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News
Marketing – New Products
Best Fruit Forward – Diageo is poised to shake up the RTD category with its biggest UK launch in five years
Product name: Quinn’s
Contact details: Diageo GB, +44 (0) 20 8978 8608
Quinn’s, launching this month, is described as a “natural evolution of the RTD categoryâ€. The product is being labelled as “a fruit ferment blended drinkâ€, where everything is made from fruit, with no added sugar. Quinn’s will be available in the on- and off-trade, and will be the biggest Diageo GB launch in five years. Diageo is spending over £8.5 million on marketing Quinn’s in the first year, with a variety of advertising, below-the-line activity and in-store sampling planned for the brand. Made from fruit in a similar way that wine is made from grapes, and cider from apples, the product will challenge category boundaries – useful given the sharp decline of RTD sales. With three flavours: mango & passionfruit, raspberry & blueberry and orange & tropical fruits, Quinn’s has an ABV of 4% from the fermentation. The drink will be targeted at people in their mid to late 20s who want a refreshing drink in the early evening or at weekends. Initially available in 250ml bottles (rrp £1.50) and four-packs (rrp £5.79), a 70cl bottle is planned for launch in September.
Product name: Le Freak Shiraz Viognier, Vin de Pays d’Oc
Contact details: Guy Anderson Wines, +44 (0) 1460 271 720
Reviving the French tradition of co-fermentation, Le Freak is an attempt to make this style more accessible to consumers. Made by adding some Viognier grapes to Syrah, this style is usually prohibitively expensive, though Australian winemakers have been making this wine at a reasonable price. Now Thierry Boudinaud and Guy Anderson have returned the tradition to France, using a small Syrah vineyard between Narbonne and Carcassonne which Boudinaud discovered had Viognier grapes growing nearby. The 2003 vintage was all sold in the USA, but the 2004 vintage will be available at the Co-op for £5.99. The name is both a reference to the unconventional idea of mixing white with red grapes, as well as evidence of the fact that the French don’t always take their wine too seriously.
Product name: Laurent Miquel, St. Chinian, Bardou 2003
Contact details: HwCg, +44 (0) 1279 873 500
New to the UK market this month is Bardou 2003, from Languedoc-based winemaker, Laurent Miquel. The wine comes from the Syrah vines on a plot of land named Bardou. The plot, located in the tiny St. Chinian area, has belonged to Miquel since childhood. Its poor-quality soil gives the wine a distinct style. The Miquel estate has been run by the family since the French revolution – previously the property of the monks at nearby Fontcaude. Miquel believes that the soil in the Languedoc area is particularly suited to Syrah and Viognier, and focuses exclusively on these varietals. Bardou 2003 is available in the off-trade at an rrp of £11.99.
Product name: Smokehead
Contact details: Ian Macleod Distillers, +44 (0) 1506 852 205
Consumer research has shown that whisky drinkers either love or hate Islay malts. Ian Macleod Distillers have produced a single malt Scotch to appeal to those that love them. Smokehead’s flavour is not subtle, according to head of marketing, Iain Weir, who also describes it as, “a cannonball.†The packaging is not subtle either, with an embossed tin and the front label placed on the rear of the bottle to be read through the whisky, which all result in a strong brand character. Smokehead is available in selected bars and retailers in the UK, with an rrp of £19.99.
Product name: One World
Contact details: Chalié Richards, +44 (0) 870 850 4405
With plans to become the “urban wine brand of a new generationâ€, Chalié Richards is launching a new brand called One World. The brand will encompass wines from around the globe, starting with Orange Street from South Africa, and Ocean Point from Australia, with a red and a white wine from each. Chalié Richards, the wine division of Halewood International, conducted market research for 18 months, making use of consumer groups and field-level research. This research has resulted in a distinctive range with its modern packaging, targeted at 25-35 year olds. Central to its positioning is the rrp of £4.99, as well as marketing activity, which will include sampling at urban music festivals, trade and consumer sponsorship, and a focus on marketing on the internet. The brand will continue to expand, with Orchid Boulevard from Argentina planned to join later in the year.
Product name: Jenlain Six and Gold Bohemia
Contact details: Pierhead Purchasing, +44 (0) 20 8320 4467
Pierhead Purchasing has made two additions to its vast portfolio of international beers, the first being Jenlain Six, from the north of France. Brewed by family brewery Brasserie Duyck, the ale is available in 330ml and 650ml bottles (rrp £1.25 and £2.59), at 6% ABV. The second new addition is from the Czech Republic, renowned for quality lagers. Gold Bohemia is named after the central region of the country, where the brewery of Nymburk is located. It is available in 330ml and 500ml bottles (rrp £0.95 and £1.99). Marketing for both beers emphasises their food-pairing potential.
Product name: Isake Premium
Contact details: Isake uk Ltd, +44 (0) 79 5293 9066
Isake Premium is a saké made with an emphasis on its similarity to wine, being likened to the Sauvignon grape. It has been produced with a higher rice-milling rate and more ageing than is usual for this style. It results in a drink with a rounder finish that is intended as an accompaniment for all types of cuisine and can be blended for cocktails as well. Available in a number of sizes, 180ml, 300ml, 720ml and 1800ml (rrp £9.90, £15.90, £29.00 and £69.90 respectively), it is intended to be priced as an introduction for consumers to premium saké. The label, designed by Shun Matsuzaka, a young Japanese artist, reflects the intention to combine tradition and modernity.
Product name: BlueRidge
Contact details: Ehrmanns, +44 (0) 20 7418 1800
The BlueRidge range, from Bulgarian winery, Boyar Estates, has got a completely new look. This follows Ehrmanns’ appointment late last year as UK distributor for the range. The only aspect of the packaging that will remain the same is the distinctive cutaway Bordeaux bottle. The range has got new labelling that more clearly reflects the wine’s values. In addition, the range now makes use of Stelvin closures, the first Bulgarian winery to change to screwcaps. The range includes a Merlot, a Cabernet Sauvignon and a Chardonnay (rrp £3.99), as well as the BlueRidge XR range, consisting of a barrel-aged Chardonnay and Merlot (rrp £4.99).
db April 2006