Kopparberg launches new cider flavour

Kopparberg is rolling out a new flavour, following a successful three-month trial through several Orchid venues.

The new strawberry & lime variant will be listed in some Mitchells & Butlers, Barracuda and Belhaven sites from this month, with more pubs and bars to follow, says Davin Nugent, UK managing director of Kopparberg-owner Cider of Sweden.

"The trial was a runaway success, so much so we could barely keep up with demand, a trend that is continuing," Nugent said. "Now, as the rollout is happening, we are selling out of every shipment."

The decision to launch the strawberry & lime flavour came as a response to demand from consumers who had tasted it in Spain and were asking where they could get hold of it back in the UK.

"We decided to trial the flavour first as we weren't sure what impact it would have on the mixed fruit variant, which we launched back in October 2007," explained Nugent.

"However, it didn't cannibalise sales from the rest of the range — in fact we experienced an uplift in sales across the whole brand in venues where it was sold."

The company isn't planning on a consumer launch campaign, but will be investing in some trade marketing to raise overall awareness in the on-trade.

It will benefit from the £3m marketing investment in the brand this year, however, which will include cinema ads launched last month, a press campaign and online activity.

The brand has already found success with other unusual flavour combinations such as elderflower & lime, which launched in March 2009 and is the best-selling variant in its home market of Sweden, as well as Finland.