A "Dino" opportunity: no bones about it, Heluva Good's new cobranded dip is poised to be a regional hit

Dairy Foods, June, 2002 by Donna Berry

It's become a tradition for the marketing and sales team at Heluva Good LLC, Sodus, N.Y., to end its in house meetings with dinner and some live Blues at the nearby Dinosaur Bar-B-Que restaurant. As a result, it was quite logical when a few years ago, the Heluva Good team approached Dinosaur's management about joining forces to develop a barbecue-flavored dip. This spring, after two years of product development, the companies are rolling out Heluva Good Dinosaur Bar-B-Que Dip. The new dip takes the bold barbecue flavor made famous by the Dinosaur Bar-B-Que restaurants and combines it with the great taste of Heluva Good dip, one of the nation's top-selling real sour cream dip brands.

The sales clout generated by the two Central New York regional food powerhouses gives the co-branded product marketplace muscle, says Neil Giudice, marketing coordinator at Heluva Good.

"This was a natural co-branding opportunity between two of the best-known brands in the area," Giudice says. "Dinosaur has the best-tasting barbecue and we have the best sour cream dip. When consumers buy the new dip, they are assured of getting the best product possible.

"This is Heluva Good's first co-branding experience, and so far it is going very well," he adds. "The Dinosaur brand brings value to Heluva Good's Feature Flavor Dip Program, which is how the new dip is being positioned."

Heluva Good's Feature Flavor Dip Program showcases a new, unique dip flavor every six months. If the flavor proves to be a success, the company often makes it a permanent flavor in its dip lineup.

Giudice has no doubt that this dip will be a success. With a brand tagline of "Look out mama, grab the chips. Here comes the T-Rex of Dips," Heluva Good Dinosaur Bar-B-Que Dip is unlike any other barbecue-flavored dip in the marketplace. Its unique flavor profile is based on the Dinosaur's "Sensuous Slathering Sauce."

"The dip had to pass flavor and quality standards with management at Heluva Good and Dinosaur," says Giudice.

John Stage, owner and founder of the Dinosaur Bar-B-Que, and the man behind the sauce flavor, adds, "I wanted this dip to grab you so you know it's a Dinosaur product. That's what'we're known for. If it has the Dinosaur name on it, it's going to kick some tall."

The new dip hits retailers' refrigerators this month and has a suggested retail price of $1.89 for a 12-oz. tub. Distribution is east of the Mississippi River. The dip is also featured at the two Dinosaur Bar-B-Que restaurants located in Syracuse and Rochester, N.Y. It's sold in the restaurant as an appetizer with chips and is complementary at the bar. Restaurant patrons can also buy a container or more to go.

To kickoff the dip's debut, Heluva Good is hosting product launch parties at each restaurant, to which key retail buyers and local New York celebrities and political powers are invited. Retail marketing support includes a variety of point-of-purchase materials.

"Sampling at stores will be key, because once you taste the dip, there's no way you can resist it," Giu-dice concludes.