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Minute by minute
With the launch of Minute Maid Pulpy Orange, Coca-Cola intends
to replicate the product's international success in India now. Express Hospitality
gives the complete story.
Venkatesh Kini, John Ustas and Deepak Kaul, regional VP (South) of Hindustan
Coca-Cola Beverages at the product's launch in Hyderabad |
The orange pulp in the orange juice makes all the difference.
And to leverage this 'difference' is Coca-Cola India which announced the launch
of its juice drink brand Minute Maid. Its USP is simple - the Minute Maid Pulpy
Orange juice drink comes with real orange pulp.
This innovative consumer proposition is best explained by
the brand's tagline - Refreshingly Orange, Surprisingly Pulpy. It is available
in two PET pack sizes - on-the-go 400 ml and one litre bottle, priced at Rs
25 and Rs 60, respectively. The first-of-its -kind innovation by Coca-Cola is
targeted at young adults who are on the lookout for a naturally refreshing juice
drink. The focus initially would be to target young adults in key cities and
then move into the rest of the country. As part of the same strategy, Minute
Maid Pulpy Orange is being launched in a phased manner, starting first with
the southern states of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.
According to, Venkatesh Kini, vice president (marketing) at Coca-Cola India,
Coca-Cola is passionate about fulfilling the replenishment needs of its consumers
on an everyday basis. Coca-Cola in India currently enjoys market leadership
in the juice drink segment with brand Maaza. With the launch of Minute Maid
Pulpy Orange, Coca-Cola in India is all set to further extend its leadership
in this fast growing segment.
John Ustas, CEO of Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages, said, "Innovation has
always been the hallmark of Coca-Cola's business strategy in India. The launch
of Minute Maid Pulpy Orange with real pulp is the latest example. Part of a
phased launch, the internationally successful brand would be first made available
to consumers across the three southern states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and
Tamil Nadu. As part of the same process, over the next two months, Minute Maid
Pulpy Orange would be retailed across 25,000 outlets in the three states."
Connecting with consumers
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The history of the Minute Maid
brand goes as far back as 1945 when the Florida Foods Corporation developed
the orange juice powder and branded it Minute Maid, a name connoting the
convenience and the ease of preparation (in a minute)
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Coca-Cola in India has drawn an aggressive consumer activation campaign to
market this product in the three southern Indian states. The 360 degree marketing
communication plan involves organising road shows including extensive experiential
sampling sessions in markets, offices, malls, colleges, all backed by a range
of exciting contests.
Complimenting the on-ground initiatives, TV commercials bringing out the 'Refreshingly
Orange, Surprisingly Pulpy' proposition of the brand would also be aired on
all leading channels in the south. The entire brand campaign has been developed
and executed by Leo Burnett.
A 62-year success story
 First
launched in 1945, Minute Maid brand has a rich 62-year history. The history
of the Minute Maid brand goes as far back as 1945 when the Florida Foods Corporation
developed the orange juice powder and branded it Minute Maid, a name connoting
the convenience and the ease of preparation (in a minute). Subsequently, the
company developed a process that eliminated 80 per cent of the water in orange
juice, forming frozen concentrate, which when reconstituted created naturally
refreshing orange juice.
The initial communication brought out the superior taste of Minute Maid compared
to canned orange juice. In addition, consumers were also made aware about the
time saved in having a ready to drink glass of orange juice, as compared to
squeezing fresh oranges. It was the 1948 launch of the Bing Crosby radio show,
which brought the Minute Maid brand into prominence. The popular Bing Crosby
endorsed the brand in his daily radio show. This successful campaign witnessed
an immediate increase in sales. A promotional relationship of nearly 30 years
was established between Minute Maid and Crosby. By 1960, Minute Maid had gained
the attention of The Cola-Cola Company and was acquired by the company.
Innovations and extensions
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It was the 1948 launch of the Bing
Crosby radio show, which brought the Minute Maid brand into prominence.
The popular Bing Crosby endorsed the brand in his daily radio show. A
promotional relationship of nearly 30 years was established between Minute
Maid and Crosby
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There was intense competition in the market, in the orange juice segment especially
in the 1980s and 1990s. The competition resulted in a host of launches and extensions
by the Minute Maid brand - Minute Maid Calcium Rich, a calcium-fortified orange
juice, Minute Maid Premium Choice, Minute Maid Pulp Free Orange juice, on-the-go
line of Minute Maid single-serve juices and juice drinks.
Some of other most notable innovations in recent years have been the launch
of Minute Maid Heart Wise (Fortified with Plant Sterols), Minute Maid Bonewise
(fortified with Calcium), Minute Maid Fresh Mix and Minute Maid Pulpy Orange.
All these innovations and extensions have been runaway successes. For example,
Minute Maid Pulpy Orange was launched in China in 2004 and has already become
the leading juice drink brand across all regions in the country.
Over the years, through innovations and unmatched consumer experience provided
in over 60 countries, Minute Maid brand has clearly become one of the world's
largest juice and juice drink brands. The launch of Minute Maid Pulpy Orange
in India (starting with the south of the country) is aimed to further extend
the leadership of Coca-Cola in India in the juice drink category.
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