Me & My Brand: Zoe Trimble on Lucozade Alert

Can you please give an overview of your brand?

Lucozade Alert is a brand-new stimulation drink from Lucozade, available now in 500ml PMP and non-PMP cans in Tropical Burst and Cherry Blast flavours. Lucozade Alert contains naturally-sourced caffeine, with Vitamin B3 to help reduce tiredness; all with the great Lucozade taste that shoppers know and love.

Lucozade is a trusted household brand with more than 90 years’ experience of bringing Energy to the UK. We are constantly innovating and ideally placed to launch a new range in the stimulation drinks market.

How is your brand currently performing?

Lucozade Alert is brand new to market but sits within the stimulation drinks category.

Stimulation drinks is the fastest-growing soft drinks segment in recent years[1] yet there are still shoppers who don’t think they’re right for them because of taste, health perceptions or just because the type of drink isn’t relevant to their lifestyle. There is a gap in the market for a stimulation drink that tastes great, is low calorie and appeals to more shoppers – and this great new drink not only offers all those elements, but comes from the Lucozade brand which people have come to love and trust.

Lucozade Alert contains caffeine and Vitamin B3 to help reduce tiredness, making it ideal for those shoppers who are feeling tired, or simply not as sharp as they want to be.

How is the stimulation energy market currently performing?

The stimulation energy segment is worth over £1bn[2] and accounts for 36.1 per cent[3] of the growth we’re seeing in the category. However, stimulant drinks are only bought by 12.1 per cent[4] of shoppers currently, meaning there is a real opportunity for independent retailers to increase their sales further.

Plus, 75 per cent^[5] of adults report concerns about tiredness so we know there is a clear role for stimulation drinks to play in fulfilling a key need for many shoppers.

How are you supporting your brand and NPD?

The launch will be supported by a comprehensive marketing campaign including PR, digital and social media advertising to ensure mass visibility with shoppers to drive your sales.

How important are independent retailers to your brand?

Independent retailers are hugely important to SBF GB&I and in particular the Lucozade stable of brands.

For example, we know that sustainability is a hot topic and sustainable shopping is an increasing priority for many consumers. We understand that independent retailers play a vital role in meeting this customer demand by creating a more sustainable shopping environment and we want to help them achieve this. We recently worked with Derbyshire retailer Amit Patel to help create an easy-to-follow blueprint for stores looking to become more sustainable. We implemented a series of large and small changes in Amit's store which collectively helped him save £610 a year on his energy bills.

What trends are occurring in the sector?

There is clear consumer desire and need for more variety in the stimulation drinks sector and this growth is predicted to continue growing until 2024.

As 48 per cent[6] of stimulation drinkers only buy these drinks once a year, we believe these less frequent shoppers seek a more appealing option.

Describe your brand in three words …

Stimulating, distinctive, exciting

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[1] IRI Total Market, 52 we 28th March 2021[3] IRI: Total Market: Contribution £ value sales change to Soft Drinks £ value change: 52 w/e 25/07/2021[4]Source: Kantar Worldpanel: Total Market: Stimulation: Penetration % of Soft Drinks: 52 w/e 05/09/21[5] SBF GB&I Category strategy insight[6]Dunnhumby: Repeat Rate Stimulation: 13 w/e 29th March 2021