Own Labels In The Uk Smoothies Market Marketing Essay

For the purposes of this report a ‘smoothie’ will be defined as ‘a drink that is made with pure crushed fruit, but which may also include a small amount of fruit juice or purée, yogurt, milk or soymilk, and is smooth in texture (Mintel, 2010).

1.2 The UK Smoothie Market

Although the ‘smoothies’ market in the UK enjoyed a period of exceptionally strong growth of more than 150% between 2005 and 2007, this has now been stalled by the impact of the recent economic recession and consumers switching their loyalty to alternative, cheaper pure fruit drinks. As well as suffering from unfavourable economic conditions, smoothie manufactures have failed to convince UK consumers that the drinks are not full of calories and are not bad for their teeth., despite strong contradictory evidence from the British Nutrition Foundation. The result of all of this is that the smooothies market declined by some 36% between 2007 and 2009 (Mintel Report Sales Brochure, 2010).

What Citation Styles Can You Use for My Essay?

Students often ask, “Can you write my essay in APA or MLA?”—and the answer’s a big yes! Our writers are experts in every style imaginable: APA, MLA, Chicago, Harvard, you name it. Just tell us what you need, and we’ll deliver a perfectly formatted paper that matches your requirements, hassle-free.

The brand leader in the ‘smoothie’ market, Innocent, has largely been responsible for fuelling the growth in the market and despite the general market downturn, it still commands an 80% market share. However, Innocent’s market share has been boosted, not just by its own performance, but also by the decision taken by PepsiCo to remove its ‘PJs’ brand in early 2009. PepsiCo’s rationale for removing the brand was that it enabled it to focus on its best selling Tropicana brand, which added a smoothie to its range in February 2008 (Lewis, 2008).

The smoothie market is now showing signs of a fragile recovery and Mintel forecasts that improved economic conditions, together with the increased penetration of the children’s market, will see the smoothies sector returning to growth soon – see Figure 1 below (Mintel Report Sales Brochure, 2010).

FIGURE 1 – Trends and Forecast for Volume Sales of Smoothies, 2005-2015

Total

Index

% annual change

m litres

2005

27

Is It Legal to Use Your Writing Service?

Absolutely, it’s 100% legal! Our service provides sample essays and papers to guide your own work—think of it as a study tool. Used responsibly, it’s a legit way to improve your skills, understand tough topics, and boost your grades, all while staying within academic rules.

66

+69

2006

How Much Does It Cost to Get a Paper Written?

Our pricing starts at $10 per page for undergrad work, $16 for bachelor-level, and $21 for advanced stuff. Urgency and extras like top writers or plagiarism reports tweak the cost—deadlines range from 14 days to 3 hours. Order early for the best rates, and enjoy discounts on big orders: 5% off over $500, 10% over $1,000!

52

127

+93

2007

Will My Use of This Service Stay Private?

Yes, totally! We lock down your info with top-notch encryption—your school, friends, no one will know. Every paper’s custom-made to blend with your style, and we check it for originality, so it’s all yours, all discreet.

70

171

+35

2008

Do You Use AI to Write Papers?

No way—our papers are 100% human-crafted. Our writers are real pros with degrees, bringing creativity and expertise AI can’t match. Every piece is original, checked for plagiarism, and tailored to your needs by a skilled human, not a machine.

60

146

-14

2009

Why Choose You for Research Papers?

We’re the best because our writers are degree-holding experts—Bachelor’s to Ph.D.—who nail any topic. We obsess over quality, using tools to ensure perfection, and offer free revisions to guarantee you’re thrilled with the result, even on tight deadlines.

45

110

-25

2010 (est)

41

100

-9

2011 (fore)

Who’s Writing My College Essays?

Our writers are top-tier—university grads, many with Master’s degrees, who’ve passed tough tests to join us. They’re ready for any essay, working with you to hit your deadlines and grading standards with ease and professionalism.

44

107

+7

2012 (proj)

Are Your Papers Original?

Always! We start from scratch—no copying, no AI—just pure, human-written work with solid research and citations. You can even get a plagiarism report to confirm it’s 95%+ unique, ready for worry-free submission.

48

116

+9

2013 (proj)

Can You Match Any Citation Style?

You bet! From APA to IEEE, our writers nail every style with precision. Give us your guidelines, and we’ll craft a paper that fits your academic standards perfectly, no sweat.

53

130

+12

2014 (proj)

Can I Update Instructions Mid-Order?

Yep! Use our chat feature to tweak instructions or add details anytime—even after your writer’s started. They’ll adjust on the fly to keep your essay on point.

58

141

+8

2015 (proj)

How Do I Get an Essay Written?

Easy—place your order online, and your writer dives in. Check drafts or updates as you go, then download the final paper from your account. Pay only when you’re happy—simple and affordable!

64

155

+10

2.0 The Importance of Branding in the Smoothies Market

With consumers becoming increasingly sophisticated and confident in being able to differentiate between the offerings of various suppliers in a marketplace, the value of a strong brand has never been more critical (Mitchell et al., p.201. 2003). According to Aaker (p.95, 1996), to be successful, brands should offer consumers a ‘value proposition’, which constitutes ‘functional, emotional and self- expressive benefits’.

How Fast Can You Handle Urgent Deadlines?

Super fast! Our writers can deliver a quality essay in 24 hours if you’re in a pinch. Pick your deadline—standard is 10 days, but we’ll hustle for rush jobs without skimping.

Branding is critical in the soft drinks market as a whole. For example, Coca-Cola (a stakeholder in Innocent) believes that 96% of its total worth as a business can be attributed to its brand (Knox, 2004). In the smoothies market the brand leader, Innocent, has demonstrated the value of a strong brand. The name ‘Innocent’ positions the brand as simple, pure and safe thus delivering both functional and emotional benefits within its brand value proposition.

There are a number of reasons why branding is critical to success in the ‘smoothies’ market, namely:

Consumers are cynical about manufacturer’s claims of the health benefits of smoothies.

Consumers believe smoothies are too expensive compared to other fruit drinks.

Because smoothies are a relatively new product in the market they do not resonate with the 45+ age group which is a potentially significant market segment for smoothies.

Can You Tackle Complex Essay Topics?

Definitely! From astrophysics to literary theory, our advanced-degree writers thrive on tough topics. They’ll research deeply and deliver a clear, sharp paper that meets your level—high school to Ph.D.

The distribution of smoothies relies too heavily on the big supermarket chains leaving them open to competition from supermarket own brands.

Smoothies brands have largely recognised the value of branding in the marketplace and this is evidenced by a three fold increase in total advertising spend in the sector in 2009/10. The leading brands have built up a lot of brand equity as a result (see Figure 2). However, despite this the leading brands have not been able to rely on their brand reputation and equity to boost sales, rather they have had to discount the price of their products extensively in 2008/9, which may impact negatively on the equity of the brands in the longer term.

Figure 2: Personalities of Various Smoothie Brands, May 2010

Benecol

Innocent

Ella’s Kitchen

Tropicana

Average

Base: internet users aged 16+ who have heard of the brand

1,517

1,795

How Do You Meet My Professor’s Standards?

We tailor your paper to your rubric—structure, tone, everything. Our writers decode academic expectations, and editors polish it to perfection, ensuring it’s grade-ready.

674

1,718

%

%

%

%

%

Authentic

10

What’s Your Editing Process?

Upload your draft, tell us your goals, and our editors will refine it—boosting arguments, fixing errors, and keeping your voice. You’ll get a polished paper that’s ready to shine.

19

10

16

14

Boring

Can You Suggest Paper Topics?

Sure! Need ideas? We’ll pitch topics based on your subject and interests—catchy and doable. Pick one, and we’ll run with it, or tweak it together.

9

2

4

3

4

Cool

6

Do You Offer Rush Revisions?

Yes! If you need quick edits, our team can turn it around fast—hours, not days—tightening up your paper for last-minute perfection.

21

10

16

14

Delicious

9

Can You Provide Outlines First?

Absolutely! We’ll draft an outline based on your topic so you can approve the plan before we write—keeps everything aligned from the start.

35

10

28

21

Engaging

5

12

6

Can You Include Data Analysis?

You bet! Need stats or charts? Our writers can crunch numbers and craft visuals, making your paper both sharp and professional.

8

8

Exciting

4

19

9

11

11

Fun

5

How Do You Handle Long-Term Projects?

We break it down—delivering each part on time with consistent quality. From proposals to final drafts, we’re with you all the way.

26

12

15

14

Genuine

Can You Write for Global Standards?

Yep! Whether it’s UK, US, or Australian rules, we adapt your paper to fit your institution’s style and expectations perfectly.

14

23

12

20

17

Is there a possibility of plagiarism in my completed order?

We write every paper from scratch just for you, and we get how important it is for you to feel confident about its originality. That’s why we double-check every piece with our own in-house plagiarism software before sending it your way. This tool doesn’t just catch copy-pasted bits—it even spots paraphrased sections. Unlike well-known systems like Turnitin (used by most universities), we don’t store or report anything to public databases, so your check stays private and safe. We stand by our plagiarism-free guarantee to ensure your paper is totally unique. That said, while we can promise no plagiarism from open web sources or specific databases we check, no tech out there (except Turnitin itself) can scan every source Turnitin indexes. If you want that extra peace of mind, we recommend running your paper through WriteCheck (a Turnitin service) and sharing the report with us.

Healthy

42

49

19

When will my order be assigned to the writer?

The moment you place your order, we jump into action to find the perfect writer for you. Usually, we’ve got someone lined up within an hour. Sometimes, though, it might take a few hours—or in rare cases, a few days—if we need someone super specialized. If no writers from your chosen category are free, we’ll suggest one from a lower category and refund the difference if you’d paid extra for that option. Want to keep tabs on things? You can always peek at your order’s status on your personal order page.

36

36

Natural

23

43

18

31

29

Refreshing

9

30

11

34

21

Special

9

22

8

11

12

Tired

4

1

3

3

3

Traditional

8

7

8

19

10

Unappealing

11

4

5

4

6

Unhealthy

1

1

2

2

2

Vibrant

4

18

8

13

11

Source: GMI/Mintel

3.0 The Threat from Own Labels in the ‘Smoothies’ Market

The growth of supermarket own label brands is having a big impact on the sale of manufacturer branded, fast-moving, consumer goods (Veloutsou, 2004). Supermarket own label brands are no longer just the lower quality and lower priced alternatives to manufacturer brands that they once were as since the late 1990’s they have been offering a genuine quality option for consumers (Burt, 2000).

Porter’s (p.49, 1989), includes the threat from ‘substitute products’ as one of the ‘five forces’ in his model of ‘industry competitors’ – see Figure 3 below.

FIGURE 3 : Porter’s ‘Five Forces’ Model of Industry Competitors

:

Substitute products, in the form of own labels, pose a significant threat to established brands in the smoothie marketplace. The leading brands, such as Innocent, are suffering from consumers switching to own label smoothie and fruit juice products, in the shorter term, due mainly to price considerations. The extent of this switch is evidenced by the fact that the large supermarkets now dominate the fruit juice drinks market with their own brands (Keynote, 2010).

4.0 The Brand Position of Tropicana in the UK ‘Smoothes’ Market

Best known for its fruit juice products Tropicana launched its smoothie in 2008 supported by a £4.5 million promotional campaign. Owners PepsiCo intended that the Tropicana smoothie would fill the gap left by its withdrawal of the PJs brand. However, despite the huge investment in promotional support and PepsiCo’s knowledge of the soft drinks market, Tropicana has failed to deliver. Although it is now the second largest of the manufacturer brands, in terms of market share, it is a long way behind the brand leader, Innocent. It’s sales and market share have also taken a nosedive from its peak of 2008 – see Figure 4 below.

Figure 4 : Trends for Take-home Market Share of Smoothie Brands, 2007-2009

2007

2008

2009

2007-09

£m

% share

£m

% share

£m

% share

% point difference

Innocent

150

71

120

71

100

80

-33

PJs*

25

12

10

6

na

na

na

Tropicana Smoothies

8

4

15

9

3

2

-63

Ella’s Kitchen

1.5

1

2.2

1

2.5

2

67

Sub-total

185

88

147

87

106

84

-43

Others

4

2

5

3

4

3

–

Own-label

22

10

18

10

16

12

-28

Total

210

100

170

100

125

100

-40

* brand discontinued in late 2008

Despite its poor sales performance in 2009, Tropicana is not a bad performer, in terms of its appeal to consumers, with just over two-thirds of those surveyed by Mintel saying that they liked it and would buy it again. However, most consumers still regard Tropicana as a juice and not a smoothies brand.

5.0 Summary and Conclusions

Following a significant period of growth, the smoothies market has declined in the last two years and is only just showing signs of recovery. The market is dominated by Innocent and other brands, such as Tropicana, have failed to establish a meaningful foothold despite massive marketing spends. Brand reputation and equity is key to the success of smooothies and Innocent has successfully established its brand in the consumer psyche.

In terms of leveraging its brand then Tropicana has an inherent problem inasmuch as it is still best known as a fruit juice, not a smoothie, brand. It needs, therefore, to build its reputation as a smoothies brand by delivering a ‘value proposition’ targeted specifically at smoothie drinkers and supported by its brand strength in the juices market. The fact that consumers generally like its smoothie product and would buy it again are a good foundation for future growth. Also, considering the brand personality scores shown in Figure 2, where Tropicana is generally in second place, there are opportunities to build on the brand attributes of ‘authentic’, ‘cool’ delicious’ ‘fun’ and ‘genuine’, in future promotional activity.

The short shelf life of all smoothies makes it difficult for them to penetrate the on-trade. However, smoothies have not really targeted themselves at the impulse purchase consumer and, consequently, this is a potential area of growth as is the largely undeveloped children’s market.

—————————————————————————————————————-