Levi Roots Soft Drinks is aiming to spice up the Soft Drinks category this spring with the launch of new flavour Exotic Kick.
The Mango and Coconut-flavoured carbonated drink also delivers a kick of chilli, which is designed to appeal to spice-loving 16-35-year-old males, the brand’s target audience.
The drink has been developed exclusively for the convenience sector in a 500ml PET £1 PMP format. It adds to the Levi Roots range, which already includes Caribbean Crush and Jamaican Sunset.
Extensive consumer research conducted by Nichols, the parent company of Levi Roots Soft Drinks, has revealed that spicy drinks are set to be a major trend in 2018 as younger people experiment and look for more interesting flavour combinations from around the world.
“Shoppers are increasingly looking for more variety and exciting taste sensations within soft drinks chillers, so this is the perfect time to introduce Exotic Kick,” said Ed Jones, Senior Customer Marketing Manager for Nichols.
“We’re predicting an explosion of brands tapping into the spice trend in 2018 as we’ve already seen these flavours crossing into categories outside of food, such as alcoholic drinks.
“Retailers can get ahead of the trend by stocking this exclusive flavour alongside the best-selling Levi Roots Soft Drinks 500ml range, which is growing at 32% currently, and is outperforming the total Flavoured Carbonates market in the impulse market, which is up 1.4%.”
Introducing the new flavour as a PMP is a tried and tested formula for Nichols, as Jones explained: “The demand for PMP formats remains strong as shoppers demand much-needed value. We are confident this latest addition to the portfolio will give sales a kick, as well as help to grow the overall category.”
