Client: Pols (Food Union Latvia)
Duration: Jan – Mar 2022
30
respondents in primary survey — 25 questions across purchase behaviour, brand perception, and collaboration openness
5
brands in competitive analysis with sensory testing across 5 criteria
40%
brand loyalty rate — highest in the Latvian ice cream market (Food Union, 2021)
1.3M
monthly views on Go3, Latvia's largest streaming platform at the time
Context & Challenge
A beloved brand
facing a new generation
Pols has been making ice cream in Latvia since 1971. The recipe has not changed. The polar bear on the packaging has not changed. And for decades, that consistency was the brand's biggest asset.
By 2022, Pols held the strongest loyalty score in the Latvian ice cream market. But the competitive landscape had shifted. New entrants were multiplying, and Gen Z, the most frequent ice cream consumers according to Food Union data, were the hardest to reach through traditional channels.
The challenge was not to reinvent Pols. It was to give it a reason to be discovered by people who had never grown up with it.
Gen Z spends an average of 2h 55min per day on social media, making digital the primary channel for brand discovery in this cohort.
World Economic Forum / Statista, 2019
69% of consumers who had previously bought Pols returned to purchase again, confirming strong retention but limited new audience acquisition.
Food Union Latvia, 2021
50% of global internet users aged 18–34 actively used streaming platforms in 2019, a figure that accelerated through 2020–2022.
Statista, 2022
Strategic Analysis
SWOT: reading the brand
Conducted as part of the secondary research phase, drawing on Food Union Latvia data, market reports, and primary survey findings.
Strengths
A brand people
come back to
- 40% loyalty rate — highest in the Latvian ice cream market
- 69% repurchase rate among existing buyers
- Strongest top-of-mind recall: first brand named by the majority of Gen Z respondents surveyed
- Affordable price point accessible to most consumer segments
- Consistent product quality across decades; taste scores led all five brands tested
Weaknesses
Built for loyalty,
not discovery
- Limited presence on digital and social channels where Gen Z discovers brands
- Local brand with no meaningful path to international expansion
- Packaging perceived as dated compared to premium competitors
- Vulnerable to supply chain disruption and ingredient cost inflation
- No current differentiation strategy beyond product quality and price
Opportunities
New formats,
same product
- Growing Gen Z appetite for brand collaborations and co-branded experiences
- Streaming platforms actively seeking FMCG co-branding partners (Go3 × Citadele precedent)
- Horizontal line extension: added value without product reformulation
- Rising demand for flavour innovation and limited-edition formats
- Influencer and creator economy as a low-cost brand discovery channel
Threats
Pressure from
both sides
- Increasing health consciousness shifting Gen Z away from traditional ice cream
- Seasonal demand cycles make revenue unpredictable and hard to plan around
- New market entrants targeting the same affordable-comfort positioning
- Inflation raising input costs with limited room to pass increases to price-sensitive buyers
- Stricter EU food labelling and packaging regulations increasing compliance burden
Strategic read
Pols does not have a quality problem or a loyalty problem. It has a discovery problem. The brand's strengths are all retention-oriented — they keep existing buyers returning, but do little to attract a generation that has never encountered it. That is the gap the Go3 partnership was designed to close.
Research
Three layers of analysis to map the opportunity
01
Secondary Research
I mapped the macro environment through a PESTELE analysis of the Latvian ice cream market and built a SWOT of the Pols brand, drawing on data from Euromonitor, Food Union Latvia, and the Central Statistical Bureau.
02
Competitive Analysis
I built a perceptual map of 5 brands on price and comfort dimensions, and ran sensory testing with 10 participants across 5 criteria: touch, sight, sound, smell, and taste.
03
Primary Survey
I designed and ran a 25-question quantitative survey with 30 respondents, covering purchase behaviour, flavour preferences, brand associations, packaging attitude, and openness to brand collaborations.
Key survey findings
Pols was the most frequently named brand in top-of-mind recall. 24 of 30 respondents associated it with the word "delicious" — 21 of those were Gen Z.
14 of 30 respondents were open to brand collaborations, despite limited prior exposure to this format in the Latvian market.
Most Gen Z respondents did not read ingredient labels. Purchase decisions were driven by taste, packaging, and brand perception in that order.
Majority were willing to pay between 2 and 7 EUR per unit, confirming that price is not the main differentiator for Pols in this segment.
Sensory test scores (avg. out of 10)
| Brand | Sight | Taste | Avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pols | 8.4 | 8.9 | 8.2 |
| Ben & Jerry's | 8.6 | 8.5 | 8.2 |
| Ekselence | 7.2 | 7.0 | 7.4 |
| Avenei | 7.4 | 7.0 | 7.4 |
| TIO | 6.7 | 7.0 | 6.8 |
price vs. comfort
Partnership Concept
Same product.
New reason
to choose it.
My proposal was a horizontal line extension: keep the recipe, the price, and the format unchanged. Change only the packaging and add one thing inside the box — a promotional code for one free month on Go3, Latvia's largest streaming platform. I modelled the concept on Ben & Jerry's × Netflix, adapting it for the Baltic market with two local brands that had natural audience overlap.
Product
Pols Cream Chocolate Ice Cream, 500ml. Existing SKU, no reformulation required.
Packaging change
Go3 logo added to existing Pols packaging. Combined brand colours and cinema-themed design elements. A promotional code inside every pack for 1 month free on Go3.
Campaign slogan
"Ice cream is your perfect viewing partner."
Extension type
Horizontal. Price, taste, and format remain identical. Added value comes from the experience, not the product itself.
Partnership logic — what each party gains
Pols
Ice cream brand
New relevance with Gen Z without changing the product. Competitive differentiation through added experience value. Media access via Go3 channels and platform.
Go3
Streaming platform
Physical distribution channel via retail ice cream shelves. New trial users introduced through the promo code mechanic, with potential to convert to paid subscribers.
Gen Z consumer
Target audience
A product they already buy with an added benefit they actually use. The pairing of comfort food and streaming reflects a genuine and existing behaviour pattern.
perfect viewing partner"
Go-to-Market
Reaching Gen Z where they already are
Go3 platform
I proposed banner advertising and feature placement on the Go3 website and app. The promo code mechanic created a direct link between physical purchase and digital activation.
Latvian influencers
I recommended partnering with Latvian creators with strong Gen Z followings across Instagram and TikTok. Influencers to receive free products, discounts, and Go3 subscriptions in exchange for coverage.
In-store activation
Free sampling desks at retail locations where the collaborative ice cream would be stocked. Cinema-themed aisle design to reinforce the "viewing partner" positioning.
Social challenges
Cinema-themed quizzes and challenges on social media. Winners receive the co-branded ice cream pack. Designed to generate organic reach and awareness among younger audiences.
Go3 existing partnerships
Go3 had already demonstrated openness to brand collaboration via its Citadele bank partnership. This confirmed the platform as a viable and motivated co-branding partner.
Ben & Jerry's × Netflix
The global precedent I used as a reference model. A streaming platform and an ice cream brand targeting the same consumption moment, adapted here for two Latvian-market brands.