Beet and carrot flavours launching into Iögo yogurt

Elaine Ouimet isn't worried that she'll be labelled as the lady who added vegetables to yogurt. She has high hopes for consumer attraction to her unintuitive blend of sweet and savoury.

This new yogurt flavours combine fruit and vegetables in one cup or pouch and is set to reach Canadian grocery store shelves in early August, along with the launch of Iögo Nano's new packaging.

"The appeal may be unsure for adults since yogurt is associated with sweet flavours," says Ouimet, marketing director for the brand. She adds that the fruit won't overpower the veggie flavours.

Nano is one of the eight product lines in Iögo's portfolio and is geared towards children. The company was launched by Montreal-based Ultima Foods in Aug. 2012.

According to Ouimet, Nano has been living under the shadow of the wider Iögo brand name and is in need of a marketing shakeup to help shed some light on its fun kid-aimed line of gelatine-free products with no artificial flavours or colours.

"Our goal is to create a clear identity for our kids line up," said Ouimet, who joined Ultima Foods four months ago.

The new product flavours include banana and squash, blueberry and beet, and peach and carrot and are packaged in cups. The new pouch will feature apple-cherry and beet flavour.

Although these are unique flavour pairings for yogurt, Ouimet says fruit and vegetables, "are very trendy in other segments" such as juices and smoothies, and that inspired them.

She is both hopeful and confident that women with young children will be quick to embrace the same approach in the new yogurt, which will be a first in Canada.

"We think it will resonate with moms," who want to get more veggies into their kids Ouimet said about the upcoming launch, which will be supported by in-store incentive campaigns, product giveaways, and digital and public relation campaigns. "And it is certainly innovative in terms of branding."