Campaign refreshes juice scene

Stefan Lepionka says it's about juice, nothing but the juice. Picture / Greg Bowker

Charlie's is rebranding its juices and launching new smoothies in a $500,000 nationwide marketing blitz beginning next week.

At the heart of the four-month long Honest campaign is a street-team component that will see company founders Marc Ellis, Stefan Lepionka and others tempting consumer tastebuds with free samples.

The campaign will also mean a resumption of a role as the company's marketing frontman for Ellis, who after a drug conviction had resigned from all company roles including a directorship on Charlie's board in August.

The company has yet to decide whether Ellis will feature predominantly in an advertising campaign.

Lepionka, Charlie's managing director, said the Honest theme was in no way a reference to Ellis.

The new catch phrase even borrows from an American judiciary oath: "The juice, the whole juice and nothing but the juice." However, he did say: "I think Mark was really honest in his approach to dealing with the issue."

Lepionka said the sampling strategy was less to do with creating brand awareness - which Charlie's already had - but was about getting Kiwis turned on to the new drink flavours.

The expansion and rebranding sees the company's product line swell from 11 juices to 33 drinks, including smoothies.

"People know the brand, but it's about the experience. So the first push is getting that taste into people's mouths," Lepionka said.

Beginning on Monday, Charlie's executives and a team of 12 others will be on foot and on Vespas giving out samples of the new drinks everywhere from office buildings to supermarkets. Some 156 stores are on the visit schedule.

Charlie's contracted some of the sampling work to Chopper and Synergy Brand Experience.

Broadcast and print marketing through the company's Waikane-based advertising agency, Wonderful, will begin in March.

Lepionka said renaming the drinks Honest had everything to do with what was in the bottle.

Market research had found the Charlie's brand was perceived to be unadulterated, top-of-the-line product, delivering a message straight from the hip with a cheeky confidence.

Lepionka hopes the campaign's simple message will give consumers more clarity when purchasing juice and get them to read juice labels more carefully.

Competition in the $1.2 billion non-alcoholic beverages market is fierce.

From small niche players to multi-nationals, there are more than 80 manufacturers and distributors in the country, pumping out some 1600 types of drinks.

The market is expected to grow at a rate of 8 per cent a year.

Charlie's, which listed on the NZX in July, is enjoying steady growth. The company is considering selling its juices in Australia, where it manufactures some of its products.