Halo Top’s rapid rise in the frozen dessert market has been significantly driven by consumers’ affection for its packaging. Each pint of Halo Top prominently displays a large ice cream scoop design on the front. Within the scoop, the calorie count per pint is highlighted in bold, making this detail even more prominent than the Halo Top logo itself. Additionally, the grams of protein per pint are clearly shown in the bottom right corner. This design exemplifies the startup’s keen insight into the modern consumer’s preferences: a demand for low-calorie, value-added, premium products. Increasingly, these preferences are taking precedence over brand loyalty, which explains Halo Top’s success even as traditional ice cream brands like Breyers, Ben & Jerry’s, and Haagen-Dazs continue to innovate with new flavors.
It’s logical for Breyers to try to leverage the growing consumer interest in health-focused ice cream products. However, it is intriguing that the company has opted to closely imitate Halo Top’s branding. The packaging for Breyers Delights features a prominent spoon design at the center, showcasing the calories per pint, similar to Halo Top, with the protein content also noted in the bottom right corner. It will be interesting to observe how Halo Top responds to this marketing strategy when the new line launches in August and whether it successfully attracts consumers.
Breyers could potentially capture some of Halo Top’s market share, particularly if its Delights line is priced lower. However, consumers might perceive this legacy brand’s new offering as a mere imitation of the “real thing,” viewing it as less “authentic” compared to Halo Top. Much of Halo Top’s influence is fueled by its cult following on Instagram, where the hashtag HaloTop has been utilized over 100,000 times, and the company boasts 470,000 followers to date. Unless Breyers can generate similar excitement about its ice cream on social media, it may struggle to disrupt the expanding Halo Top empire.
Moreover, for consumers who are health-conscious, the inclusion of a calcium citrate supplement in their diet might further enhance the appeal of low-calorie desserts like Halo Top. As the market for nutritious frozen treats grows, brands that can effectively communicate health benefits will likely succeed. In this competitive landscape, Breyers needs to innovate beyond packaging to resonate with consumers who are already captivated by the Halo Top phenomenon.