Century-old brand Turtles candy accelerates renewal, aiming to 'break out of its shell'

After 110 years, Turtles candy is starting to pick up speed.

For most of its history, the caramel nut chocolate brand hasperformed steadily in the $55 billion candy market.

However, after years of being passed around among owners—includingNestléand a private equity firm—the brand found itself lacking meaningful innovation and marketing support to stand out amid the overwhelming choices facing consumers.

That situation finally changed under the brand's latest owner, Pladis. Pladis's parent company acquired Turtles in2013. The British snack company, which also manages Godiva chocolates, is expanding its appeal to a new generation of consumers by positioning Turtles as a premium alternative to ordinary candy bars.

"Last year we said it's time for Turtles to come out of its shell and become more visible," said Ahad Afridi, chief marketing officer of Pladis Americas. "We believe this brand can grow and attract more consumers, and that's what we're working toward."

Afridi said Turtles has been "growing steadily" since the acquisition. Over the past four years, sales have accelerated thanks to flavor innovations, increased visibility, and growing interest from some existing retailers.

In recent years, London-based Pladis has introduced seasonal flavors of Turtles, such as raspberry, as well as variations of the original, like dark chocolate and sea salt caramel. Last winter, Pladis even partnered with convenience store chain Circle K tolaunch Turtles hot chocolate, bringing the brand into new occasions and providing the company with insights into where Turtles might go beyond traditional confectionery.

This year, Turtles is capitalizing on Americans' love of peanuts with the launch of Turtles Peanut Caramel Nut Clusters—replacing the iconic pecans with peanuts and swapping the milk chocolate coating for a rich peanut butter fudge. Afridi said Pladis plans to chart further innovation for Turtles by adjusting ingredients—potentially trying variations with other nuts—and exploring other textures and formats.

Pladis has found that Turtles resonates with core consumer groups, especially nostalgic consumers who grew up with the brand, as well as people in the southeastern United States, where there is a particular preference for pecans.

However, the candy maker wants to broaden Turtles' audience base to attract younger consumers and generate more buzz for the brand. The company recently gave Turtles' packaging a comprehensive overhaul, focusing on subtle design tweaks to the logo to make it more prominent on the label.

Pladis is also increasing its investment in social media. Last year, it partnered with sprinter Sha'Carri Richardson on a campaign called "It's Slow Good," highlighting Turtles' premium attributes and encouraging consumers to take time to enjoy the candy's slow, gooey, crunchy experience.

Afridi said that in the highly competitive confectionery space, Turtles stands out thanks to its unique eating experience, recent innovations, and positioning as an affordable luxury.

"This is a brand we feel is different. The product is unique," he said. "It's a brand that's 110 years old but has been silent for 109, so it's time for it to shine."