Speaking at the recent Deutsche Bank global consumer and food conference, Dominique Reiniche, president of the European Union Group at Coca-Cola, said: 'We have plans and projects for the future - nothing concrete at the moment, but (the lack of a UK water brand) is a challenge we have to address.'
The UK drinks market is considered one of the most sensitive when it comes to health and wellness, and many analysts believe Coca-Cola's failure to make an impact in the water sector has left a hole in its portfolio.
By contrast, rival Britvic has made substantial inroads with the launch of youth water brand Drench, which has been positioned in the manner of a soft drink.
Coca-Cola has significantly grown its profile in the non-carbonated soft-drinks market over the past few years. Innovations have included the planned UK launch of fruit-flavoured mineral water Aquarius (Marketing, 29 March). The group has also promoted the balance of its offering with its 'Make every drop count' portfolio campaign (Marketing, 26 July).
Reiniche described the campaign as addressing gatekeepers, opinion leaders and mothers. 'It is not just about a campaign, it is about us speaking up, defending our reputation and taking a strong position in the EU debate' she said.
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