Rubicon NPD inspires the ‘unboring choice’

Rubicon, known for its bold flavours, is building on its track record of delivering successful innovation with the launch of two new products, including its first sparkling flavour launch for over 30 years.

The new Rubicon Raspberry & Pineapple Sparkling and Rubicon Spring Pineapple Passion provide refreshing taste experiences with a fruity twist by tapping into the trending fruit flavours that shoppers are looking for.

“Taste remains the number one motivation for shoppers to choose a soft drink, and traditional flavours alone aren’t meeting all consumer needs anymore, new flavour combinations are driving the growth,” said Adrian Troy, Marketing Director at A.G. Barr.

“We’re confident that our two new tropical Rubicon products will provide incremental sales opportunities for retailers, particularly as we head into the peak summer sales period where Rubicon sales more than double.”

Rubicon Raspberry & Pineapple Sparkling performed exceptionally well in research. The new mash-up with an on-trend, fruity twist, was identified as “distinctively fruity’’ by 80 per cent of taste testers.

The new Rubicon Spring Pineapple Passion has been created to engage shoppers at the water fixture in store with a new flavour choice. Shoppers have been increasingly switching into flavoured sparkling water from plain water since the start of the pandemic, presenting an opportunity for retailers to use flavour innovation to adjust their offering and meet consumer needs.

Rubicon Spring brought 370,000 new shoppers into the water category last year alone, and with Flavoured Sparkling Water delivering 50 per cent more value through retailers’ tills, and Rubicon Spring growing ahead of Total Market and its competitive brands, at +13 per cent and +47 per cent respectively, this new product is a must-stock for retailers.

“Shoppers are looking for a wider range of flavours in the Soft Drinks category, our two new Rubicon products meet that need perfectly,” added Troy. “Both have high-concept appeal with our core target audience of 16-34 year olds, providing retailers with a huge opportunity to engage shoppers with interesting flavours that create excitement and boost their soft drinks sales.”

The launches will be supported by a wide-ranging communications investment strategy as part of the brand’s hugely successful “MAKE THE UNBORING CHOICE” campaign that launched in 2020.

Rubicon Spring will benefit from a highly targeted sampling campaign over the summer months alongside a national digital campaign, whilst Rubicon Sparkling will benefit from a national OOH and digital campaign.

PACK FORMATS: Rubicon Sparkling Raspberry & Pineapple – 330ml, 500ml and 2L (PMP only) Rubicon Spring Pineapple Passion 500ml (Plain Pack & PMP)

PRICING: Rubicon Sparkling – 99p (PMP 500ml), £1.49 (PMP 2L), £0.69 (PMP 330ml)
Spring – £1.00 (PMP 500ml)

OUTERS: 330ml x 24, 500ml x 12, 2L x 6