Republic Technologies relaunches matches range for broader audience

Republic Technologies is relaunching its matches range with new packaging and a category-boosting extension.

General sales manager Gavin Anderson describes the relaunch as “one of the biggest initiatives seen in the UK’s £23+ million matches market for decades, re-energising a category where sales have been declining and both innovation and creativity have been diminished”.

The relaunch includes modernising core brands to appeal to a broader, younger audience, focusing on the key attributes of heritage, quality and reliability, and explicitly reflecting trends in candles, outdoor living, wood burning fires and general in-home usage.

In addition, the move will reflect the growing appeal of sustainability and increased demand for eco-friendly matches, following the removal of all ‘strike anywhere’ match formats from Republic Technologies’ range.

Key elements of the relaunch include:

• Modernisation of the Swan Vestas brand with a more contemporary image and a new, minimalist back-of-pack design, featuring sustainability messaging.
• The introduction of a pocket-size Swan match, with a vibrant new colour scheme for additional shelf stand-out.
• A celebrity chef partnership with Tom Kerridge for new-look Cook’s Matches, including a collection of back-of-pack recipes for today’s modern ‘foodie’ era.
• A new pack design for ‘Extra Long’ Bryant and May matches, reinforcing the product’s positioning as ideal for lighting candles, open fires, log burners and BBQs, with vibrant outer trays for better stand-out on shelf.
• Modernisation of Ship Matches, with a simplified design and more prominence given to ‘Ship’ branding.

“We’re confident that such a comprehensive move involving some of Britain’s best-known match brands will reinvigorate the category, enabling retailers to boost profits by aligning specific match brands to different usage occasions,” says Anderson.

The matches relaunch will be backed by a major consumer PR and marketing programme throughout the summer.