Once in a while, a fabulous brand comes along and at the moment Fever-Tree is one of the best out there. They have created brand resonance with not only the connoisseur, but also now with the core consumer.
As an (occasional!) gin and tonic drinker myself, I was thrilled a few years ago to find a tonic I really liked to drink with a good old fashioned Tanqueray 10. Then, even more thrilled a year or so later to be able to buy it for myself and drink it at home.
Fever-Tree have done a fantastic job, but it was only a matter of time before the big boys at Coke decided that they didn't want to keep on getting their nose bloodied. - So here we are.
I for one, will be really interested to see how the 'posh' Schweppes tastes and the price point it comes in at. There will of course be the usual promotions to start with but I will always be happy to pay a higher price for a better tasting product - I know Fever-Tree is expensive - but I like the way that it tastes!
However, I am pleased to see that Coke has been galvanized into doing something exciting in a category that has been reinvigorated by what is now a major competitor. Well done Fever-Tree and good luck Coke!
Coca Cola is spending £10 million to relaunch Schweppes in the UK as part of a fightback against posh new entrants to the tonic market such as Fever-Tree and Fentimans. The drinks giant is relaunching its core Schweppes tonic range with newly designed bottles and plans to spend £10 million on a marketing campaign. At the same time, Coca Cola is launching a new, premium brand of Schweppes tonics, dubbed Schweppes 1783, designed for mixing with upmarket spirits The relaunch is Coca Cola's biggest ever investment in the brand and follows the rise of rival tonic brands such as Fever-Tree and Fentimens is recent years. Fever-Tree, which pitches itself as a higher-end tonic for higher-end spirits, was founded in 2005 and today has sales of over £100 million.
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