Global chewing gum brand Dirol continues to develop its product line in Georgia.
In the beginning of 2020, Dirol in Georgia launched a new flavor of chewing gum, coconut-strawberry, in line with increased demand for coconut flavored products.
“We are not stopping there, and we have more than one unique innovation prepared for our consumers. We cannot say more about new products for now, but we are sure that our consumers will like them because at the heart of everything we do we have our customers in mind”, said Serhiy Makoday, Commercial Lead for Caucasus.
Innovations are an important part of Dirol’s development. Last year, Dirol offered Georgian consumers three new products that immediately won their affection.
“We introduced an innovative product, Dirol 60 minutes, to the market. It is a definite champion of taste and freshness, as our studies show the taste lasts up to 60 minutes”, he said.
Dirol is imported and distributed to Georgia by Mondelaz Georgia.
Talk to us about the history of Dirol in Georgia. When did the distribution and sale of Dirol start on the Georgian market? How has this brand developed over the years? What were the biggest challenges and achievements?
The acquaintance of Georgian consumers with our product began many years ago because the brand is over 25 years old. We think of 2011 as the starting point when Dirol moved to our company after the acquisition of Cadbury. From then on, the systematic and steady development of this brand in the Georgian market has continued.
Our greatest achievement is winning the love of our customers, for whom, thanks to our continuous work and development, we have become a much-loved brand. And we do not stop with this achievement. We are doing everything we can to justify the choice of our consumers, surprise them with new products and give freshness to their every day.
How many products does Dirol offer to consumers in Georgia and which of them are the most in-demand?
Today there are more than 20 positions in our lineup. According to our observations, Georgian consumers prefer fruit flavors. Now the most demanding taste is Dirol’s Watermelon-Melon Cocktail.
Could you please summarize the year 2019 – what were the biggest challenges, biggest achievements?
Overall, 2019 was a pretty successful year for us. We developed and offered the market three new products that, judging by sales, our consumers liked.
The economic situation in the country also contributed to the market development and growth. And it is a great honor and pride for us to receive the Golden Brand award again – after all, this award is based on the consumers’ choice – and thus consolidated the success of last year.
How has Dirol become the number one brand in Georgia?
We are honored to be selected as the best brand in Georgia for the second year in a row. This means that our brand development strategy is efficient, and we are moving in the right direction. The success of our product is certainly based on its high quality. For us, quality is not up to discussion, and we are confident that our consumers recognize this and appreciate it.
The second component of our success is the idea that Dirol communicates: to live a vibrant, dynamic life, never stop with your accomplishments and always spare time for fun, adventure and pleasure. Our brand gladly supports consumers in this – being a constant source of refreshment, chewing gum refreshes one’s mood!
Another important aspect of our success is that we listen to our customers, anticipate their expectations and preferences as well as monitor current trends.
How did 2020 start for your company, what are your expectations?
The year started quite successfully, however, the global pandemic that reached the countries of the Caucasus and Eastern Europe in March, of course, significantly affected all spheres, changing the usual way of life of our consumers. Given the ‘new reality’, we are reviewing and adapting our strategies, plans and tactics to ensure the further development of the brand.
In such a difficult time, our company also pays special attention to charitable and social issues. For example, in cooperation with the Georgian Red Cross, we donated food packages to nursing homes and are planning to continue this initiative in the near future.
What makes Dirol a distinguished brand and how do you compete with the other brands on the market?
Dirol has a very diverse lineup of flavors that covers most of the preferences of consumers. In addition, every year we launch new products that work with both taste variety and innovation. We also pay great attention to communication with consumers and their encouragement – this year, we launched a national promotion for Dirol fans (details are on dirolpromo.ge).
As a market leader, Dirol has been waging fair competition for many years and holds its position thanks to the love of its consumers.
In general, what would you say about the Georgian market? How healthy is the competition here and how fast is the Georgian market growing?
Georgia is a fast-moving market that shows growth year after year. Economic sectors such as tourism, real estate, or retail demonstrate very good growth rates. More and more products and services are becoming available to consumers. Most major manufacturing companies with global brands are represented on the market, but at the same time, there are many local brands with unique, Georgian offerings. This makes the market diverse and very saturated.
We, at Mondelez Georgia, feel great demand for our products, we see that our brands are becoming a part of life for many consumers. Definitely, competition on the market is quite serious, but we are sure that it gives companies an additional incentive to move faster and provide consumers with the best offerings.
We believe in our product and our team, and this makes us constantly move forward and grow, putting the consumer at the top of our priorities.
Discussion about this post