As part of The Drum's Food & Drink Focus, we spoke to soft drinks company Cindy Tervoort, one of the judges at this year's The Drum Marketing Awards, to find out how chief marketers think across 180 marketing departments. We asked him if he was leading the change. – Established company.
Britvic's biggest strategy is to be a 24-hour drinks provider, from starting the day with a Plennish Ginger Shot, to picking up an afternoon pick-me-up with a can of sweet Tango, to mixing a nightcap with London Essence. Flavorful tonic water.
The company has traditional brands such as Robinsons Squash, J20 and R Whites Lemonade, but has recently acquired emerging brands that could give it more focus.
Since taking the helm six months ago, Cindy Tervort, the company's chief marketing officer, has had grand ambitions to drive category and brand penetration. She told The Drum: We're really looking at not only the needs landscape, but also the demographics and how we can build franchises, and brands are almost becoming ecosystems. ”
For example, the company's plant-based beverage brand Plenish spans food and beverages, selling oat milk, ginger shots, and soups. We also offer cleansing and fasting plans in general retail stores such as Sainsbury's and in wellness spaces. “From his one brand, which is based on clean-label, pure ingredients, we can see the state of the need and build it into relevant categories,” he says Tervoort.
And water brand Aqua Libra not only sells cans of flavored water, but also installs smart faucets in homes and businesses. The entire “ecosystem” of products and services, Tervoort says, is built around the mission of helping people stay hydrated. .
“We have preserved what is best about our brands by not fully integrating them and instead running an incubator model with marketing completely separate. It allows us to maintain the core essence of our brand while still receiving sales support.”
Britvic continues the digital transformation journey that began several years ago. E-commerce and direct-to-consumer sales are key priorities for the beverage giant, which led to the hiring of Tervoort from Heineken. Mr. Tervoort ran the company's e-commerce site Beerwolf.
As part of its digital transformation plan, Britvic opened an in-house studio to test and learn as well as create daily content to run across marketing channels. “This is an important way to continue moving forward and incorporating a startup mentality into some of our processes.”
How Britvic is capitalizing on food and beverage trends
Public health debates in the UK have long been dominated by obesity topics, with conversations about low calories and HFSS focused. But now, Tervoort says, health trends are becoming more complex. “Low calories are still very important, but now we also need to look at unprocessed, clean, natural, plant-based products, health benefits and functionality.”
Changing alcohol consumption habits is another trend Britvic is leaning into, with Tervoort calling the space a “premium adult social space.” For example, flavored tonic water brands London Essence and Britvic Mixer are marketed as a way to jazz up non-alcoholic drinks with virgin cocktails, or as “upmarket” drinks on their own.
The third trend concerns young people's appetite for “bold, exciting flavors and rich flavors.” This resulted in new tango flavors such as mango, dark berry, and peach berry.
Newsletter recommended for you
daily briefing
every day
Check out the most important news of the day, handpicked by our editorial team.
This week's ad
Wednesday
See last week's best ads all in one place.
drum insider
once a month
Learn how to pitch to editors and get published in The Drum.
Inject creativity into Tango
Tango is “a top priority in Britvic’s portfolio” and its year-end financial report shows revenue grew by 24% in 2023. On the other hand, its classic advertisements are still loved in the UK, and the famous “Orange Man” ranks him number one in the world.Of the world
Best ad ever. Since then, Tango's advertising has become less prominent.
“The strength of Tango is that there's a lot of brand heritage and love for the brand, but everything it stands for still holds true today. The body flavor and overall personality connects with Gen Z.” In 2023, Tango launches a multi-million pound marketing campaign with the TV ad 'Dangerously Powerful Flavors'. The latest product, Tango Mango, is also showing creativity in its packaging, including printing on the lid for the first time.
“Although its essence remains the same, advertising evolves with people and time, reinventing itself each time.”
Creativity is a top priority for Tervoort and will be at the heart of the brand's global marketing conference in March. The conference will feature a “community of practice” where marketers from different regions who belong to similar categories will come together to share cultural inspiration.
“In a world where things are so fragmented and it's easy to get distracted no matter what channel you're on, true creativity can create impact. It has to be interesting to the consumer.”
From fast food to sloe gin, the food and beverage space is highly attractive to marketers. Join us for The Drum's Food & Drink Focus as we dig into the industry's biggest trends.
