Ribena encourages consumers to "Pick your own" flavour

Mon, 21 Jun 2010 | By Joe Fernandez

The promotion will be backed by an integrated marketing campaign, created by Billington Cartmell, with support from MediaCom, TRO, Swamp and MIG.

Ribena’s owners GlaxoSmithKline’s Ribena says it wants to raise awareness that Ribena is about more than just blackcurrants, by promoting the alternative flavours available and highlighting the natural fruit ingredients.

It hopes that the campaign will remind people of the British countryside summer time tradition of visiting pick your own fruit farms.   

The three-month campaign runs from 1 July until 1 October and involves a 360-degree support package including 6 sheets, press ads, experiential, in-store activation as well as an on-pack offer.

The on-pack-offer will give consumers the chance to win “a £1,000 juicy bonus every day”, and a money-off-next-purchase coupon in order to encourage repeat purchase and trial of other flavours in the Ribena range. 

Ribena says it is targeting both mums and young adults. Brand manager Andy Mahoney, says:  “We know that this nation loves Ribena, but at times its Blackcurrant heritage dominates consumer perceptions of our brand.  The Pick Your Own campaign addresses this by highlighting Ribena’s range of delicious flavours while also encompassing an engaging on-pack-offer to hook the consumer at the point of purchase and give them another reason to buy Ribena.” 

James Walkinshaw, senior account manager at BCL, adds: “The campaign delivers a strong equity-based range message, and then backs it up with the sales incentive with the on-pack offer. In an increasingly competitive soft drinks market this dual-based communication works well to provide a very compelling reason to purchase.  The campaign creative cleverly furthers the flavour and natural fruit product cues by wrapping the two messages in the brand intrinsic Great British countryside scene of a Pick your Own Fruit farm.”

In April, Ribena reintroduced its Ribena Berry characters that were made famous in its advertising during the 1980s, as part of its latest TV ad push.