published on 11/07/08
100 years of refreshment
First created by the current Chairman’s grandfather, (John) Noel Nichols in Manchester in 1908, Vimto was originally developed as a medicine and sold as a health tonic called ‘Vim Tonic’ (vim meaning strength/energy in Latin) it soon became known as Vimto. By 1920, bubbles were added to some variants and the concentrate sent to bottling factories around the UK. By 1942 Vimto concentrate had reached Guyana in South America and India, and by 1926 Vimto could be bought in local corner shops as well as the temperance bars.
2008 is Vimto’s centenary year and a host of innovative marketing activity is scheduled to take place to mark the celebrations. Vimto continues to outperform all other main competitors in the flavoured carbonates market, experiencing growth of 17.5% MAT despite the overall market remaining stagnant. Vimto’s plans for 2008 will be to maintain the size of its portfolio of products within its carbonates range and build on its distribution throughout the UK, using its centenary celebrations as a key platform.
Health, convenience and enjoyment are now driving the market, as well as functionality, meaning that leading manufacturers and retailers must be responsive to this in terms of new product development, image, health credentials and stock availability. Consumers are becoming increasingly concerned with maintaining healthy diets and have become progressively more knowledgeable about food and drink. Vimto has responded to the demand for healthier criteria through the development of its No Added Sugar variants within its range of carbonates.
As a leading brand within the soft drinks market, Vimto has a real relevance to the lunch box sector and meet buyer’s needs for lunchbox products across several consumer groups. Mum remains the gatekeeper for many children’s food and drinks habits and is therefore a key driver in sales. Results from research work conducted in-store top of mums checklist is price, promotional offers, product offering and multi-pack format size.
Clear labelling has also become an important factor in consumers’ buying decisions and Vimto has made a commitment to introduce GDA information across its carbonates portfolio. Their aim is to use consumer insights to continue to offer a family-friendly portfolio which caters for all tastes, ages and occasions and provides healthier alternatives, such as No Added Sugar and vitamins enriched variants, to address consumer needs.

Read the full article at Soft Drinks International