Lucozade Sport is making its first move into the bottled water category with FitWater – hailed as its “most ambitious” NPD in seven years.
Backed by a £3m spend, the functional drink contains four “key” electrolytes: sodium, chloride “to help replenish what you lose in sweat”, magnesium to reduce fatigue, and calcium to aid muscle function (rsp: 89p/600ml).
FitWater arrives as the functional sub-sector is the fastest-growing of the still water market: annual sales are up £27.6m as brands tap the health and wellness trend [IRI 52 w/e 21 May 2017].
The new water would satisfy “growing consumer demand for functional drinks to enjoy as part of an active lifestyle”, said Claire Higgins, Lucozade Sport senior marketing manager.
It was “the most ambitious and significant NPD for Lucozade Sport since the launch of Lucozade Sport Lite in 2010”, she added. FitWater would drive owner LRS “even closer to the health and wellbeing commitments” the soft drinks giant set out last November.
With sales of Lucozade Sport’s regular and low-calorie lines up 2% in a struggling sports drinks market [IRI], the brand hoped to capitalise by cementing existing fans and attracting new ones, Higgins said. “We know from our extensive consumer research that 89% of people would buy FitWater.”
Its introduction is to be supported by a £3m investment in September across outdoor, experiential and social media. PoS materials will be available from August.
The NPD marks another major launch in 2017 for the broader Lucozade portfolio. In February, Lucozade Zero unveiled its Original variant backed by a £7m investment. Two months later, reformulated Lucozade Energy with 50% less sugar drew consumer criticism for its taste.
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