Carbonated soft drinks have been in market for long and have dominated the soft drink industry since their introduction. Orange flavor has been a hot favorite and brands like Fanta, Orange Crush, etc have dominated the industry due to their taste and marketing as healthier drinks. Carbonated soft drinks have become a part of the regular diet and its consumption has gone up in proportions not fit for the health of individuals. However, now there is a growing awareness about the ill effects of carbonated soft drinks. People are becoming aware of their health and more responsible towards wellness of their body. Non carbonated options are gaining popularity and virtually reducing the domination of the carbonated soft drinks.
Among the carbonated orange soft drinks the first one to be developed was Orange Crush. Clayton J Howell developed it with extract chemist Neil C Ward in 1916. They used oil of orange skin to provide the flavor to the drink till 1921 when they decided to use orange juice to give it a tangier taste. It was immensely popular since the time it was launched in 1916. By 1918 they expanded to the Canadian markets. In a short span of eight years they had about 1200 bottlers for different territories. Procter and Gamble manufactured and marketed the brand up to 1989. As its popularity grew, they introduced several new flavors. Orange Crush and other flavors dominated the carbonated soft drink market longer than other brands. They were at the top in the 70s and 80s. They grew to international levels and expanded gradually in the 20s, 30s and 50s to territories like New Zealand, South America, Europe and Africa.
Cadbury Beverages acquired it from Procter and Gamble in 1989. They gave it a new look with colorful graphics but did not make any changes to the flavor and the ingredients. They also introduced the Tropical Punch and Crush Peach flavors at the same time. Texas-based Cadbury Schweppes Americas Beverages, the largest non-cola soft drink enterprise in North America took care of its marketing.
In the 80s and the 90s, new brands like Fanta, Orange Slice, Sunkist, etc came to the market. They were marketed extensively and soon ate into the market share of Orange Crush which had held the top spot longer than anyone. After the 90s the Orange Crush brand took a back seat and you could hardly find it in stores in quantities that existed in the 80s. Dr Pepper Snapple Group established in 2008 after the spin off, of Cadbury Schweppes Americas Beverages (CSAB) from Cadbury Schweppes PLC is now in charge of Orange Crush brand.
Pepsi Bottling Group (PBG) purchased the distribution and marketing rights from Dr Pepper Snapple Group in January 2009. They will be distributing it in most of their territories around US from February 2009. They plan to diversify into other segments. The major targets would be young people who may find the drink refreshing and fit foe parties. PBG is marketing the brand extensively in a manner similar to their other products. The soft drink industry hopes that Orange Crush would gain by aligning with Pepsi Bottling group who are trying to create a strong customer base in the orange sector as well. They may be able to penetrate and expand to new markets with the refreshing taste for which Orange crush brand is well known.
Did you know that Sweden has been the leading innovator of flavored carbonated water
for the last 6 years? With a world market share of 2/3rds and increasing?
More and more people are turning to flavored carbonated water due to its amazing refreshing
taste and huge health benefits as is has no added sugar, colors, preservatives, sweeteners,
fruit concentrate or calories. Some of the many great fruit flavors that can be purchased
include black currant, apple, lemon and blueberry and many more.
And for the first time ever, owners of home carbonating machines have quick and easy access
to a huge variety of 25 Aromhuset flavors which is currently only being offered worldwide by
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