Two major UK distributors are backing overseas contenders against mighty Red Bull in the fight for footholds in the flourishing functional energy drinks sector. Petty, Wood & Co is putting £4.5m behind New Zealand market leader V, while Food Brands Group is backing SoBe ­ a rising star in the US ­ with £1m. V's combination of B vitamins, caffeine and guarana ­ said to have aphrodisiac and brain stimulating properties ­ is pitched as an afternoon energy boost (rsp 99p for 250ml). The strapline for TV advertising, which begins on July 1, is Think of it as your afternoon wake up call'. SoBe's 10 strong range (rsp £1.29 for 591ml) sports exotic names like Lizard Fuel, and contains herbs such as gingko, ginseng, gotu kola and guarana. Marketing support is concentrated on sampling in the London area. Zenith International predicts the UK energy drinks market will top £700m this year. The functional sector accounts for 34% ­ up 9% on 1997. Red Bull claims a 72% share of this. In March it declared it was upping its marketing budget to £15m. {{P&P }}

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