Drink Market Research Articles

Developing a marketing plan for Lemonhead

Presents a marketing plan based on primary research, which focuses on the proposed launch of a new product, Lemonhead, into the existing alcoholic lemon drink market. For this analysis,Two Dogs (the current number two in the sector) was selected as the main competitor product. Using the mix map model, identifies by empirical research shortfalls regarding the four Ps, which then became the focus for attack in the promotion of Lemonhead. Shows the short‐term strategy of replacing the current number two to be successful in achieving the long‐term goal of becoming the market leader.

PVC Recycling Management

Abstract PVC is the second most important polymer worldwide. Thanks to its excellent cost/performance ratio and outstanding chemical and environmental resistance, it is today mainly used for long-life applications. In some countries, for example, France, PVC is used in large volume for the manufacture of bottles. Pure PVC scrap can be recycled without any problems. Although many applications for such products of recycled PVC have been developed, and pilot plants for recycling exist, only small volumes have been recycled up to now. Only bottles made from PVC for the large drinking water market in France are already collected separately, recycled in large quantities, and transformed into such articles as water pipes. Specialist organisations deal with this business. In such cases, for example, kitchen waste, where PVC is part of mixed plastics waste for example, sorting and separation of the PVC is necessary.

Promotional Competitions — A Winning Technique for Wine Marketing

Over the last thirty years, wine has taken an increasingly large share of the UK alcoholic drinks market with sales volume growing at a rate of 4.2% per annum. However, although the market has expanded there is now increasing competitiveness within this market from the new wine producing areas. More recently, competition is emerging from new drinks such as speciality beers and alcoholic soft drinks. The implications for the wine marketer is that there is a need to make full use of all the ‘tools’ within the marketing management toolkit. One of the most popular responses for marketers under competitive pressure in a range of industries is sales promotion. But despite being popular, sales promotion is poorly understood compared to advertising. This is partly because it has never enjoyed the academic scrutiny afforded to the more glamorous field of advertising. However, promotional techniques are now being studied individually and their appropriateness for different markets and marketing tasks is being discussed. Price‐based promotions have been the most popular in the drinks market, as in many other markets, but there is growing awareness that non‐price based promotions can add value for the consumer while meeting a range of marketing communications objectives. This article looks at the use of consumer competitions, one of the most popular non‐price promotional tools, with a survey of 319 competitions run by the drinks industry.

New Product Development — The Alcoholic Soft Drink Market

The development of marketing thinking has been stimulated by the pressures of competition. If growing competition for more mature and discriminating markets is a major trend for the next decade, the pursuit of improved product quality and of excellence will be an essential management response. New product development is a vital part of marketing policy for all companies and organisations, as it represents one of the key means by which corporate renewal is achieved and a future secured. This article analyses new product development in the light of the new alcohol soft drink products, which presents a myriad of challenges and opportunities for beverage manufactures and the UK drinks market These drinks have been latched onto by brewers who were desperate to win over young people who had snubbed beer and cider; but their drive has backfired, with drinks such as Hoopers Hooch being condemned for their appeal towards the teenager. In view of this, the article will conclude by identifying the controversial implications these drinks will have for the future stability of the alcoholic soft drink market

The development of the UK market for intense and bulk sweeteners

Summarizes the recent changes that have taken place in both the individual intense and bulk sweeteners markets and considers their likely influence on the pattern of intake observed in the 1987/88 diary record surveys carried out by MAFF. The intense sweetener market continues to develop steadily, largely driven by the diet, low‐calorie and reduced calorie soft drinks market. The bulk sweeteners market has not been subject to the same rapid development experienced for intense sweeteners, but the signs are there that the market for this class of sweetener is starting to develop and a variety of new applications are beginning to emerge. Provides a brief overview for each of the currently approved individual intense and bulk sweeteners and describes their contribution to the UK sweeteners market. Discusses the implications of the EC Sweeteners Directive, which has recently been adopted by member states and will be implemented in the UK within the next year or so, in relation to acceptable levels of sweetener intake.

Investigating the Sensitivity of Equilibrium Profits to Advertising Dynamics and Competitive Effects

The author investigates the validity of the “flat maximum principle”—the insensitivity of a firm's profits to changes in its optimal advertising level—in a duopolistic market in which advertising by the two firms has carryover effects. Two alternative competitive scenarios are examined (i) in which total industry sales are allowed to vary over time, and (ii) where firms are engaged in market share rivalry. For (i), the open-loop Nash equilibrium advertising strategies for the firms are derived assuming a specific sales response function and an infinite time horizon. A numerical analysis of the sensitivity of firms' profit functions to advertising expenditures is performed at different levels of the (a) discount rate, (b) advertising elasticity, and (c) advertising decay rate. An empirical illustration from the pharmaceutical industry is provided. Special cases of the model formulation are examined analytically in order to highlight the intuition behind the flatness of the maximum and to study the sensitivity of results obtained to choice of equilibrium strategy (closed-loop vs. open-loop). For the market share game, closed-loop policies are considered and the flat maximum principle is illustrated in the context of Coke–Pepsi rivalry in the soft drinks market.

The Wine Market in Poland Tradition and Marketing Implications

Addresses the tradition of the wine (and other alcoholic drinks) market in Poland. Describes its present status, and outlines implications for future marketing strategies. Identifies barriers to entry and the potential for a successful wine market in the new economic reality of the post‐Communist Poland. Concludes that, despite inconsistent tax and customs legislation, the market has considerable potential for new customer‐oriented producers and distributors.

Progress in materials for can stock and future trends.

Developments in electrolytic tin plate, tin-free steel and more recent low tin materials are described with emphasis on their corrosion performance and their applicability to the newer can manufacturing processes. The significance of tinplate special property tests and their relative importance are discussed as related to corrosion performance in cans for moderate to high corrosivity food products. Information regarding pitting corrosion of aluminum killed continuous cast tinplate in cans for light colored fruits is also reviewed. Tin-free and low tin materials are being used in drawn and welded cans, but better enamel coverage is required than for tinplate cans. Long term trends show that aluminum has taken over most of the beer and soft drink market but its use in food cans remains very limited. New processable multilayer plastic barrier materials have been introduced as cans, bowls and trays for single serving microwaveable foods, which could have a significant impact on metal cans. The solid waste issue and recyclability of the various materials is discussed. A new process for improving the quality of shelf stable processed foods is also described.

The Distribution of On‐Licence Beer and Cider Consumption and its Personality Determinants among Young Men

Projects that personality is an important determinant of consumption of beer and cider along with age, sex and social class. Identifies an extensive programme of personality research in this study, and goes on to complete a study of 18‐21 year old males to test predictions, based on Eysenck's theory and this is based in England and compared to most other countries with regard to nationalism and cultures. Concludes that the highest consuming group is 18‐24 year olds, which has a per capita consumption 2.7 times higher than the lowest group ‐ the over‐50's. Suggests that the results herein show the study of personality is likely to be of great importance in understanding individual differences in patterns of drinks market consumption.

A quantitative analysis of the Greek soft-drink market, or: How your advertisement will help your competitor's sales

This paper is deailing with the application of quantitative methods in analysing the Greek soft drink market. Single equation and simultaneous-equation regression models are developed and tested against real time-series data. The use of these methods in a real life case brought out the serious problem of interelationships existing between advertising and sales of products with minor differences and also marked the need of its further investigation.

FOOD TRENDS

The figures in this feature were derived from three reports prepared by Market Assessment Publications. These are Products Group Reports numbers 709 on frozen foods; 720 on fresh fruit and vegetables and 721 on dairy products. Each of the Product Group Reports costs £165 and is available from Market Assessment Publications, 2 Duncan Terrace, London N1 8BZ. Data on fast foods and soft drinks is featured in Food Market Update no. 11 and Drink Market Update no. 1, both produced by the Leatherhead Food Research Association, and available from their publications department. The report on fast foods costs £12 to members, £36 to non‐members; the report on soft drinks costs £30 and £60.

A BILLION £s' WORTH OF CUPPAS

The hot beverage market, made up of tea, ground and instant coffee, cocoa and drinking chocolate, and malted food drinks, exceeded £1 billion in 1984. Tea and coffee are worth about the same, just under £500m each, but tea is still the nation's most popular drink. Each Briton consumes six cups of hot drinks a day and just under four cups are tea. Tea outranks coffee in cups drunk by over 2 to 1, and 215,000 tons of tea are imbibed each year. ‘Hot Beverages in the UK’ is the second in the Drink Market Updates series by the Market Information Service at the Leatherhead Food Research Association. This report gives information on market shares, market sizes, consumption patterns and future trends in instant and ground coffee, packet tea and tea bags, and food drinks. The hot beverage market is expanding only in a few specialised areas, in particular, ground coffee, premium instant coffee and speciality teas. Currently worth only £168m between them, they are unlikely to make a great impact on the total market for some time.

Evaluating the profitability of advertising for heavily advertised brands: an empirical study

Even companies with large advertising budgets are sceptical of OR models in advertising—such models often appear overly complex, unrealistic and costly to use. Here a simple econometric model is proposed which utilises existing company data. The parameters are estimated for the five leading brands in a sector of the German alcoholic drinks market. Estimates of the short and long run advertising elasticities are made and optimum advertising appropriations are calculated.