Wish-Bone tries to entice shoppers back to the center store with two new dressing lines
“Consumer needs and expectations are changing, and as a result some consumers have started making their own dressing at home and using more premium and better-for-you ingredients, such as extra virgin olive oil,” said Mark Schiller, executive vice president and president North America retail at Pinnacle Foods.
He explained to FoodNavigator-USA that “extra virgin olive oil is one of the most widely accepted and well-known of the ‘better oils’ and has seen growth in popularity over the last several years,” but for the most part the ingredient was hard to find in pre-made salad dressings.
That is changing, though, with the launch this quarter of Wish-Bone EVOO dressings, which Pinnacle Food claims has more of the healthier oil than competing products.
“Most of the salad dressings on the market today are made with soy bean oil as their primary ingredient and those that claim extra virgin olive oil tend to have only a trace amount. It usually isn’t even the first oil listed on the ingredient panel,” Schiller said.
But, he added, “Wish-Bone EVOO has extra virgin olive oil as the first oil on its ingredient panel and it is the second ingredient overall. So consumers can be confident that they are getting a generous amount of EVOO in Wish-Bone’s new dressings.”
The result is a dressing that offers a multitude of health benefits from the heart-healthy olive oil. Schiller explained that extra virgin olive oil can make several FDA approved qualified health claims related to reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and it is packed with antioxidants that are linked to inflammation reduction. It also contains vitamins E and K and beneficial fatty acids, he noted.
Extra virgin olive oil also offers a “refined flavor” that will elevate the Wish-Bone line, especially when combined with chef-inspired spice blends for which Schiller says the brand is known.
“While extra virgin olive oil has several qualified health claims, consumers shop the salad dressing category first by flavor, and therefore Wish-Bone will continue to promote its products to consumers through flavor-first positioning,” he said.
With this in mind, the Wish-Bone EVOO line will include five varieties developed through “culinary research and consumer exploration,” according to the firm. These include Garlic Basil Italian, Roasted Red Pepper, Lemon Herb, Sundried Tomato and Caesar Vinaigrette.
Wish-Bone launches decadent Italian line
Pinnacle also is catering to shoppers who want indulgence and full flavors with its new line of Wish-Bone Ristorante Italiano dressings, including Signature Italian, Creamy Peppercorn Caesar, Garlic Parmesan Vinaigrette and Roasted Garlic Balsamic.
These are “restaurant-inspired dressings with full-flavor ingredients,” such as “artisan cheeses, herbs and oils [that] enable an at-home, indulgent and delicious dining experience,” Schiller said.
He added that the line also builds on Wish-Bone’s long history of making Italian dressings.
In addition to capitalizing on Wish-Bone’s well-recognized heritage, Pinnacle will support the new launches with a national advertising campaign, including in-store shopper marketing events to draw consumers to the aisle, as well as creating innovative displays to help the products pop on store shelves.
The new lines also will come in a premium round bottle “that really stands out on shelf” and shows off the flavorful ingredients in each dressing, Schiller said.
