Creative Strategy Brief: Arizona Iced Teas

Creative Strategy Brief: AriZona Iced Teas

Product Overview

AriZona Iced Teas are a brand of ready-to-drink beverages originating from New York. There are various different types of teas, with the main sections branching off to green, black, white, and herbal teas. However, extensions include diet teas, juice blends, concentrates, energy/sport drinks, decaf teas, and even flavoured bottled water. All beverages are made from 100% natural ingredients and each type of tea has its own story and health benefits.

Ferolito, Vultaggio & Sons originated as a New York City beer distribution company in 1971, founded by two friends, John Ferolito and Don Vultaggio. The company grew through the hard work and determination of John and Don, and, by the late 1980s, became one of New York City’s most successful beer distributors.

In 1990, Don encountered a Snapple truck delivering a huge shipment as he was making a regular drop of his, and, after talking with John, they quickly decided that a move into the tea business was the best step for them. By as early as 1992, the AriZona brand had been developed and launched. The unique packaging of the new product “literally stood head and shoulders above the rest” of the beverages shelved beside them, and AriZona Iced Teas quickly grew into a success. The packaging includes a series of 24 oz. cans, 20 oz. proprietary bottles 16 oz. cans, 12 oz. cans, 7.7 oz. cans and 12 oz. aseptic drink boxes.

Today, among the top �ready-to-drink’ tea brands, AriZona holds a 28.6% market share, with a 45% increase in dollar sales over the year of 2006.2 Not too long ago, AriZona and Coca-Cola Enterprises struck a distribution agreement, and added AriZona Iced Teas as a brand they distribute alongside Nestea, Gold Peak, and Enviga Teas.

Key Observations

Competition

Top ready-to-drink teas by brand *From: www.bevindustry.com/content.php?p=5&s=BI/2006/02

Brand Dollar Sales %Change Vs. Prior Year Market Share % Change Vs. Prior Year

Arizona $214,871,400 45.0% 28.6 5.3%

Snapple $97,525,640 6.2% 13.0 -1.5%

Diet Snapple $87,541,020 14.1% 11.7 -0.4%

Lipton Brisk $78,295,500 -8.1% 10.4 -3.0%

Nestea Cool $56,288,980 -16.7% 7.5 -3.1%

Lipton $54,408,740 204.7% 7.2 4.4%

Lipton Iced Tea $41,951,630 4.1% 5.6 -0.8%

Private label $27,476,830 16.1% 3.7 -0.1%

Nestea $14,853,450 13.0% 2.0 -0.1%

SoBe $14,798,130 22.3% 2.0 0.1%

Category total $750,577,300 18.3% 100.0 0.0%

We can see from the above chart that Arizona has 4 major competitors: Snapple, Lipton, Nestea and Sobe.

Originally Snapple was founded in 1972 by three people, Arnold Greenberg, Leonard Marsh, and Hyman Golden. It did not become the Snapple Beverage Corporation until 1992, when Snapple Holding merged into its subsidiary in preparation for public stock offering. The offering was an immediate hit, as the four million shares were snapped up, and the company's