The 'Lemonade' is made from Morshynska mineral water and juice, without the addition of preservatives, artificial flavorings, or colorants. Achieving this level of naturalness was possible through modern aseptic equipment, for which the company invested 438 million UAH!
Why did IDS Ukraine decide to introduce a new product to the market during the war? What were the peculiarities of its launch? We discussed this with Svitlana Korniienko, the Head of the Marketing Department for the 'Morshynska' brand.
The 'Morshynska brand is a leader in the bottled water market with strategic plans to expand its presence by entering adjacent beverage categories. In the spring of 2022, the question arose about which category had the greatest potential for both businesses and consumers.
"We analyzed the sweet beverage category (one of the largest beverage categories in the Ukrainian market) and realized that, along with the dominant trend of healthy eating, there was still no offering of a modern, natural lemonade on the market. A concept was developed for a new standard of natural lemonade, specifically, a pleasantly refreshing taste based on mineral water, with a high juice content, and without preservatives, artificial colorants, or flavorings," says Svitlana Korniienko, the Head of Marketing Department for the 'Morshynska' brand.
To bring the concept of the new product to life, the company typically undergoes several stages of research and tastings for new beverages. They test new products internally within the team, as well as conduct large-scale research involving external target audiences.
The development of the flavor line was based on data from raw material suppliers and trends regarding the preferences of the target audience. The main task was to include in the lemonade portfolio flavors that would be appealing to both a wide audience and consumers with gourmet tastes.
For traditional enthusiasts, the company released the 'Morshynska Lemonade' with an apple flavor. For those who prefer the unusual and unique, they offered a combination of orange and peach. And for connoisseurs, a beverage with grapefruit juice was introduced.
For the name, the team chose the traditional but forgotten word 'Lemonade'. This was the name for a citrus beverage consisting of juice and water at the beginning of the 20th century. During Soviet times, the word was Russified, and 'lemonade' gradually fell out of everyday use.
"We decided to bring back this lost word to Ukrainians. And we believe that as a leading company, we have the opportunity to embody this noble purpose," explains Svitlana Korniienko, the Head of Marketing Department for the 'Morshynska' brand.
The company's communication goal is to build awareness of the product among a broad range of consumers, explaining that a modern lemonade can be natural, tasty, and free from preservatives in its composition, offering consumers a healthier alternative. To convey this message, IDS Ukraine will use both online and offline tools.
The company has ambitious goals. By the end of 2023, IDS Ukraine plans to capture a 14% share of the category. In the medium-term perspective, the company plans to become a leader in the category, just as 'Morshynska' is in its segment.