14 Feb 2014 Is this the next big market for SodaStream?
This week, SodaStream’s made the latest move by inking a deal with the cocktail and drink mix purveyor Skinnygirl. The two companies plan to co-develop flavors tailored to a female audience, but for SodaStream the development could signal something much bigger: a step into the global market for alcoholic beverages.
The skinny on SodaStream’s ambitions
SodaStream’s tie-up with Skinnygirl comes on the heels of significant partnerships with Ocean Spray, Del Monte, and Welch’s to create non-alcoholic juice beverages. With its latest alliance, SodaStream is eyeing a similar opportunity for collaboration but with a slightly different mix.
Skinnygirl Cocktails, which was founded by celebrity Bethenny Frankel and acquired by Beam in 2011, produces low-calorie alcoholic drinks, including wine, vodkas, margaritas, and ready-to-serve cocktails. For SodaStream, the alliance provides an entry point into the potentially lucrative alcoholic beverage market, an industry the company has been eyeing for some time.
SodaStream’s chief communications officer Yonah Lloyd provided insight on the company’s ambitions in a recent presentation: “We’ve also started thinking about the alcoholic beverages space in a very serious way. Sparkling alcoholic beverages of course are quite popular. We did a test pilot a few months back. There is a drink called Campari Spritz if you’re familiar with it and it’s Campari, Prosecco and sparkling water.
“This was huge. We did it in Italy… Literally, people lined up outside the door as soon as this product was announced. So we get a sense that there will be a great desire if we can drive and compel purchase on this to combine the SodaStream experience with the world of alcoholic beverages and we are obviously interested in this. We’re already in discussions with several companies. So it’s something interesting to see coming down the pipe.”
In short, SodaStream is looking to party, and Skinnygirl’s helping the company get on the guest list. Perhaps Campari, the popular Italian cocktail liqueur, could be the next relationship for SodaStream. Either way, SodaStream’s clearly courting additional partners…..