Following a successful UK launch this year and rising popularity with Gen Z consumers; Four Loko is available in a number of leading convenience and wholesale retailers, its stand-out shelf appeal and digital marketing campaign has already brought successful sales for the brand across the UK and Ireland.

Four Loko, the vodka-based RTD is NOW recruiting student ambassadors across seven universities in England and Scotland for a four month-long campaign to take the brand to its key student market.

Leading US brand Four Loko launches in the UK

As Britain’s love affair with flavoured alcoholic beverages continues into 2021, the category prepares for an injection of excitement as US-leading brand Four Loko launches in the UK.

Created over a decade ago by three friends who met while in college; Four Loko has established itself as the leading Ready to Drink brand in the US. With its broad flavour range and successful marketing drive to create ‘Epic Stories’ for millennials and Gen Z consumers across America.

Taking the number one and two spots in value sales in the US market for the past five years*, the brand will launch four flavours – Blue, Fruit Punch, Gold and Sour Apple, at 8.5% ABV within the UK’s off-trade channels.

It is offering the target consumer the perfect at-home, unconventional, full-flavoured, ready to drink beverage, in a convenient 440ml can format.

Flavoured alcoholic beverages have been a key sub-category for some time and this trend is predicted to continue into 2021. Category growth in the UK and IRE is being fuelled by innovation within the traditional Ready to Drink space.  It’s clear that there is strong innovation within this sub-category with traditional brand extensions being launched and a new age wave of hard seltzers entering the market over the past year. We’ll be launching with a significant marketing spend to drive core visibility and category visibility with activations, disruptive POS, category signage in the off-trade arena, social media and digital execution online, and campaign led influencer programs across the summer.

Gavin Woodroofe, UKIRE Manager, Phusion Projects

With the total flavoured alcoholic beverages market worth £382.1 million in the UK. Four Loko aims to recreate its US success by building the brand through targeted social media activation, influencer-led events, and consumer experiences, later in the year. The brand will also launch its own e-comm website for its fully engaged fan base, offering merchandise and product for sale.

As off-trade continues to grow and on-premise businesses get back on their feet following a year like no other, it’s great to be offering new and innovative brands to market, which are going to be genuinely exciting for UK consumers

Managing director Clark McIlroy

Four Loko will be available on Amazon, selected wholesalers in GB and Northern Ireland including Filshill, as well as selected NISA and Eurospar and Spar stores in Northern Ireland.

*IRI Total US Conv 1 CT 24OZ FMB Brand Family – 2015 – 2020 YTD Ending 8/23/20

Zenith Water Conference 2021

Our Managing Director Clark McIlroy had the opportunity to speak at Zenith Water Drinks Conference, discussing future trends, challenges and opportunities with a special feature on how Water Kefir can add value to the category.

Watch the full video below.

Red Star Brands Moves Into Alcohol

Red Star are delighted to welcome alcohol to the portfolio, with the signing of two innovative brands to kick off 2021.

Premium, market dominant BeerLao – brewed in the country of its name, and the successful US, flavoured alcoholic beverage brand Four Loko, are the first in a range of exciting alcohol labels being launched into the UK market by Red Star this year.

Red Star’s move into alcohol is part of the company’s long-term vision to continue to bring the next generation of brands from around the globe, to a UK-wide consumer.

As many people shifted their on-trade alcohol expenditure to off-trade last year, all the evidence suggests that the new trend for creating occasions at home is here to stay for 2021. Red Star wants to be a part of that by doing what we have always done – introducing innovative, exciting, and authentic food and drink brands from around the world, to British shoppers.

Managing director Clark McIlroy.

Created over a decade ago by three college graduates, Four Loko has established itself as a leading RTD brand in the US, creating ‘Epic Stories’ for millennials and Gen Z consumers. Red Star aim to recreate that success by building the brand through events and experiences aimed at its target consumer, later in the year.

Within the UK’s growing premium RTD category, Four Loko provides an opportunity within grocery and convenience channels, to offer shoppers the perfect at-home full flavoured ‘pre drink’ solution in a convenient can format.
And as World Beer is growing three times faster than lager, the authentic BeerLao brand offers an opportunity for real engagement in the category by attracting new shoppers who are happy to pay more for premium taste and flavour and are drawn to a genuine import brand.

Managing director Clark McIlroy.

Red Star launched the premium non-alcoholic cocktail mixer Master of Mixes in 2020 providing the segue from its portfolio of innovative soft drinks to its new alcohol division.

As off-trade continues to grow and on-premise businesses get back on their feet following a year like no other, it’s great to be offering new and innovative brands to market which are going to be genuinely exciting for UK consumers.
Red Star is about brand-building and nurturing relationships to develop these brands within the sales channels and with the retailers. We work with ambitious companies who have something unwaveringly different to offer.
Both BeerLao and Four Loko have an established track record within their Asian and US markets, and we’ll be looking to emulate that in the UK as quickly as possible

Managing director Clark McIlroy.

Gutsy Captain launches Zero Kombucha range

Europe’s largest Kombucha brand, The GUTsy Captain has launched a Zero sugar and Zero calorie range, aiming to reach a growing number of consumers who are looking for healthy drinks with low sugar levels.

We know our Kombucha range has already won over consumers for its taste – winning awards at the recent Aurora International Taste Challenge and the Great Taste Awards. In fact, 68% of consumers who tried Zero in a recent taste panel stated they would drink more Kombucha now that there is a zero-sugar option**, while over six in ten go on to say that the new Zero range tastes good to excellent and say they will buy it**. This has given us real confidence that our brand is the best tasting Kombucha on the market

Inês Freitas

The Zero range includes six flavours – Original, Ginger & Lemon, Pomegranate, Watermelon & Mint, Passionfruit and Raspberry – which is the fastest selling Kombucha SKU in supermarkets according to the latest data*. The range offers three different pack formats to suit all consumption occasions which include a 250ml can, 400ml and 1L PET bottles and 300ml glass bottles, available across grocery multiples and health and convenience retailers, including Holland & Barrett.

By creating an ambient drink that maintains healthy benefits and making it accessible to even more consumers by lowering the sugar and calories, a trend that has been rising for the past number of years as consumers become more health conscious – the new Zero range is a strong and relevant innovation and answers a key need established by consumers.

Our challenge was to broaden the appeal of the category with innovative NPD, to continue to make GUTsy Captain appeal to more consumers and ensure that they reach for Kombucha intuitively.

Inês Freitas

Whilst appealing to consumers who want to consume a lower level of calories and sugar, the new Zero range remains 100% Kombucha and, whilst it has a longer fermentation period in order to leave no sugar at the end, it is created in the same traditional and authentic way as the existing core range, using a SCOBY – a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast, which produces the taste that consumers have come to love about The GUTsy Captain drinks.

No and low sugar levels are key drivers for consumption of healthy beverages. Concerns over sugar and increased awareness around the negative impacts of sugar means that Kombucha is already a popular choice for young shoppers and the health-aware.

Inês Freitas

One of only two impulse soft drinks sub-categories in growth during 2020, Kombucha is now estimated to be worth £7.4m in the UK in the L.52Wks, with growth rate of 75% YOY***.

“Kombucha has been one of the runaway successes in the soft drinks category in recent years, as shoppers who are focused on health and wellbeing reach for the functional benefits.

Inês Freitas

*IRI Marketplace data L12 Wks to 06.09.20 (filtered to Impulse Soft Drinks)

**GUTsy Captain Consumer Research n.90 EU consumers

***IRI Marketplace, data to 06.09.20 (filtered to Impulse Soft Drinks)

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