While the space programme helped put Tang on the map, Kraft’s aggressive push for the brand in five markets – Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Philippines and the Middle East – helped Tang join Oreo cookies, Maxwell House coffee, Milka and Cadbury chocolates, and Trident gum as Kraft brands that bring in billion dollar returns each year.
Kraft’s push involved new flavours, sizes and formulas of Tang, each trying to cater to the local needs. Kraft executives also started to think about Tang as a drink that competes with sodas and juices, rather than a powder found in a can.
“Innovation on flavours has made it much more appealing than just a conventional orange flavour and that’s one of the things that especially attracts people from other beverages,” said Sanjay Khosla, Kraft’s president of developing markets.
Tang still represents just a drop compared to other global drink companies. Though Tang sold the equivalent of 20bn drink servings last year, The Coca-Cola Company passes that mark every 12 days, and its namesake soda sells that much in less than a month.
Even at $1bn, Tang is a small, though not insignificant, part of Kraft, which had $49.2bn sales in 2010.
Tang was first introduced in the US by General Foods in 1957 and is now available in more than 30 countries.
Source: Kraft Foods/Chicago Tribune
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