Cool addition to pep-up RTDs

Rosie Davenport

rosie.davenport@william-reed.co.uk

Beverage Brands is continuing to buck the trend in the RTD sector by launching a new product to join its market-leading WKD line.

Caledonian Cooler is a mix of vodka, sparkling water and fruit and comes in two flavours - Orchard Apple and Arctic Strawberry.

Beverage Brands claims the 4% abv drink has the lowest calorie content of any of the big RTD brands and also compares favourably to other drinks. A 275ml bottle of Caledonian Cooler contains 87 calories compared to 104 in the Blueberry variant of the Bacardi Breezer Half Sugar range, which will be Caledonian Cooler's main rival.

Bacardi and Beverage Brands are among the few players still adding new products to the RTD market which, despite declining by 13%, is still worth £1bn in sales.

The launch will be supported by promotional activity, consumer and bar staff sampling, and PoS material, including posters, tent cards, drip mats and branded glassware. All promotional material will feature the strap-line "It's a girl thing" to appeal to the drink's target audience of women in their mid to late-20s.

Deborah Carter, brand controller at Beverage Brands, said: "Bacardi Breezer Half Sugar has done a good job in

take-home but hasn't done as much in

the on-trade. We felt there was a gap in the market and a need for innovation. Some of the people who used to drink RTDs five years ago have moved away and are drinking other products like wine or vodka and Coke. But they still want the portability of a premixed product. The way to bring them back is through innovation."