The Publication For The Grocery Trade

Shloer Sparkles In 2006 With The Complete Package

Shloer, the UK number 1 table top soft drink, is set to have a sparkling year in 2006. The brand enjoyed a successful 2005, with over 7 million unit sales in December alone and total sales to the trade across the November - December period up by 12% on the previous year. It has been a year since the acquisition of Shloer (Merrydown Plc) by The SHS Group (a privately owned sales and marketing company operating in the FMCG sector) and the brand is now worth in excess of £23 million (including Northern Ireland). To build on the brand's success in 2005, SHS has committed a total of £10 million to brand investment in 2006, including a marketing spend of £5million to implement an integrated, high impact campaign, including a new heavyweight TV advertising campaign plus extensive consumer and trade PR support. NEW PACKAGING One of the first major changes for Shloer is the launch of new stylish packaging across the entire Shloer portfolio. Designed to reposition the brand with a fresh, contemporary look and so appeal to a younger demographic of women aged 25+ (core age of 25-35), the new packaging will have strong impact in-store thanks to its powerful new look, ideal to attract new consumers. The packaging is to be phased in throughout the summer across the UK. MARKETING ACTIVITY Advertising Filming of the new £3.5 million TV advert is currently underway. This hugely exciting advert is being directed by the renowned Michael Gracey, whose work includes the recent Marks & Spencer 'theatre' adverts as well as numerous music videos for stars including Will Young and The Sugababes. The all-singing, all-dancing ad creative focuses on girls having fun together and will be aired nationwide from May, running throughout the summer months and at Christmas. PR Campaign The supporting PR campaign builds on the theme of 'inner sparkle.' Using a combination of creative media relations and events activity, Shloer will be hosting a season of 'Sparkling Summer Screenings' designed to bring the brand to life and support the repositioning. Uniquely, consumers will be able to vote for the film they want to watch via a mechanic hosted on www.shloer.com. The screenings will be held between August and September in four major UK cities, enabling Shloer to maximise product sampling. Website To coincide with the launch of the television advertising the website, www.shloer.com, is also having a complete make-over. The site will feature an entire section dedicated to the 'inner sparkle' theme and the sparkling summer screenings as well as other 'sticky content' to encourage return visits. ON-TRADE The on-trade soft drinks market is currently worth over £3.1bn and although the selection of adult soft drinks is improving consumer choice remains limited. In 2006, Shloer will take advantage of the on-trade expertise of The SHS Group (e.g. WKD) to secure increased listings in pubs and bars nationwide. Shloer will be positioned as the ideal non alcoholic food accompaniment for adults, research has shown that 79% of soft drinks are served with food and 65% at lunchtime. To keep the Shloer range fresh, exciting and in line with changing consumer tastes, the flavours available in 275ml bottles, perfect for the on-trade market, will include White Grape, Red Grape, and White Grape, Mango and Passionfruit. 275ML 4 PACK - TRY ME FREE A nationwide on-pack promotion for the Shloer 4-pack (4x 275ml) 'Try Me Free' runs from June until the end of the year. The promotion will be based on voucher redemption, with consumers receiving a free Shloer product for every voucher returned. Kristina Everest, Brand Manager for Shloer comments: “Although we have done promotions before, this is a new angle for Shloer that we are sure will be extremely successful. Maximising consumer sampling of all our products is something we are pushing hard in 2006, and this is a great way to start the ball rolling." BUCKS FIZZ Shloer is adding a new flavour to its popular range - Shloer Bucks Fizz - a sparkling blend of orange, grape and blood orange juice, the perfect non-alcoholic alternative to Champagne this spring. With a packaging format reflecting the classic 'Champagne' style, the green glass 75cl bottle and foil closure ensures Shloer Bucks Fizz is positioned at the top end of the UK soft drinks market, and is available from April, RRP £1.99. With such an extensive range of activity 2006 is set to be an extremely exciting year for Shloer. Mike Coppard, Managing Director, comments: "The increasingly competitive landscape creates both opportunities and challenges. Shloer has a fantastic heritage which we are bringing bang up to date through redesign and new taste combinations. No other brand has our credentials and our quality - and with our new look we fully believe that Shloer will further extend its take home leadership position and build a new loyal following in the growing off-trade market in 2006." All Shloer's products use 100% natural ingredients and no artificial colours, flavours, preservatives or sweeteners and are suitable for vegetarians. Shloer Tel: 01242 570288 www.shloer.com