Levi Roots eyes overseas markets

Levi Roots is looking to expand the Reggae Reggae brand internationally to build on the success it has enjoyed in the UK market.

KFC Reggae Reggae

The brand launched in Jamaica last year but its founder has now set his sights on the US and Africa as well as other international markets.

The brand, which launched in 2007 after Roots’ appearance on entrepreneurial TV show Dragons’ Den, is now valued at around £30m in the UK.

It has expanded from the original range of table sauces to include Caribbean-inspired cooking sauces, drinks, ready meals, snacks, crisps and peanuts.

Roots has also partnered with a number of other brands including Domino’s, Subway, Birdseye and as of this week KFC, to produce Reggae Reggae variants of their products.

Roots says these partnerships will help the brand in its efforts to launch in other markets.

He says: “We’ve got success in the UK, now our next plan is to take it outside of the UK and I’m looking abroad. There isn’t a Dragons’ Den in Africa or America or wherever we plan to go so the work is going to be more difficult but because we’ve built something strong at home all you really have to do is replicate that wherever you go.

“It was the right decision to do five years here in the UK, build the brand strong and resist all temptation to take it abroad and go to America [too soon]. We’re now ready to take it from the UK and replicate what we’ve done here.”

Look out later today (23 March) for a full video interview with Levi Roots on brand partnerships.

Recommended

Eric Ries

Q&A: Eric Ries, author of The Lean Start-up

Josie Allchin

What big brands can learn from start-ups – read the cover story here How automotive brands innovate – read about Nissan and Renault How innovative is Google? One former executive tells us the truth behind the company hailed third most innovative business in the world How to act like a start-up – “Business disruption is […]

Sun on Sunday

Sunday Sun ramps up targeted marketing

Lara O'Reilly

News International is to step up marketing for The Sun’s Sunday edition, switching from creating brand awareness to more targeted campaigns, as it unveils that it is looking to achieve a consistent 38% market share of circulation across red tops and mid-market Sunday titles.