Soft landing!

To keep sales of soft drinks from falling flat, retailers must ensure they’re well stocked with options bursting with on-shelf appeal. Here, we provide a roundup of some of the must-have brands on offer

Brand Central

25 April 2023

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As is the case across the entire grocery industry, sustainability is now a major focus among consumers, and soft drinks are no exception. Bord Bia research found that six in 10 consumers across Ireland and the US are concerned by the impact of their beverage choice on the environment. Manufacturers are therefore striving to meet consumers’ concerns by making their packaging more environmentally. Today, there is widespread acknowledgment that the industry has been doing a good job in improving the sustainability of the beverages they produce, with 71% of consumers believing that to be the case.

Meanwhile, brands are also making real efforts to reduce sugar content in their beverages as heightened health and wellness consciousness has significantly impacted consumption of soft drinks in Ireland. According to Bord Bia’s Global Beverages Study, 71% of global respondents claim to go for the healthier option when choosing a non-alcoholic beverage.

Euromonitor International also outlined some interesting points in a recent report entitled ‘Soft Drinks in Ireland’, published in December 2022. Given the move to smaller, on-the-go formats, arising from increased mobility in Ireland, the analyst found some retailers have been benefiting more than others in 2022. For example, given more impulse purchases, smaller, local retailers, such as convenience stores and small local grocers, are expected to continue to enjoy higher distribution volume shares than in 2019. According to Euromonitor International, soft drinks in Ireland is expected to maintain positive off-trade volume growth in 2022, albeit marginal. Meanwhile, on-trade volume sales are also set to continue to experience double-digit growth, continuing on the post-pandemic road to recovery, yet not expected to return to the pre-pandemic level until the middle of the forecast five-year period.

FAI Official Hydration Partner

Republic of Ireland manager Stephen Kenny with Jamie McGrath, left, and Jason Knight, right, during the launch of the Britvic/FAI partnership

Energise Sport, the number number one Irish-produced sports drink, and Ballygowan Mineral Water, Ireland’s number one bottled water brand, both owned by Britvic Ireland, recently announced a four-year deal to become the Official Hydration Partner of the Football Association of Ireland.

The exclusivity of this partnership comes at an exciting time in the lrish sporting scene. Britvic Ireland, the largest manufacturer of soft drinks brands in the Republic of Ireland, and the FAI, the governing body for Irish football and the Republic of Ireland National Teams, are now set to align towards building and empowering community and connections in the country. This ties in perfectly as Energise is 100% produced in Dublin Ireland, and Ballygowan Water bottled at source in Newcastle West Limerick. Both brands are part of Love Irish Food.

The deal will see Energise Sport and Ballygowan Water supporting both the Ireland Men’s and Women’s National Teams, with the Men’s National Team kicking off their UEFA European Championship 2024 Qualifiers and the Women’s National Team getting set to play in this summer’s FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

As part of the partnership deal, Energise will ensure the Ireland National Team players are supplied with the optimal balance of water, carbohydrates, and electrolytes to hydrate faster for training and match endurance.

Ballygowan will be supporting the partnership with 190,000 bottles of Ballygowan water each year to ensure players have the optimal water intake to maintain a normal water balance during training and matches. All bottles are now made from 100% recycled plastic and are 100% recyclable.

Ireland fans will spot this new partnership at the Aviva Stadium, and over the next few years with Energise’s ambition to ‘Energise your Everything’ campaign which gears up in the coming months through core advertising, digital and social media activations, PR and retailer execution.

Kevin Donnelly, managing director of Britvic Ireland, described FAI as a superb partner for Britvic Ireland. “We are proud to collaborate with the FAI and to support our national soccer teams, men and women, with Energise and Ballygowan, trusted quality brands made in Ireland, delivering hydration and energy in fully recyclable packaging,” he said.

Load up your sales!

Club Loaded Energy is now available in 850ml bottles

Brimming with glucose and B vitamins, Club Loaded packs an energetic punch that will leave your customers charged to keep going and going…and well, you get it!

Taste buds are accelerated with Club Loaded, available in three vibrant and delicious flavours; The Glow (an elevation of the classic orange), The Rock (Rock Shandy with an energy infusion) and The Blaze (Tutti Fruity – a tropical twist).

‘Everyday energy’ is one of the fastest-growing take-home markets in Ireland. The brand’s bottles are 100% recyclable and are suitable for vegans and vegetarians, in line with Club’s fervent commitment to sustainability.

The 550ml bottles are proving particularly popular among adolescents and the new 850ml bottles now mean customers can ‘get loaded’ at home. They can just twist, recharge, and refresh.

Club Loaded is part of the long-established Irish Club brand, which has been quenching the nation’s thirst since 1930. The iconic brand has moved with the times, introducing new flavours and trends as the years have passed.

The launch of Club Loaded is an example of an Irish company with a loyal customer base fuelling growth and customer appetite.

On a mission to inspire a taste for full-on living, Club believes in squeezing every last drop out of its category and continues to adapt to a shifting customer base to deliver quality products that pack a punch.

Naturally functional and delicious alternative

SynerChi has expanded the flavour profiles that the brand offers within its Kombucha range

SynerChi ferments its authentic Kombucha in beautiful Gweedore Co. Donegal. Back in late 2012 when SynerChi started out as the first Irish kombucha brand, the team spent a lot of time explaining what kombucha was, what it tasted like, and what its unique benefits are. That’s now completely changed and kombucha has well and truly become ‘mainstream’. The live cultures, antioxidants and all the other ‘good stuff’ in kombucha are maybe the most exciting aspect – a naturally functional and delicious alternative to soft drinks.

From SynerChi’s perspective it has been exciting during the past few years to expand the flavour profiles that the brand offers, and to create very low sugar kombuchas too. It’s an exciting time to be working with live fermented drinks, from a scientific and nutritional perspective the knowledge in terms of the central importance of a healthy gut to support health and immune function is only deepening, and including a range of live cultures in the diet daily is now recommended by top nutritionists and doctors to support everything from basic healthy digestion to mental health – the power of the microbiome, even the psychobiome (gut – brain axis) is not to be underestimated, and the best way we can support ourselves is to consume fresh whole foods and live cultures (kombucha) daily.

Number one impulse water

After 22 consecutive months of growth in the market, Deep RiverRock is now Ireland’s number one water brand for on-the-go consumption

Deep RiverRock is now the number one impulse water brand on the island of Ireland, as verified by NielsenIQ February Value Sales Report*. After 22 consecutive months of growth in the market, Deep RiverRock, which is sourced beneath the glacial hill of Co Antrim, has become the number one go-to brand for on-the-go consumption.

Introduced to the market in 1994, Deep RiverRock is rich in minerals such as calcium, magnesium, potassium and sodium, all naturally occurring within the source. In 2021, Deep RiverRock embarked on a new strategic direction with the launch of it’s Nice One! campaign reflecting the brand’s positive, feel good and irreverent tone of voice with the support of its brand ambassador and comedian Tony Cantwell.

In 2022, Deep RiverRock ViTAL was launched, giving consumers a refreshing new vitamin enhanced water and juice drink packed full of deliciousness to support the mind and body. The juicy vitamin boost contains important vitamins and minerals that support mental performance, cognitive function and for energy boost throughout the day. The campaign, ‘Skip to the ViTAL stuff’, set out to cut through the noise for a time poor Gen Z audience and deliver only the ViTAL information – Deep RiverRock ViTAL is the juicy vitamin boost!

With a commitment to sustainability, Deep RiverRock was the first water range on the island of Ireland to move to 100% recycled bottles in 2019. The brand continues to innovate to eliminate unnecessary plastic from its packaging making the Deep RiverRock bottle one of the lightest on the market and reducing plastic through smaller bottle caps.

Shane McQuaid, brands marketing manager said the achievement marks “a significant milestone for Deep RiverRock in claiming the number one spot as the most popular impulse water brand on the island of Ireland”.

“Since launching in 1994, the brand has transformed the market,” he added, “leading the way in sustainability with the first 100% recycled bottles in 2019 and the launch of new flavours and our new vitamin enhanced water and juice drink ViTAL in 2022. Deep RiverRock reflects a modern, optimistic and changing Ireland, one where sustainability and health are key to the consumer. 2023 will present another exciting year for the brand with a lot more to come!”

For more details, visit Instagram: @deep_riverrock Facebook: @DeepRiverRock #DeepRiverRock.

Limited summer edition

As the days grow long and Ireland gears up for all the pleasures of warm weather, Red Bull unveils this year’s Red Bull Summer Edition Juneberry. This limited-time offering will be available beginning in mid-May.

Revive your sales!

Entering the Irish market just over 10 years ago, Monster is Ireland’s number one stimulant energy brand and consistently contributes to the energy category in both value and volume growth, delivering almost 30% growth in YTD February*.

Innovation has been one of the most important key pillars for the Monster performance in recent years and this year’s new product developments (NPDs) are performing exceptionally well; Lewis Hamilton Zero Sugar, Aussie Lemonade and Ultra Rosa are all contributing significantly to the brand’s growth (+31%).

BPM is a fully Irish produced and consumed brand, created in Ireland for the Irish people. It is currently the fastest growing energy brand in the Republic of Ireland, with a growth rate of over 40% in YTD February data*. BPM Focus is a top five energy SKU in ROI and the brand has just launched BPM Peach Revive in time for summer and advises retailers to stock up now.

*(Source: Nielsen ROI)

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