he sees as most crucial in this arena is product, with Little Moons’ mochi ice cream ball being a distinctive offering for shoppers.

When you have money, [..] you can slightly pay your way out of being dull, but as a small brand, you just have to be interesting all the time to earn your attention.

Ross Farquhar, Little Moons

Farquhar also believes the brand’s single-minded determination in driving the frozen aisle as a destination for snacking is helping it succeed, versus competitors who are more broadly spread in that aisle.

Of course, with this aim of competing with the broader snacking category, Little Moons is now coming into competition with even more brands. Those are often brands with long legacies owned by massive businesses, something Little Moons – only established in 2010 – is not.

“I just always think you have to be more interesting,” Farquhar says. “That’s the challenge for any challenger brand that doesn’t have the money that the big brands have. When you have money, [..] you can slightly pay your way out of being dull, but as a small brand, you just have to be interesting all the time to earn your attention.”