Coca-Cola European Partners is to launch its premium iced tea brand Fuze Tea in the UK.
Fuze is already established in 40 markets worldwide and is one of Coke’s fastest-growing brands.
Two variants will be offered: Peach Hibiscus and Mango Chamomile. Both are a fusion of the flavours of fruits, botanicals and tea.
These will be available in 400ml PET on-the-go bottles from the middle of January and 4 x 400ml PET bottle multipacks in March as part of a phased launch.
At approximately 4g of sugar per 100ml Fuze will be Soft Drinks Tax exempt.
It is also low in calories – between 14 and 19 calories per 100ml depending on the flavour – and sweetened with stevia.
The launch is supported by a £4m marketing campaign across TV, print, digital and social channels. In-store sampling targeting millennials – the largest iced tea consumer group – is also planned. The campaign is titled ‘Serve yourself a little me time’.
Simon Harrison, Customer Marketing Director GB at Coca-Cola European Partners, said: “Consumer tastes are changing, and we know people are looking for a greater number of options and choice in their drinks. The launch of Fuze Tea is a fantastic opportunity for our business to provide new, more sophisticated flavours to more people in more places.
“Ready-to-drink ice tea is an important, fast-growing category which is currently worth £47million in GB and has grown by 12% in the past year alone. We believe the time is right for us to broaden the reach of our expanding portfolio and work with our retail and wider partners to take advantage of this significant opportunity for growth”.
