SOFT drinks giant AG Barr is gearing up for Diwali, the festival of lights, which falls, this year, on 23 October.
Its exotic drinks brand, Rubicon, will be advertised across ethnic TV channels. During Diwali last year Rubicon sold over £2m- worth of PMPs.
“Diwali is celebrated by 1.2m in the UK, and has the potential to deliver over £9m at retail value,” said Adrian Troy, Barr’s head of marketing. To capture those consumers, Rubicon and Sun Exotic will be available in one-litre packs price-marked at £1.29 or two for £2.
“Rubicon is the UK’s top exotic juice drink brand according to Nielsen and the number one soft drink for British Asian consumers, half of whom drink it nowadays,” said Troy. “The large pack sizes are particularly important during the Diwali period to cater for families gathering together to celebrate.”
Aside from the festival of lights, Troy identifies exotic juice drinks, overall, as a growing sub-category, quoting Nielsen figures showing growth of 40% in the past two years. Further Nielsen research shows that during 2013, Rubicon attracted more than 9,000 new mainstream consumers every day with 10m mainstream consumers now drinking the brand.
It hopes its new Coconut Water – available in one-litre take-home packs and 330ml impulse packs –will attract new shoppers. Troy suggests many consumers are priced out of coconut water at present.
