Family focus: Family affair

BRITVIC IS a pub supplier that has worked hard to develop products for the family market in recent years, and a raft of research makes this seem a wise decision.

Pure juice, driven largely by parents' concerns for their children's health, is a sub-sector showing substantial growth. Its value shot up three per cent last year, according to data gathered for the Britvic Soft Drinks Report 2007 by Nielsen.

Parents are more likely to avoid alcohol and choose a soft drink when in the pub with their kids, according to independently-conducted research commissioned by Brivic. At least one adult in the party is likely to be a driver, the report adds.

Consumer research by Nunwood in June 2006 found 65 per cent prefer the 125ml and 200ml bottles that Britvic switched to in favour of smaller bottles for its mixers range in 2007.

These stats indicate the very different concerns that apply when providing drinks for different family members. To this end, Britvic has focused on differentiating its range so that some juice and packaging appeals specifically to adults and some specifically to children.

It is stretching the definition of a soft drink to include stylish large serves (for example, the now ubiquitous J20) at one end of the scale and products which can be marketed as healthy and fun (Robinsons Fruit Shoot) at the other.

Paul Linthwaite, business unit director for on-premise at Britvic, says: "Robinsons Fruit Shoot revolutionised the kids drinks market in 2000 with the introduction of a ready-to-drink juice in a cool sports bottle. In keeping with the 'better for you' trend, Robinsons Fruit Shoot 100% Juice was introduced last year."

Speaking about targeting adult soft drinkers, he adds: "In October, we launched new-look packaging for the existing Pressed and Squeezed pure juice range within the on-premise while renaming the products OJ and AJ in an aim to create a bar call."

So, Britvic is targeting the family market but are you? The following advice from the company should help:

• Train your barstaff to sell soft drinks alongside food
• Use point-of-sale material, particularly at weekends and lunchtimes, when customers are more likely to visit as a family unit and less likely to want alcohol. Use chalkboards away from the bar
• Offer premium packaged soft drinks as well as draught as most adults prefer, and are willing to pay more for, a packaged soft drink
• Offer specific children's brands
• Stock a comprehensive range of big name brands in the right formats and make them as visible as possible to customers
• Promote larger servings of both draught and packaged
• Chill your premium range - half of all customers will pay more for cold drinks
• Serve draught in hi-ball glasses with ice and fruit and offer glasses with bottled drinks
• Offer jugs of premium packaged soft drinks or soft drink cocktails