Minute Maid Pulpy has become the Coca-Cola Company’s first brand from an emerging market to reach the billion dollar sales mark, according to BeverageDaily.com.
The success of the brand follows the firm’s three-year USD$2-billion investment plan in China.
According to the report, there will be a blurring of line between established western markets and developing economies for Coca-Cola.
Mike Hughes, analyst at Datamonitor was quoted by BeverageDaily.com saying while the brand is said to offer a unique sensory experience, there is nothing in its product formulation that suggests that the brand caters specifically to consumer taste buds in the Far East.
Minute Maid Pulpy’s success, he said, can be attributed to the availability of western brands in more regions in China. Younger consumers are also increasingly looking for premium brands that suggest good taste and sophistication.
“Major FMCG manufacturers will increasingly look to launch more products exclusively in developing and emerging markets, where a younger consumer base demonstrates demand for these brands, especially if there is a lack of alternative western brands competing in the market,” Hughes was quoted saying.
Juice drink Minute Maid Pulpy joins Minute Maid and Simply beverages as the third billion dollar brand within the company's juice and juice drink portfolio.
The Coca-Cola Company now has 14 USD$1 billion brands in its portfolio, with the addition of Minute Maid Pulpy.
Joseph Tripodi, chief marketing and commercial leadership officer of The Coca-Cola Company said the company’s system is now able to rapidly scale innovation from any part of the world.
Minute Maid Pulpy was launched nationally in China in 2005, and is now available in 18 markets across three continents including Indonesia, Taiwan, Philippines, Thailand and India.
The company said the brand is poised for further global expansion in 2011.
-- Source: Beverage Daily.com