Heineken UK has launched Strongbow Ultra Dark Fruit, a 4% ABV fruity cider at 95 kcals per slimline can, which is available from 1 March.
Strongbow Ultra Dark Fruit is a light cider with natural berry flavourings and the brand’s usual Dark Fruit colour. It is targeted at 18 to 40-year-old men and women and ranked in the top 10% of all alcohol concepts tested among its target audience.
It rolls out in single 330ml cans and packs of four and 10. The launch is backed by a £12m marketing campaign covering digital, television ads and point-of-sale, as well as a 500,000 mini sampling can campaign.
Heineken UK Cider Brand Director, Rachel Holms, said: “Consumers, especially generation Y and Z, want to see alcoholic drinks that fit with their desire to lead more balanced lifestyles. However, the category falls behind other FMCG segments such as desserts and snacking with limited lower calorie options, leaving a big gap in the market.
“Ultra is a refreshing, thirst-quenching cider sold in 330ml sleek cans at 30% fewer calories ml for ml compared with Strongbow Dark Fruit and taps into the lucrative on-the-go and impulse occasions, providing a big sales opportunity for stockists UK-wide.”
Holms added: “With 59% of consumers looking for lighter choices when shopping and 60% of Brits saying taste is the most important factor when buying a drink, there is a clear gap in the market for a lower calorie, flavourful cider, which Ultra fills.”
