We all understand that product innovation is the backbone of
growth and prosperity for any company. But the key thing to remember is it’s
not just about being new or different, it’s about creating brand new products
that consumers will adore, giving them something that they can relate to and appreciate.
This summer, in perfect time for the 2014 World Cup, numerous
soft drinks manufactures are innovating, releasing a ‘summer’ flavour. I’m not
going to go as far as to say that consumers will ‘adore’ these products but
during the World Cup period they can at least appreciate them, sampling
Brazil’s exotic flavours here in the UK.
Brands may not be explicitly promoting the World Cup, but
whether it’s coincidental or intentional, Brazil’s flavours are here for the
summer. Vimto is launching a Strawberry Still variant of its already very
successful NAS (No Added Sugar) range. According to their Brand Manager, Clare
Brown, “this
exciting new seasonal variant to the category… will drive growth with those
looking for a refreshing summer flavour.” Consumers will be looking for NAS
drinks to keep them refreshed over the summer months, but other brands are
actually looking to leverage the ‘World Cup Wave’ of consumerism mentioned in a
previous post; Glacéau
vitaminwater's World Cup 'Shoot to Win'.
Although Brazil is one of the
most important strawberry producers in South America, Strawberries don’t
make us think of the tropics. Pineapple however, does. Oasis’s latest
innovation is a Pineapple variant of their already successful range of fruity
flavours. Pineapple Rush is being released just in time for the World Cup. The
new variant has a new pack design, looking to deliver increased impact through refreshment
and flavour cues.
Although the new products mentioned above are being released
in time for the 2014 Brazil World Cup, they’re both tropical fruit flavours and
both of the fruits are grown in Brazil, the link to the World Cup is still tenuous.
Just Juice however, had no problems in explicitly riding the ‘World Cup Wave’. Just
Juice are launching a limited edition orange, mango and lime “Brazil blend”
juice drink this month.
Just Juice aren’t the only company who’ve decided that the
‘World Cup Wave’ is something worth riding. Volvic have released a new variant
CoCo Pineapple “inspired by Brazil” and Lucozade have released The Brazilian
Mango Mandarin variant.
You’ll notice that none of the products specifically mention
football. This is likely to be because the majority of the brands mentioned
above aren’t targeted at your typical football fan and we’re also likely to be
knocked out of the World Cup and consumers won’t want everything they drink to
remind them of football.
On a separate note, Just Juice’s limited edition “Brazil
blend” may be capitalising on the football but they haven’t forgotten about the
Tennis. Also, on limited edition this Summer is an on-pack
promotion to win a personal tennis lesson with John McEnroe. Sounds
familiar…
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