Nikos Anyfantis, the marketing manager of chocolate producer Heidi, is preparing to steer the brand towards the upper end of the premium segment, in order to stand out from its direct competitors.

The repositioning strategy of the Heidi brand will entail an approximately one million-euro investment this year, including the new product launch budget.

"In over ten years in Romania the market has changed a great deal and we have not been able to significantly stand out from the competitors on the premium segment. The new communication strategy will target this issue precisely," said Nikos Anyfantis, marketing manager of Heidi Chocolats Suisse.

Moreover, the premium segment of the chocolate market has a larger growth potential than the medium-priced segment, as the market is driven by the increase in the purchasing power of Romanians.

"As it happens with other markets, the premium and economy segments tend to gain more and more ground against the medium-priced segment," Anyfantis commented. He estimates the premium segment to be worth about 10% of the chocolate market at the moment.

The new communication strategy for Heidi pralines will emphasize their association with gifts, concentrating more on packaging.

"Changing packaging could come with additional costs for us, which we cannot include in the price, because the Romanian consumer is not willing to pay extra cash for more attractive packaging," Anyfantis explained.

He added that as far as marketing is concerned, it is important to know consumers' behaviour from direct contact with them, and not necessarily from the results of market surveys.

New Heidi product launches are scheduled for times around holidays and name days, when sales of chocolate and especially pralines soar.

"In times like these, the consumers largely prefer premium chocolate, regardless of their