Among the new offerings in the Mintel Global New Products Database this month are a number of cross-branding initiatives as well as a mix of soft drinks range extensions and new flavours.
New products are not always new names but sometimes existing names bridging over into a new sector, often quite unrelated to the brand’s primary area of activity. Over the years, cross-branding has proved a popular form of new product development and the last month has seen a couple of interesting examples.
The Hawaiian Tropic brand is no longer only to be found on the beach on bottles of sunscreen and other suncare items because it is now also a range of waters. All Star Beverages completed a licensing agreement with the manufacturers of Hawaiian Tropic, Tanning Research Laboratories, to create this line. The water is free of carbs, calories, and sugar and is sweetened with Splenda. Labelled “paradise in a bottle,” the water comes in four tropical flavors: Kiwi Strawberry, Passion Orange Guava, Kiwi Lemon Lime, and Pineapple Grapefruit.
Meanwhile, the alcohol sector has seen another crossover between liquor brands and cooking products, which has been a popular form of cross-branding in the culinary world. But this entry is the first time we’ve seen an alcohol brand combined with a hot beverage. From First Colony Coffee & Tea comes Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7 100% Arabica Gourmet Ground Coffee. Sold exclusively in Marshall Field’s department stores in the US, this Oak Barrel Roast carries a darker roast. The packaging suggests that after brewing, add a bit of Jack Daniel’s liquor for added flavor appeal.
Not as far as we know a cross-branding initiative with Calvin Klein, Jacqmotte in Belgium launched Obsession Ground Coffee last month. However, Jacmotte does claim the brand to be a ground coffee to incarnate coffee passion and provide a pleasurable taste. The coffee is packaged in a supple and hermetic container, which the company says helps to capture and keep in the flavour of the coffee. It retails at €2.39 (US$2.99) for a 250g pack.
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By GlobalDataOn the soft drinks front, Coca-Cola Femsa in Mexico has launched a chilli-flavoured range extension to the orange Fanta brand. Fanta Naranja Chamoy, which is made using the Mexican sweet chilli of the same name, contains carbonated water, sugars, chamoy concentrate, sodium benzoate and colourings. It comes in a 250ml bottle, priced at MXN3.50 (US$0.30/€0.25).
Another orange-flavoured drink has been introduced by Schweppes in Switzerland. Oasis, described as a pocket juice drink, is a ready-to-drink (RTD) orange juice-based drink with 13% orange juice in a sportscap bottle. The drink contains no preservatives and is being sold through Migros stores. It was launched in August and retails at CHF4.80 (US$3.80/€3.16) for a 1-litre bottle.
The smoothie market continues to be a fertile area of new product development. In the UK, Fresh Trading has launched a pineapple, banana and coconut smoothie under the Innocent brand. The 250ml bottle is said by the company to contain two portions of fruit, as well as coconut milk and fresh juices. For a 100ml serving, the new smoothie provides 320kJ/76kcal, with 0.7g protein, 15.5g carbohydrate, 1.4g fat and 29mg vitamin C. Launched for the summer market, It retails at £1.69 (US$3.09/€2.56).
In Hong Kong, Coca-Cola Nestle subsidiary, Swire Coca-Cola, has introduced the Qoo H2Qoo Rehydration Drink, a ‘rehydration drink’ also containing fruit juices, in a multipack of four 335ml sleeved cans. The total pack size is 1.34-litres and it retails at HK$19.90 (US$2.51/€2.09). The drink contains water, sugar, grapefruit juice, flavourings, citric acid, sodium citrate, potassium chloride, sodium chloride, vitamin C (antioxidant), and for a 100ml serving provides 27kcal, with 0g protein, 0g fat, 7g carbohydrate, 24mg chloride, 19mg potassium, 24mg sodium, 2% grapefruit juice. Also in the waters/rehydration segment of the market, Quaker Oats has introduced Gatorade Propel lemon-flavoured fitness water in new packaging in the US. Propel Lemon-Flavored Fitness Water is now available in a 33.8-fl.oz. size.
On the beer front, Gulpener Bierbrouwerij in the Netherlands has launched Kloosterbier Dubbel strong beer under the Gerardus Wittems brand. The new brew, a 7% abv high fermentation malt abbey beer made with natural summer barley and hops from the hilly Wittem farmland, was originally brewed by the Abbey Redemptoristenklooster until 1952, and is now being brewed by the Gulpener Brewery in Gulpen-Wittem. A 300ml bottle retails at €4.59. The beer is available in a 6 x 300ml bottle pack. Also available within the range is Gerardus Wittems Kloosterbier Blond, a pale abbey beer.
