Aujan Industries, a Saudi Arabian-based drinks producer, is planning to double sales of its Barbican malt beverage range by 2009, after re-launching the product with an updated design.
Barbican, which is the market leader in the region’s alcohol free malt drink sector, currently generates a turnover of US $35 million. By 2009, Aujan aims to have increased this to US $70 million, according to Tolga Sezer, the company’s head of marketing.
The brand redesign involved a change in packaging and labeling; the product is now packaged in a slim, green glass bottle, instead of the previous wider, brown bottle. The re-launch is being supported by a US $1 million print and television media campaign. The first phase of television ‘teaser’ adverts started recently, and the second stage of the campaign will start in September, according to Sezer.
While the first stage of the advertising campaign will focus on the packaging re-design, the second phase will build on the successful ‘this is me’ concept, which featured local youths sharing aspects of their life and depicting the role that Barbican plays in key areas of their lives. Aujan will also continue to promote Barbican with the continued sponsorship of a movie club on the MBC2 television channel.
Aujan sees Barbican as a ‘new age’ beverage to compete with energy drinks as well as other malt-based beverages. “It has the potential to be the future of new age beverages amongst the growing youth generation within the GCC.
“Since its launch in the early 1980’s, Barbican has experienced steady growth across the region,” Sezer said. “As the next generation of young individuals emerges, so Barbican is at the vanguard of that change in trends, image, and consumption occasions.”
Barbican was launched by Aujan industries in Saudi Arabia in 1982. The drink is now available in regular, apple, raspberry, lemon, peach, strawberry and pineapple flavours.
Follow us on
