Diageo looks to bring ‘fruit and herb’ drink Orijin to the UK
Diageo has registered a trademark for Orijin, a herb and fruit drink that has seen success in the Nigerian market since its launch in 2013, suggesting it could bring the product to the UK.
The company filed the trademark in January for the drink, which holds more than 50% of the market for non-beer bottled drinks in Nigeria according to Nielsen data.
Orjin has a “bittersweet taste” and its ingredients include caramel extracts, chamomile, thyme, cinnamon and orange. It is marketed as a product to be drunk chilled and straight from the bottle and has an ABV of 6%. Its sister product, Orijin Bitters, contains 30% ABV.
Speaking on the possibility of launching the drink in the UK, a Diageo spokesperson said: “We always look to register trade marks for brands which we believe might appeal to a certain market, even when we are in early exploratory stages, which is the case in this instance.”
The move comes after Diageo filed two trademarks in February for its Smirnoff brand, “Electric Berry” and “Electric Apple”.
It launched seven new innovations in March including Smirnoff Ice Double Black and Guinness Golden Ale as part of an effort to “step up” its innovation pipeline and “take brands to the next stage” according to UK managing director Andrew Cowan.
He said the company is looking to expand into new categories and target new demographics in an effort to “make brands available to all people on all occasions”.
The moves are also part of Diageo’s goal of having 20% of its business come from innovation, a target it claims it has already reached within its premium Reserve brands. Innovation currently accounts for 13% of its overall business.
