Cheryl Hunter (shelflife at marklives.com)’s weekly pick of recent product, packaging, design and food launches:
- New look for Savanna
- World Whisky Day inspires new single malt,
- Bubbly breaks new barriers, and
- SAA innovating
It’s dry, but you can drink it
Savanna Premium Cider is strutting a bold new look and, to celebrate, has launched a nationwide series of Before and After parties for loyal fans.
Since its launch in 1996, the cider has successfully claimed a space as a distinctive, sharp-witted and rather dry brand.
While this won’t change, the bottle has had a definite upgrade: The cider has been given a new crown design, a longer and slimmer neck for the ‘ultimate drinking experience’ and stronger, more ‘manly’ shoulders, as well as a new label and debossing on the side for added ‘grippability’.
Altogether, the feel is meant to be cleaner and fresher.
The “before” and “after” transition is taking place on Savanna’s new mobile-first website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube, where dedicated fans can find details for the parties taking place around the country. Fans can also win tickets to these events by looking under the cap when buying their next Savanna.
World Whisky Day inspires new single malt
The House of Fine Whisky at Checkers LiquorShop has unveiled a rare, single cask addition to the Private Barrel Co. Label in celebration of World Whiskey Day.
Glenburgie is a 16-year-old matured single-malt Scotch whisky that traces its origins back to 1810. As the newest edition of the privately bottled single cask range for Checkers, it is only the 10th whisky variant for the Private Barrel Co. label since its launch in November 2012.
According to Whisky Connoisseur, Marsh Middleton, “Private Barrel’s Glenburgie is from a first fill ex-Bourbon barrel, meaning the barrel in which the Scotch whisky was matured previously had bourbon whisky in it only. This is important because ‘first fill’ casks are highly active and usually make for richer and deeper flavours.”
Speyside whiskies are among Scotland’s lightest and sweetest single malts, and the maturation brings with it more body and complexity.
Glenburgie will be on shelf in July but pre-orders for the 228 bottles available are open from 20 May 2015 via the Checkers website at a cost of R999.99 per bottle.
Join the conversation: @CheckersSA #PrivateBarrelCo and #WorldWhiskyDay
Pongracz goes online to reach discerning customers
What with online retail sales looking to contribute 1% of total retail sales for the first time in history in 2016, brands are beginning to see the opportunities. The latest one to embrace the trend is Pongrácz, with its entire range now available online…
Pongrácz, South Africa’s leading Méthode Cap Classique, has become accessible to discerning bubbly lovers everywhere via the ecommerce wine shop, www.vinoteque.co.za.
According to Vinoteque’s Michael van Deventer, online retail sales are set to grow between 20-30% in 2016 and this growth is encouraging brands such as Pongrácz to join the stable: “It makes sense in that prestige products like the signature Desiderius 2008, in its singular fluted bottle, will now be more accessible to consumers everywhere.”
Made in the classic French tradition, Méthode Champenoise, Pongrácz (@Pongracz) may be delivered to homes at a cost of R55 per case of 6 or less. Delivery is free for purchases of R1 100 or more.
A step up into business class
South African Airways (SAA) has added a new product called Step-Up which, through a bidding system, gives customers the opportunity to upgrade seats from economy to business class where inventory is available.
How it works: Customers receive an email seven days before their scheduled departure, informing them of the possibility of available seats in business class. The email contains a link to the Step-Up tool, where they are able to place their bids.
All bids stop 72 hours before departure, and customers have the ability to view, modify and cancel bids before this cut-off. Nothing is confirmed immediately; the system creates a prioritised list of all bids. Customers are then notified 24 hours before departure of the outcome.
Comments Nico Bezuidenhout, SAA acting chief executive, “Innovation has become a key component of SAA’s customer experience enhancement programme. Besides these latest offerings our customers can expect many more innovation product offerings, in line with the strategic aim of improving customer service.”
Shelf Life is MarkLives.com’s weekly column covering new product, packaging, design and food launches. Notify us of yours at shelflife at marklives dot com. Want to sponsor Shelf Life? Contact us here.
Cheryl Hunter (@cherylhunter) has written for the South African media, marketing and advertising industries for more than 15 years. A former editor of M&M in Independent Newspapers and contributor to Bizcommunity, AdFocus, AdReview and the Ad Annual, she has also produced for various television networks and currently consults on communication strategy and media liaison.
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