Ribena’s sweet success in declining syrup market Rosemary RYan
HOW does a 66-year old brand manage record double digit growth as its category is in decline?
For GlaxoSmithKline and its kid-targeted blackcurrant syrup brand Ribena the answer has been a major refocus on the strategy around the brand, aimed at fully exploiting the qualities of the brand, which includes high consumer awareness levels and strong consumer loyalty.
As it heads into its peak selling period, the coughs and colds season, the brand is registering 26% growth in value for the first quarter of this year compared to the previous year, while the category it’s in, syrups and cordial, has suffered a 9% decline (Aztec MAT).
The strong performance follows moves by GSK two years ago as part of a strategy to inject new energy into a brand identified as one of a series of “priority” brands in the GSK portfolio.
They were brands identified as offering the most opportunities for accelerated growth, according to GSK business manager, enterprise Andrew Leakey. “Ribena was identified very early on in the process as being a brand that presented major opportunities if the right resources were put behind it,” Leakey said.
Leakey said the new push followed a period of supply problems for the product, as well as a decision to bring it back into GSK after it had been licensed.
“[Ribena] hadn’t had a lot of attention, it had done a bit of hibernating,” Leakey said.
Leakey said the strategy behind the growth had included a major boost in advertising investment, a return to TV advertising after a two year break, the introduction of new packaging that met identified consumer demands, and a redesign of the look of the packaging aimed at giving the Ribena range a more contemporary look.
The packaging redesign has included the introduction of larger pack sizes and a ready-to-drink product in ‘Squee-zee’ packaging that targeted the tween market, a segment of which had previously been neglected.
There are now 10 different packaging formats in the Ribena range compared with six two years ago. The strategy has also included a strong emphasis on consumer and value-added promotions.
Last week Ribena launched its key winter push with an created by Grey Worldwide in New Zealand, which continues the use of its familiar “ribenaberry” animated characters and the key long-time message that Ribena delivers four times the Vitamin C of oranges, and contains no artificial colours, flavours or sweeteners.
