Baked goods brand Entenmann’s enters the ice cream aisle

Dive Brief:

• Bimbo Bakeries USA’s Entenmann’s is getting into ice cream with a line of frozen treats inspired by the brand’s popular baked products, the company said in a statement.
• The new frozen treats, which will be available at Walmart starting this month, come in six ice cream sandwich flavors, including Glazed Cookie Donut Ice Cream, Brownie Cookie Salted Caramel Ice Cream and Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice Cream.
• By entering the novelty category, Entenmann’s can expand its reach into other sections of the grocery store while not straying too far away from its position in sweets where it has widespread market recognition.

Dive Insight:

The Entenmann’s brand dates back 125 years ago when William Entenmann opened his first bakery in 1898 in Brooklyn, New York. Today, the baked goods brand produces more than 100 products, including donuts, cakes, danishes, cookies and snacks. As companies look to squeeze more revenue from already well-known brands, Bimbo sees an opportunity to take its popular Entenmann’s into new categories.

“At Entenmann’s, we’re always looking for ways to transform our iconic products into exciting and innovative formats for our consumers,” Alicia Rosas, vice president of Innovation at Bimbo Bakeries USA, said in a statement.

In staying within its lane in sweets through ice cream, Entenmann’s keeps close to its past by continuing to focus the brand squarely on indulgent offerings. At the same time, Entenmann’s will not only gain exposure in an entirely new section of the grocery store in frozen, but the additional attention could bring its iconic baked goods further into the forefront — increasing top-of-mind awareness in a crowded category and further boosting sales.

The decision to play in ice cream could indicate that Bimbo may decide to bring Entenmann’s into other sweet areas, particularly if the latest launch proves to be a success.

Food companies are no strangers to taking a well-known offering and bringing it into a whole category. In February, ice cream brand Halo Top entered the baking mix category with a line of products, including microwaveable cake cups in Chocolate, Strawberry and Birthday Cake flavors, Fudge Brownie mix and Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie mix. 

SunnyD brought its tangy orange drink into the alcohol category with SunnyD Vodka Seltzer, while Mondelēz International is tapping into the popularity of its snacking brands like Oreo to become a bigger player in the $71 billion global cake and pastry category.