PURCHASE, N.Y. and LAKEVILLE, Mass., Oct. 21 /PRNewswire/ -- A healthy beverage alliance has just grown more vibrant with the announcement that Pepsi-Cola North America Beverages (PCNAB) and Ocean Spray have expanded their long-term U.S. sales and distribution agreement to include a broader array of single-serve juices and juice drinks.
Beginning in February, PCNAB, a business of PepsiCo, Inc. (NYSE: PEP), will produce, distribute and market, under license from Ocean Spray, several more flavors of Ocean Spray beverages. The agreement includes five Ocean Spray brand juices - 100% Apple; 100% Orange; Ruby Red Grapefruit; Pineapple Peach Mango; and Strawberry Kiwi. In conjunction with Ocean Spray's 2010 blueberry innovations, PCNAB also will distribute a 15.2-ounce Blueberry juice cocktail, the first nationally distributed of its kind.
PCNAB and Ocean Spray teamed up in 2006 to forge a successful strategic alliance that brought Ocean Spray's highly regarded single-serve cranberry juice products to Pepsi bottlers. The net effect of the addition of these other flavors, according to Tom Silk, vice president of marketing for hydration and juice brands, Pepsi-Cola North America Beverages, will bring more healthy Ocean Spray products to a greater consumer audience.
"We have had a licensing agreement in effect with Ocean Spray for three years and we're excited to offer our retail customers more Ocean Spray options," said Silk. "Ocean Spray juices and juice drinks represent an important part of our overall beverage strategy, particularly from a wellness standpoint. Not only is an Ocean Spray pioneering beverage innovation with sought-after super fruits like cranberries and blueberries, they have broad equity in a variety of healthy, great-tasting juice options."
"We're proud of our association with Pepsi," adds Keith Benoit, senior director of Special Markets. "The Ocean Spray name has come to represent quality to Americans everywhere, and we know Pepsi's distribution strength will bring these flavors and our brand to health-conscious consumers all across the country."
The agreement between Ocean Spray and PCNAB includes the following 15.2 ounce single-serve SKUs:
The expanded product line will be distributed in Convenience and Gas, Club Stores, Drug, Grocery, Mass Merchandise and Foodservice channels across the United States.
About PepsiCo
PepsiCo offers the world's largest portfolio of billion-dollar food and beverage brands, including 18 different product lines that each generate more than $1 billion in annual retail sales. Our main businesses - Frito-Lay, Quaker, Pepsi-Cola, Tropicana and Gatorade - also make hundreds of other nourishing, tasty foods and drinks that bring joy to our consumers in over 200 countries. With more than $43 billion in 2008 revenues, PepsiCo employs 198,000 people who are united by our unique commitment to sustainable growth, called Performance with Purpose. By dedicating ourselves to offering a broad array of choices for healthy, convenient and fun nourishment, reducing our environmental impact, and fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace culture, PepsiCo balances strong financial returns with giving back to our communities worldwide. For more information, please visit www.pepsico.com.
About Ocean Spray
Ocean Spray is an agricultural cooperative owned by nearly 700 cranberry growers in Massachusetts, Wisconsin, New Jersey, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, and the Eastern Provinces of Canada as well as more than 50 Florida grapefruit growers. Ocean Spray was formed over 75 years ago by three cranberry growers from Massachusetts and New Jersey. Florida grapefruit growers joined the Cooperative in 1976. Ocean Spray is North America's leading producer of canned and bottled juices and juice drinks, and has been the best-selling brand name in the canned and bottled juice category since 1981. Ocean Spray posted fiscal 2008 sales of $1.9 billion.
SOURCE Pepsi-Cola North America Beverages
SOURCE: Pepsi-Cola North America Beverages
Web site: http://www.pepsico.com/