Pimm’s welcomes summer with new flavour

Diageo is prepping Pimm’s for British summer with the introduction of another new special edition flavour variant to the range.

April will see the brand launch Pimm’s Strawberry with a Hint of Mint, which is based on its gin-led No.1 Cup and will be backed by a “six-figure” UK marketing investment.

The move follows Diageo’s 2013 introduction of a Blackberry & Elderflower version of the fruit cup, while last year saw the group backtrack on a decision to end production of the brand’s No.6 Vodka Cup after a public outcry.

These additions to the range follow a wider trend for flavoured spirits, which Nielsen data to October 2014 show as enjoying 15% growth in the UK off-trade, 10% ahead of the non-flavoured spirits category.

Introducing this new expression, Pimm’s marketing manager Joanne Segesser said: “Pimm’s is intrinsically linked to British summertime fun – last year we outsold other specialty spirit brands three-fold, increasing our market share from 21% to 46%.”

She highlighted “a real appetite amongst consumers to try new an exciting flavours,” noting that the earlier Blackberry & Elderflower launch “proved very successful in driving category growth, recruiting 40% more new shoppers to the Pimm’s brand and driving incremental sales.”

Pimm’s Strawberry with a Hint of Mint will be available in three formats: 70cl bottle, with an RRP of £15 or £11.99 for a price-marked pack, one-litre bottle with an RRP of £21, or pre-mix can with an RRP of £2.