First Sarelle, Then Smile

The Sagra Group is a corporation doing business in the FMCG sector. Established as a family company that dates back to 1936, it is the manufacturer of important brands in the country that appeal to people from all age groups, such as Tadelle, Sarelle and Gol.

The Sagra Group manufactures its products in Ordu in the Black Sea Region, which is home to the richest hazelnut farms in the world. The plant operates with high standards on an area of 60,000 m². The manufacturing capacity is 30,000 tonnes per year.

The company offers Turkey’s iconic brands to consumers with Tadelle, a chocolate and wafer brand with lots of hazelnuts and a dense chocolate taste; Sarelle, a chocolate spread and wafer brand; and Gol, a delicious and fun chocolate-covered dragée brand.

As of 2021, Sagra, together with the brands Tadelle, Sarelle and Gol, has been working under the OYAK Group, one of the long-established and Turkey’s top 500 industrial companies in Turkey.

Due to the strategic approach of the company, Sarelle had been silent in communication for the last 6 years. Its competitors, on the other hand, were constantly communicating.

Naturalness and clean content were at the forefront in parallel with the content of the products, but designs that emphasised functional utility were considered old and traditional in parallel with transforming consumer expectations(1) . Consumers thought that the packaging did not carry the components of the category and did not find the brand young and dynamic. Although the product was liked, off-take was weak.

Sarelle's aim was to increase brand awareness and consumer purchase frequency by meeting changing consumer expectations while breaking its 6-years’ silence. The brand framework had to be renewed and rejuvenated the brand strategy had to focus on emotional benefit, the design had to be renewed in line with the new brand strategy and it had to appeal to Gen Z. It had to meet the expectations of the consumer with a campaign that would break the silence.