Rubicon, the UK’s number one exotic juice drink brand*1, has led the way in the creation of a new exotic drinks category which has grown by an impressive 40% over the past two years*2. To capitalise on this, A G Barr is investing £2m in brand support to enable retailers to profit from this sales opportunity.
The brand activity will be spearheaded by nationwide TV advertising, targeting both ethnic and mainstream shoppers, product sampling and profit-boosting NPD.
TV advertising
Rubicon will attract new and existing consumers to the brand with a £2m spend, including a National TV campaign during July and August. This will complement advertising across 10 Ethnic TV channels covering Pakistani, Indian, Sri Lankan and Bangladeshi audiences from March to December. The campaign will be supported by online and digital activity.
The two 30-second ‘Love the Exotic’ TV adverts highlight the brand’s authentic, exotic taste credentials, reinforcing Rubicon as a must-stock brand for all retailers.
New Lychee variant
Rubicon NPD has delivered £12m in the last three years, with its 500ml Stills range delivering over £2.5m retail sales in the six months since it launched*3.
To build on this success, Rubicon is adding a new Lychee variant to the 500ml Stills range which is the first lychee 500ml impulse SKU in the market.
“Lychee is Rubicon’s fastest growing flavour at 15% MAT*4,” says Troy. “With demand for authentic, exotic drinks growing, we are confident that this success will carry over into this new Still variant, generating fresh profits for retailers.”
Sampling Campaign
A G Barr has introduced over 4 million new consumers to Rubicon via sampling campaigns over the past five years, with more than 50% of people sampled going on to purchase.*5
In 2013, A G Barr is maintaining a heavyweight investment in sampling with a national summer campaign, in which 500,000 samples will be distributed to both core consumers and mainstream consumers at events and locations including Mela events, festivals and high streets.
The activity comes as Rubicon continues to outperform the soft drinks market, growing at 8% per cent YOY*6 and generating £40m of profit for retailers and wholesalers each year.*3
“During 2012, 11,000 new consumers started drinking Rubicon every day*5,” says Adrian Troy, Head of Marketing for A G Barr. “The brand represents a continually growing profit opportunity for retailers.”
This growth has been boosted by the changing population and tastes of the UK.
“The ethnic population has doubled in size since 1991 and now stands at 9 million, up from 4.5 million in 2001*7,” says Troy. “The ethnic population is expanding rapidly and the ethnic shopper base is now significant right across the country. By 2021, ethnic shoppers will make up nearly a quarter of the population*7.”
Rubicon is also experiencing impressive growth amongst mainstream shoppers who are seeking authentic, exciting flavours. In the last 12 months, Rubicon attracted more than 9,000 new mainstream consumers every day with 9 million now drinking it*5.
“As a result, Rubicon is not only a core ethnic brand, but also a fast growing mainstream national brand,” says Troy. “Retailers need to redefine their ranges to ensure that they reflect changing populations and tastes. We recommend that retailers stock up on a variety of formats to make the most of this fantastic profit opportunity.”
Sources:
*1: Nielsen Scantrack, Value Sales, Exotic Juices, MAT to 02.02.13, Total Coverage
*2: AG Barr Sales Out Data & Nielsen Scantrack To 31/12/12
*3: Estimated Retail Value based on AG Barr Internal Sales Data
*4: Nielsen Scantrack, Value Sales, MAT to 30.03.13, Total Coverage
*5: TNS Omnibus/Ethnibus Aug 2012
*6: Nielsen Scantrack, Value Sales, MAT to 02.03.13, Total Impulse
*7: Census 2011
A G Barr
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