The big softie

PepsiCo products

Soft drinks are a key category all year around but sales soar at Christmas time. Make sure you are stocked up with all the key brands to take advantage of extra sales.

Brand Central

19 November 2010

Share this post:

As a category there is huge value to be seen in soft drinks this season. Brand managers are pushing the value message with multi-packs and strong point of sale and merchandising material available to retailers for the Christmas period. The sector has seen strong innovation throughout the past year and sees some new contenders in the market such as IRN-BRU. Be aware of some good alternatives to alcoholic beverages available for adults over the party season with brands like Schloer and Appletiser gaining momentum. These brands are carrying out effective marketing campaigns and will appeal to many who want something non-alcoholic yet different to enjoy during the festivities.

Ireland’s favourite soft drinks

PepsiCo products

PepsiCo products continue to offer consumers value year round and Christmas time is no different. 7UP, 7UP Free, Pepsi and Pepsi Max, Ireland’s favourite soft drink brands, will all be offering great value on cans and two litre packs this Christmas. This offer is sure to drive sales and margin of these packs in all stores over the Christmas season. The value campaign will be supported by a nationwide advertising campaign on purchase points and trolley handles, ensuring that it’s an offer not to be missed.
PepsiCo continue to communicate with its key audiences in fresh and innovative ways. This year 7UP is celebrating its eight year of Christmas on Ice, with the announcement of an extra special venue on the rooftop terrace of Arnotts Department store, in addition to the RDS. Visit www.7upchristmasonice.ie for more information.
7UP Free also ran a successful summer campaign focusing on the ‘Simple Pleasures’, while Pepsi Max ran a series of Roadshows culminating in a trip of a lifetime to South Africa. The brands continue to support in-store promotions with interactive online competitions and cutting edge advertising campaigns, ensuring fun for all who engage with them.

IRN-BRU invests in Ireland

IRN-BRU

Scottish drinks manufacture AG Barr owners of the popular IRN-BRU have invested in Ireland, increasing its marketing investment and appointing a country manager.
Barrs IRN-BRU is the soft drinks choice of the Scottish nation. Made to a secret recipe, containing iron and delivering a unique taste, IRN-BRU offers something very different from anything else on the market. The recipe for IRN-BRU has always been a closely guarded secret kept within the Barr family and is currently known only by former chairman Robin Barr, his daughter Julie Barr who is the fifth generation of the Barr family to hold the secret formulae for IRN-BRU, and one other A.G.Barr board director whose name remains confidential.
IRN-BRU which now represents 50% of total company sales has led a strong business performance in 2010 supported by a number of other established brands which are delivering consistent sales growth. These include Strathmore Spring Water, Rubicon Exotic Juice Drinks, Simply Fruity and the Barr range of flavoured carbonates which have grown by 64% in the last three years and is now worth over £20 million. Strathmore is the number one brand in the UK on-trade and Rubicon continues to outperform in the market, the total Rubicon Brand has extended its number one status in exotic juice +53 growth* *(Source: Nielsen Value Sales & Growth, FD&FJ Brands, and 52we MAT’s 04.09.2010 – Total Coverage.)
Barr’s are also the franchise partner of Schweppes International Limited in the UK. Barr’s also have a strong partnership with Rockstar Inc. to sell and distribute the Rockstar energy drink brand in Ireland and the UK. Rockstar has delivered massive growth this year – up 48% and AG Barr will continue to invest significantly in growing the brand further in 2011. (Source: Nielsen we 04.09.10 latest MAT, Value Growth – Total coverage).

Add some sparkle to Christmas!

Appletiser

Whether entertaining friends or visiting family a bottle of Appletiser is the perfect way to celebrate in style. Only the best ingredients are used to create the great taste of this refreshing soft drink making it a guilt free alternative to alcohol and 100% pure for kids to enjoy too.
Bubbling with personality, there is no other sparkling juice on the market with the purity and premium presentation of Appletiser. It is the ideal alternative to alcohol for the Christmas season. Not only does it look stylish on the dining table but it’s also good for you.
One of your five a day, Appletiser is preservative free; colourant free and additive free. Its colour is natural; it is 100% juice with light carbonation. The sugar in Appletiser is natural and comes only from the apples making it low GI.
Appletiser has won International Taste Awards from chefs and sommeliers at the International Taste & Quality Institute (ITQI) and is a perfect accompaniment with food as apple naturally clears the pallet. Available in various pack formats: 275ml glass bottle, 330ml can and 750ml glass bottle.
You could call it festive indulgence without the guilt! For further information, contact the customer service centre on 003531890262226

Cidona is top of the tree this Christmas

Cidona

Ireland’s number one apple soft drink (AC Nielsen) is top of the tree when it comes to taking a bite out of thirst. Since it came into fruition back in Clonmel, Tipperary in 1955, Cidona has been the sparkling apple of Irish eyes and continues to be a firm favourite with today’s consumers thanks to its unique crisp and refreshing taste. Offering exceptional value and savings to Irish consumers in the lead up to Christmas, look out for Cidona promotional packs in store. Cidona is available in 2L, 500ml and pub formats nationwide.

A Christmas number one

Club Orange

Club Orange is a guaranteed Christmas number one in the citrus drinks category (AC Nielsen). Bursting with real fruit juice, great taste and real orange bits, Club Orange is one of Ireland’s most successful, lively and best loved iconic brands. Bringing the real bits to the festive season since 1945 Club offers consumers a refreshing range of fruit flavours such as Orange, Lemon and of course the iconic Rock Shandy. Club’s soft drinks family also extends to the thirst quenching Club Diet Orange made with real fruit juice and fruit bits with no added sugar. Club also continues to offer outstanding value to customers with in-store promotions during the season. To keep up to date with all the Club’s crucial bits and promotional activity become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ClubSomeBitsAreCrucial

The perfect partner this Christmas

Club range

Club Mixers is Ireland’s second largest mixer brand (AC Nielsen). For well over a century the Club Mixer family has been creating a stir through homes and pubs across Ireland. Using only the best quality and the most natural ingredients Club Mixers has unrivalled expertise in the Irish drinks market and is the first to introduce Ginger Ale and Soda Water to our drinking glasses. The iconic Irish brand also boasts the widest variety of flavours in the market including Tonic, Ginger Ale, Soda Water and White Lemonade. The perfect partner to your spirit during the Christmas season, Club Mixers is available in 1.25L bottles and pub formats in outlets nationwide.

Straight from the spring

Country Spring twinpack

Country Spring is Ireland’s big value three litre bottle. Made from pure Irish spring water and available in eight flavours – Orange, Cola, Lemon & Lime, Red Lemonade, White Lemonade, American Cream Soda, Apple and Sugar Free Orange – there is a product to suit every taste in the family. The 3L bottle, now flashed at €1.49, presents an attractive offering to both retailers and consumers.
This year Country Spring developed the new 2L bottles for €2.50 twinpack, which has proved hugely successful and is available for added value through the Christmas period. The twinpack comes in Orange, Cola, Lemon & Lime and Red Lemonade.
Seen as an attractive offering for the value conscious consumer, Country Spring offers 3L for the price of other 2L brands. The brand has seen significant growth throughout 2010 and is hoping to expand on this success into 2011.

Get some Monster Energy

Monster Energy

Monster Energy is the number one energy drink in the USA because of its great taste, value and range of flavours. Monster continues to grow in Ireland for the same reason, with sales having doubled in the last year.
Distributed nationwide by Gleesons, Monster has a strong presence on the ground, working closely with retailers to grow their energy category through straightforward promotions and other in-store activities. In addition the Monster support team in their distinctive Monster vans provides a valuable in-store support service to retailers.
For the consumer, Monster Energy gives twice the buzz. For the same price as a small 250ml can, the Monster 500ml can offers great taste, great flavours, and great value.
So use the iconic green Monster claw as the signpost to your energy category and remember to give the extra space to the brands that are growing, not the ones that are starting to decline.

Shloer makes festive sales sparkle

Shloer

Shloer, Ireland’s best selling adult soft drinks brand, is expecting to celebrate another spectacular sales performance this Christmas thanks to the backing of a comprehensive sales-boosting support package throughout 2010.
Supplied by SHS Sales & Marketing, Shloer saw a staggering 200% increase in sales last Christmas. The sparkling Christmas performance topped a bumper year for the brand which sold 75% more bottles in 2009 than in 2008, taking the brand’s share of the €2.75 million total adult soft drinks sales to 40% and widening Shloer’s lead over its competitors.
The momentum has continued during 2010 thanks to the brand’s ‘Best Served Shared’ marketing campaign, and Shloer is encouraging retailers to ensure they include the brand in their soft drinks range to avoid missing out on a bumper incremental sales opportunity over Christmas when the brand is being supported with special festive deals and free POS materials available via the Shloer POS Hotline (Tel: + 44 800 9173450).
And to create extra interest at Christmas a seasonal e-newsletter is being sent out to 31,000 consumers directing them to the Shloer website to enter a Christmas competition to win festive prizes.
“We always see big uplifts in sales at Christmas, as this is when the brand really comes into its own, but last December Shloer sales went through the roof,” says Amanda Grabham, marketing controller at Shloer.
“Year after year, Shloer delivers incremental sales at Christmas and retailers who don’t include the brand in their range, and those stockists who don’t increase the number of facings or their stocks of Shloer over the festive period, are missing out on these additional sales.
“With all of the support we’ve put behind the brand this year, our record of exceptional Christmas sales and a great support package, we’re confident that the scene is set for another sparkling performance from Shloer this Christmas.”
Source: Nielsen Scantrack

Sqeez: Worth every cent

Sqeez

Sqeez is the number one selling ambient fruit juice brand in Ireland, outselling the nearest branded competitor by nearly 3:1 (AC Nielsen Scantrack October 2010). The brand has been supported by strong above the line activity throughout 2010 with the ‘Love Every Drop’ TV campaign.
In response to changing market conditions and increasing commodity prices, Sqeez will be reinforcing its position as brand leader with the new ‘Worth Every Cent’ message on 1L Orange and Apple packs. Sqeez will proudly continue to support ‘Love Irish Food’- an initiative led by Irish manufacturing brands to promote Irish food and drink brands in the Republic of Ireland.
Follow the brand on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ SqeezPureOrange.

Tipperary Kidz

Tipperary Kidz

Tipperary Kidz water is the perfect water for packed lunches and for quick re-hydration throughout the day. Designed especially for kids, Tipperary Kidz water comes in an easy to hold bottle with a fun sports cap for instant refreshment. Not only is it fun for kids but parents can be happy too in the knowledge that water is the healthiest option. Launched in 2003 and available in a 10 pack or singles, Tipperary Kidz continues to lead the way in the kid’s water category.

Tipperary Natural Mineral Water

Tipperary Natural Mineral Water

Tipperary Natural Mineral Water offers a large selection of product sizes to meet all the needs of the Irish consumer.
The Tipperary Natural Mineral Water Sports Range, or ‘Tipp Active’ is available in 500ml, 750ml and 1L sport cap. The specially designed ergonomic bottle is perfect for those who lead an active lifestyle. In 2009 Tipperary Natural Mineral Water also launched the new flip-top cap for the 500ml Tipp Active Sports range. This easy-open bottle top is not only innovative, but more environmentally friendly. The Tipp Active 500ml range has also been expanded with a number of packs offering Irish consumers even better value.
Tipperary Natural Mineral Water is also available in a 1.5L and 2L sizes for all the family.
The Clearly Tipperary range offers sparkling flavoured water in both 500ml and 2-litre bottles. The 25cl and 75cl glass sizes are the natural choice for dining out or dining in.
Given the exceptional nature of Tipperary Natural Mineral Water, it is the water of choice for all of Ireland’s Michelin starred Restaurants – sitting proudly in some of the Irelands finest dining outlets.

The new Finches 50% extra free

Finches offer great value for Christmas

This Christmas sees the arrival of the new Finches 2 litre 50% extra free. The pack offers customers a great tasting premium product, at a low price, available in Orange, Orange Light and Rock Shandy.
Finches 1.5 litre mixers offer fantastic value for consumers. Finches is a half litre larger than other mixers available, but at a great price. The brand will have a variety of offers available across the market place, to ensure retailers maximise their mixer sales. The Finches 1.5 litre range includes Tonic, Tonic Light, Soda Water, Ginger Ale and White Lemonade.

Share this post: