Business And Leadership, Ireland's Business News Service

The brand story

Cidona’s origins go back to 1955 when it was founded and positioned as the non-alcoholic version of Bulmers. Very much aimed at teetotallers, or people ‘off’ drink, Cidona has remained a firm favourite. It is one of the few carbonated soft drinks that demographic data shows to appeal as strongly to adults as it does to teenagers.

A real taste of summer, Cidona continues to hold a place in consumers’ hearts and has long supported local initiatives. It is a unique Irish brand and the No 1 apple soft drink which bites into thirst.

Product

Cidona is available in 50cl PET, 33cl cans and 2-litre take-home packs. Diet Cidona, recently reformulated for an even better taste, is also available in the 2-litre and 50cl size.

Cidona has a long licence-trade background and still performs well in pubs all over Ireland. It is available in half-pint and pint bottles, and therefore appeals to teens and adults alike.

Innovation

Recognising the changing tastes and drinking habits of the nation’s pub-goers, Cidona recently launched a clear 275ml long-neck bottle in the licence trade.

One of its most exciting and innovative marketing programmes was ‘Bite the Big Apple at the Grammies in association with RTÉ 2FM’. Listeners to the station were offered the opportunity to experience the 45th Annual Grammy Awards, live from Madison Square Garden, New York.

The winners jetted off with a crew from RTÉ 2FM and broadcast back to Ireland — live from the top of the Empire State Building.

Marketing and promotion

Last year marked a rebranding of Cidona with a new logo and eye-catching metallic label on all packs, bringing its design into the 21st century and enhancing the ‘appleness’ of the drink.

Otherwise, marketing activity for Cidona has been broadly ‘image-led’, which has helped drive the growth of the brand by attracting a legion of new teenage consumers.

Its sponsorship of the Cidona Junior Inter-Club Challenge was an extension of its close involvement in junior golfing activity. The competition supported the Golfing Union of Ireland’s (GUI) Irish Junior Foursomes and the Irish Ladies’ Golf Union’s (ILGU) Girls Inter-Club Team Tournament. Cidona was sponsor of the Junior section of the GUI and ILGU’s Centralised Database of Handicapping for many years.

Other initiatives to appeal to younger people have included Cidona’s national teenage disco — the Cidona Partynite Roadshow, which played over 50 events and entertained roughly 40,000 teenagers every year. It was run in association with the Gardaí, Red Cross, schools and local authorities. The Cidona Partynite Roadshow also appeared at festivals throughout the year.

Cidona also sponsored the Future Sounds Festival which took place in Tullamore — a one-day music festival organised by young people for young people. It proved to be a great showcase for the next generation of musicians and singers; for many, it was their first public performance.