WKD, Scotland’s top-selling RTD for the past decade, will receive a new pack design to coincide with the 20th anniversary of the brand’s launch.
The changes have been made with the intention of fully engaging WKD with the latest generation of 18- to 24-year-old consumers. Brand owner SHS Drinks estimates that attracting one million new drinkers from this demographic could, over the next three years, generate an incremental £38m in sales for the off-trade.
New 275ml and 700ml bottle shapes offer clean lines and a new logo. Updated bottle caps come in a variety of bold, bright colours. What the Portman Group will make of them remains to be seen.
There will be four variants in the new range: the original WKD Blue and WKD Iron Brew; new WKD Berry and WKD Passion Fruit (the latter being the re-named Blush variant). No fundamental alterations have been made to the liquid in terms of flavour or abv, which remains at 4%. There is no change to rrps.
All variants will be available in the cash & carry/convenience/independent retail sectors in the new 700ml bottles and 275ml 4-packs. New imagery will be introduced for the 4-packs and all outer cases, rolling out from early October.
SHS Drinks is dialling up the level of marketing investment behind WKD with comprehensive social media activity. The campaign is described as “engaging, live in the moment, sociable, shareable and flexible, reacting spontaneously to key social occasions”.
Jo Sykes, who spearheaded the project team behind the transformation, said: “The launch of WKD Blush earlier this year and this summer’s ‘WKD Blush Hour’ campaign was a tentative step-change for the brand in trying out some new conceptual ideas and shifting towards a more balanced gender positioning. The response from retail customers as well as consumers has been extremely positive and has helped shape the plans we are now unveiling. We are confident that the combination of a new direction, new pack designs and a comprehensive social media programme will make a big impact amongst our primary 18 to 24-year-old consumers.”
