Ocean Spray®, the cranberry juice brand, is bringing innovation to the juice category with the launch of a different, sweeter type of cranberry juice drink, Ocean Spray® Pink Cranberry, with vitamin C and no added sugar, artificial colours or flavourings.
New Pink Cranberry is also filled with purpose as Ocean Spray has pledged to donate five pence from every carton sold to breast cancer trust The Pink Ribbon Foundation.
Launching into the ambient aisle in Morrisons, Sainsbury’s and independent stores from the end of October (RRP £1.85), Ocean Spray® Pink Cranberry is different because it contains a unique blend of pink, red and white cranberries, giving it a smooth, sweet and refreshing taste compared to the crisp tangy flavour of red cranberry juice.
Not only does the sweeter taste appeal to a wider audience, it makes it a more versatile, healthier alternative drink outside the traditional breakfast occasion, such as at lunchtime, early evening or as an afternoon pick me up.
Jo Dickinson, senior UK marketing manager Ocean Spray, said: “We wanted to create a different type of cranberry juice filled with passion and purpose that appeals to the younger, non-cranberry drinker who is often put off by the tartness of traditional cranberry juice. It also needed to have wider appeal outside of the breakfast occasion.
“Research shows nearly three-quarters of non-cranberry juice consumers would be more likely to drink cranberry if it had a sweeter taste profile. The majority of these consumers consider cranberry juice to be inherently healthy but two-thirds don’t consider it due to its tartness. We knew we had to find a solution that was different, unexpected even, yet consistent with Ocean Spray’s brand values and emotionally connected with consumers.”
Ocean Spray is launching both ambient and chilled varieties of its new Pink Cranberry, with the ambient juice drink launching first into retailers in October, and the chilled variant containing higher levels of vitamin C launching in spring 2024.
Currently, cranberry juice makes up just 2.5% of all UK juice sales but Ocean Spray believes its new, highly versatile Pink Cranberry juice drink will help to drive this figure much higher and lead to a new generation of cranberry juice lovers.
Ocean Spray’s latest innovation aims to build on the 90 years-plus cooperative’s UK market-leading position. Latest figures show the brand’s volume sales are up 20% against total juice category decline of -9%. Its chilled take home juice is showing the strongest growth of 36%, in sharp contrast to overall chilled juice decline of -15%. Ocean Spray ambient take home juice is also experiencing significant growth, up 17% versus the category which is growing at 4%.
Kickstarting the launch of Pink will be a nationwide sampling campaign allowing consumers to taste its unique sweetness versus the tanginess of red cranberry. It will be further supported with TV and display advertising, instore and online activation, social media and PR.
