Virgin Cola trumps Coca-Cola with first UK launch of vanilla variant

Virgin Cola is launching a pre-emptive strike against Coca-Cola by introducing a vanilla variant ahead of Vanilla Coke arriving in the UK.

Virgin Vanilla goes on shelves at independent retailers this week in two-litre bottles. Negotiations are also under way to sell the product in major supermarkets from the new year.

Princes Soft Drinks, which already has the manufacturing franchise for Virgin Cola, gained the marketing franchise for the brand in September but has done little with the brand until now. It appointed a marketing manager, Philip Taylor, in September, giving him responsibility for leading its new product development programme (MW September 14).

Taylor plans to promote the entire Virgin Drinks range in the spring but has not yet decided a strategy or made plans to appoint an ad agency. Rainey Kelly Campbell Roalfe/Y&R handled advertising before Princes took over the franchise.

Richard Barlow, commercial controller at Princes responsible for Virgin brands, says: “The Virgin Vanilla launch provides an opportunity for Virgin Cola to be innovative and fun while strengthening the brand’s presence.”

Coca-Cola launched Vanilla Coke in the US in May and introduced the product in Sweden in October. A spokeswoman for Coca-Cola Great Britain says: “We have no plans to launch Vanilla Coke in the UK but, as with all new opportunities, we will continue to look at the market to see what consumer needs are.”

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