|
|
|
You can get e-magazine links on WhatsApp. Click here
|
|
|
|
|
|
Coca-Cola launches Minute Maid Pulpy Orange
|
|
Saturday, 24 February, 2007, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
|
|
Our Bureau, Hyderabad
|
lpy Orange,' a juice from its global Minute Maid range for the Indian market. It would be available at Rs 25 for 400 ml and Rs 60 for one litre. Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka will be part of the phased launch of the product. John Ustas, CEO of Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages Pvt Ltd, said, in the next two months Minute Maid Pulpy Orange would be retailed across 25,000 outlets in the three southern states.
With this launch, the company hopes to cash in on the changing preferences of consumers, who are increasingly becoming health-conscious. To start with, the company is introducing only the orange flavour, and will be positioned in groceries, large format stores, eating and drinking outlets, convenience stores etc, while targeting the young adults looking out for naturally refreshing, juice drink.
Venkatesh Kini, vice president, marketing, said initially the pulp would be imported from Florida and other ingredients from Brazil. In the near future, the manufacturing would be done at the company's plant in Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh.
In recent years, both Coca-Cola and its arch rival PepsiCo have been expanding their non-cola and health-based portfolio in the US and other markets because consumers are shifting away from sugar-heavy carbonated drinks to healthier beverages. Coca-Cola already markets mango juice under the Maaza brand, competing in the packaged juice segment, which is roughly 10% of the total juice market in the country at 50 million cases per annum.
At around Rs 350-400 crore, the juice market in India is too small to make any significant difference to the revenue of either company. However, the market has been growing at around 30-40% a year over the past two years. In contrast, cola sales declined in 2003, 2004 and 2005, mainly because of allegations regarding the presence of pesticide residues in the drinks, before bouncing back last year.
Pepsi has a significant presence in the market with its Tropicana brand. By some estimates, Dabur Foods' Real is the market leader in juices, with more than 55% market share; Tropicana is the second-largest player with a share of about 30%. The rest of the market is fragmented among several other companies, some of which are regional.
Coca-Cola India has said in the past that it intends to be the "complete beverages solutions" company and the launch of Minute Maid takes it a step closer to that goal.
The choice of Hyderabad and the orange flavour is deliberate: The Southern market is big on non-cola drinks.
"Based on the response, it will introduce apple and mixed berry flavours as well," said sources close to the development, who added that the company could eventually launch other soft drink offerings of Minute Maid.
Minute Maid, a brand which was launched across the world in1945 before it was acquired by Coca-Cola in 1960, is the first non-carbonated product from the Coke stable after the launch of Georgia in tea and coffee in 2003. The Minute Maid brand comprises orange juice and blends, other light beverages, lemonades, punches and many more non-soda beverages.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|