Mars Wrigley found good use for its M&M’s mini chocolate (beyond satisfying one’s sweet tooth). Apparently the tiny buttons are the perfect ice-cream topping. So, naturally, the brand found a spot for the SKU in the frozen aisle.

Its new national shopper program is intended to entice ice cream buyers to purchase the confectionery’s fastest growing variant by placing the product at the fridge level. “Confectionery is a highly impulsive category, so being front-and-centre is critical to getting in shopping baskets,” explains Barbara Cooper, director of marketing, Mars Wrigley Canada.

“We want to capture shoppers along all points in their consumer journey and leverage creative and highly visual assets to breakthrough in a cluttered retail environment,” she adds.

Cooper says winning in-store has always been a focus for Mars Wrigley, and that it has been partnering with retailers to get M&M’s, but also its portfolio of brands like Mars, Excel and Skittles, in a variety of retail environments.

The brand has a comprehensive calendar of programs and activities to inspire consumers to enjoy M&M’s, and supports key occasions with impactful displays featuring its candies and characters.

“To ensure product innovations continue to surprise and delight shoppers at retail, Mars Wrigley consistently keeps a pulse on what motivates consumers,” Cooper says, adding that this includes M&M’s message of inclusivity (“For All Funkind”) across its in-store assets.

Cooper says the current shopper campaign is an example of the power of its retail team, and how having “feet on the street” in stores enables it to be contextually relevant for consumers, and quick to react to shifting retail trends.

For example, when its retail team in Quebec noticed large ice-cream displays during summer months, it brought forward the idea of in-store marketing materials to remind consumers that M&M’s can complement their ice-cream purchase.

Cooper says the brand chose to activate during October because 63% of Canadians plan on participating in Halloween festivities while 38% will participate in trick-or treating (according to data from NeilsenIQ).

“Our focus this year is ensuring we deliver the best Halloween across Canada with creative displays and various product assortment counts to meet consumers’ evolving needs,” Cooper says.

Creative was developed by its partners at Boorne.