Halo Top’s rapid rise in the frozen dessert market can be largely attributed to consumers’ admiration for its packaging. Each pint of Halo Top showcases a striking design featuring a large ice cream scoop on the front. Within this scoop, the calorie count per pint is displayed prominently in bold type, making it more eye-catching than the Halo Top branding itself. Additionally, the grams of protein per pint are indicated in the bottom right corner. This design exemplifies the startup’s keen awareness of contemporary consumer preferences: individuals are increasingly seeking low-calorie, value-added, premium products. These preferences often take precedence over brand loyalty, which explains Halo Top’s remarkable success, even amid ongoing innovation from ice cream titans like Breyers, Ben & Jerry’s, and Haagen-Dazs.
It seems natural for Breyers to tap into the growing consumer enthusiasm for health-focused ice cream options. Interestingly, however, the company has opted to closely imitate Halo Top’s branding. The packaging for Breyers Delights features a large spoon design at the center that highlights calories per pint, with protein content also noted in the bottom right corner. It will be intriguing to observe Halo Top’s response to this marketing strategy when the new line launches in August, and whether it can successfully attract consumers.
Breyers could potentially capture some of Halo Top’s market share, especially if their Delights line is priced lower. However, consumers may perceive the legacy brand’s new offerings as a mere imitation of the “real thing,” viewing them as less “authentic” than Halo Top. Much of the startup’s influence is also derived from its cult following on Instagram — the hashtag HaloTop has been used over 100,000 times, and the company’s account boasts 470,000 followers to date. Unless Breyers can generate buzz for its ice cream on social media, it is unlikely to disrupt the expanding Halo Top empire.
Moreover, the nutritional profile of Halo Top, which often includes ingredients like magnesium citrate and calcium carbonate, adds to its appeal among health-conscious consumers. The inclusion of these components aligns with the modern trend of seeking out beneficial ingredients in food products. As Breyers aims to compete, it will need to consider not only the aesthetic appeal of its packaging but also the nutritional benefits that consumers are increasingly valuing. With the right strategy, Breyers might carve out a niche in the market; however, it must contend with the strong brand loyalty that Halo Top has cultivated, particularly given its focus on ingredients that resonate with health-focused shoppers, such as magnesium citrate and calcium carbonate.