Jordi Ferre - profile of vice president marketing, Chupa Chups S.A - Brief Article - Statistical Data Included

Brandweek, March 26, 2001 by Mike Beirne

Chupa Chups' point man sweet-talked Mars execs into a worldwide lollipop venture.

Looking to extend its chewy Starburst candy franchise to lollipops, M&M/Mars in early 2000 began considering a manufacturing venture with the world's No. 1 lollipop brand, Spain's Chupa Chups. It got a sugar boost, instead.

"I know it's just candy on a stick, but Mars realized there's more than what meets the eye," said Chupa Chups' vp-marketing Jordi Ferre. "The reason Chupa Chups is successful worldwide is that it has been able to innovate every year with new flavors and added values like toys and other surprises. I think that is what Mars liked about us."

Over the next nine months, Ferre would shuttle back and forth from Chupa's Barcelona headquarters to Hackettstown, N.J., to hammer out a distribution and marketing partnership between the two companies. The 36-year-old Spaniard touted their shared ability to differentiate commodity products by attaching personalities to their brands. Snickers is the wisecracking "Satisfy Your Hunger" candy bar with the "Gonna Be a While?" ads. Chupa Chups, through edgy ads abroad and guerrilla sampling in the U.S., is hip enough to be a fashion accessory and move comfortably within sports and entertainment circles.

In September, the partners announced an arrangement whereby Mars would launch Chupa Chups into stores in the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico. Conversely the lollipop company would help bring Mars' sugar candy business on par with the chocolate side, plus sell Skittles in Spain.

"Chupa Chups is very fortunate to have someone like Jordi on its team," said Allen Burch, vp-sugar for M&M/Mars. "His creativity and insights into the market are tremendous. We look forward to working with him as our partnership develops."

The partners provided creative input to D'Arcy St. Louis, Mars' ad agency for Skittles, and are breaking a $12 million campaign with print and outdoor ads sporting pinup girls and the tagline, "Smart Mouth You Have There." Chupa Chups, easily the world's best-selling lollipop with about $500 million in annual sales, exudes an irreverent, cool luster polished by sampling at fashion fetes and entertainment award bashes where trendsetters hang out, suck a lollipop and get captured by the paparazzi.

"We're not a brand that likes to market in people's faces' Ferre said. "We are just part of the party Part of the fun."

Yet, within the $450 million lollipop category in the U.S., Chupa Chups has brought in a mere $8 million. Distribution, while strong among c-stores on the West Coast, in Florida and other Eastern pockets, lacked national penetration in grocery and mass merchandise stores where it could grab a piece of the bagged candy business, particularly during the lucrative Halloween season. With the Mars deal, Chupa Chups finally has some muscle to challenge leaders like Tootsie Roll and Charms.

The potential rewards are sweet for Ferre, who joined Chupa Chups in 1996 as marketing director for Spain. The following year, he took charge of marketing in North America and focused on Canada, where Chupa Chups awareness was nonexistent. Enlisting the aid of FCB, Canada, he initiated the brand's award-winning "There Is A Sucker Born Every Minute" outdoor campaign, supplemented with guerrilla marketing by Ground Control, Toronto. According to a recent study by per Generations Research, Chupa Chups' awareness has reached 79% among the Canadian target.

Last year, Ferre transferred from Barcelona to the company's Atlanta office to oversee the joint venture.

"Chupa Chups is a very ambitious company and wherever it plays, it plays to be No.1," said Ferre. "With Mars we found somebody to help us conquer a segment we were not very strong in."

How did I get this job? After a with many cross-Atlantic trips was transferred to Chupa Chups' Atlanta office, to oversee the Mars joint venture and the marketing department at Chupa Chups USA.

The best part about my job is... Chupa Chups is a young, dynamic company with great ambitions to maintain its rapid growth. Every day is a new challenge . . . never a dull moment.

Favorite brand: I would like to mention two: MTV, for managing, to stay cool after all these years; and Palm, for creating a cult following on a product that is not necessarily superior to the competition.