SHS Drinks has added two new WKD lines, in a bid to attract a new wave of consumers to the ready-to-drink (RTD) alcohol category.
New passionfruit-flavoured WKD Blush, and mango and chilli-flavoured WKD Fiery Shot, will be rolled out from mid-February. Their launch follows extensive, in-depth research into the changing lifestyles of 2,000 consumers between 18 and 24 – the key consumers of RTD drinks – which explores attitudes and aspirations, drinks and drinking occasions, and has highlighted opportunities for growth and expansion of the £229m RTD category.
WKD Blush taps into the growing popularity of blush-style drinks in other categories such as wine, wine fusions and ciders and is the first WKD RTD variant to be given a specific flavour descriptor, the brand said.
A roundel label with the passionfruit descriptor is prominently displayed on the necks of the bottles, with the packaging made more feminine and sophisticated to give the product a particular appeal among female consumers. Available in 700ml multi-serve bottles, the 4% ABV blush-style drink will feature the same retail price as the existing WKD Blue, Iron Brew and Red 700ml variants.
The second new WKD line, WKD Fiery Shot, is a new 15% ABV hot shot that brings a completely new dimension to the shots category and carries a mango and chilli flavour product descriptor on the front. The vibrant, colourful and impactful sleeve design on the 700ml bottles reflect the spicy drink inside, with a retail price of around £10 per bottle.
SHS Drinks marketing director – alcohol Debs Carter said: “Our new launches embrace innovation and trends, and will invigorate the RTD category by bringing a fresh new approach and attracting new RTD consumers. They have been created to resonate with RTDs’ key 18 to 24 year old consumers who have very different lifestyles, approaches, views and aspirations to their equivalent peer group ten or 20 years ago.
“70% of 18 to 19 year olds are still studying, and young people are living with their parents longer and need to assert their maturity and independence in other areas of their lives. They are motivated to be mature and want to be taken seriously, and in today’s 24/7 digital era when anything you do can be captured at any time, image is everything and they want to manage and be in control of that.
“But they still want to enjoy themselves, and they live in a genuinely gender inclusive society which has moved on significantly from the gender-specific ‘new man’, ‘girl power’ and ‘lads/ladettes’ cultural trends of the 1980s and 1990s.
“As 18 to 24 year olds are the primary consumers of RTDs, it’s essential that RTD brands engage with and are seen to be relevant to this particular age group’s lifestyles. We are responding to the changes highlighted in the research by giving these consumers greater choice and introducing new lines which are attuned to their tastes and the way they live their lives today. WKD Blush and WKD Shots appeal to both males and females; WKD Blush meets the demand for and popularity of blush-style drinks and is presented in more sophisticated pack designs; while WKD Shots are a natural extension for the WKD brand as there is genuine interest in and cross-over consumption of shots amongst RTD drinkers.
“Hot shots, in particular, are the latest phenomenon with sales almost quadrupling in the past year. At 15% ABV, WKD Fiery will open up a new opportunity in the shots sector which is currently worth around £80.2m annually in take home sales.”
“WKD remains by far and away the number one RTD brand, with more than double the value share of its nearest branded RTD competitor in the take home market, and a proactive approach to NPD and innovation has played a major role in establishing and maintaining WKD’s category leadership. There is a thirst amongst WKD consumers for new and exciting ideas from WKD, and this year the new duo will broaden the footprint of the brand and lay the foundation for a new era in the development of WKD and the RTD category.”
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