Cola innovation

The largest category in the on-trade has long been dominated by two main players, but other brands are now getting in on the act

Colas are getting a health and wellness makeover as witnessed by Pepsi's much heralded launch of Pepsi Raw. Created to provide a premium cola choice at the bar, the drink is made from natural plant extracts with no artificial colours, preservatives, flavourings or sweeteners.

Paul Linthwaite, on-premise business unit director at Britvic, says the cola category is maturing and "needs rejuvenation to drive further growth.

"As with many other on-premise drinks categories, the soft-drink growth is being driven by premium offerings with our research (Cardinal Cola) indicating 53% of people will pay more for a quality drink."

Raw's potential as a mixer is another plus. "We have worked closely with IP Bartenders to create premium spirit pairings, providing licensed retailers with the opportunity to generate excitement and intrigue across spirit categories and drive sales through signature drinks," adds Linthwaite.

Red Bull is also in on the act with the launch of a premium 100% natural cola. Red Bull Simply Cola claims to be the only cola that contains both the original kola nut and the coca leaf. There are no preservatives, additives, phosphoric acid, artificial colourings or flavours. It comes in 250ml cans for the on-trade.

Nigel Trood, Red Bull UK managing director, says, "For 20 years, consumers in the UK have been using Red Bull energy drink when in need of a lift. We are now pleased to offer a premium and completely natural cola. It has taken us years to create a product of the highest quality and worthy of the Red Bull name."

Coca-Cola Enterprises continues to soar with its "three-cola strategy", originally designed to balance its portfolio. Coca-Cola remains the UK's best-selling soft drink, worth over £500m and currently in +7.7% growth, while Diet Coke and Coca-Cola Zero individually target the different sexes.

Diet Coke, which primarily targets female consumers with its ad campaigns featuring the Diet Coke "hunk", is phasing out preservative sodium benzoate (E211) from its brand in the UK. The preservative is being removed after the rise in consumer demand for more natural products.

Coke Zero, the zero sugar drink, launched two years ago, lives up to its nickname of "Bloke Coke"and is the most successful new food and beverage launch of the past three years, according to data from AC Nielsen.