Boston Matrix: Innocent Drinks
Innocent Drinks manufactures all-natural juice drinks, smoothies, vegetable 'pots' (blended vegetables in small containers), and squeezable fruit tubes. Some of these products are specifically positioned as being intended for children, others are not, although nearly all are packaged in a child-friendly fashion with cartoon characters on the label. These products are designed to capitalize upon the new trend for 'eating healthy' and answer concerns about obesity in children. The company's product range remains relatively limited but like all brand names it has an array of 'dogs,' 'cash cows,' 'problem children' and 'stars.'
Dogs
The new squeezable 'fruit tubes' for children seem like a dubious investment. Parents that purchase Innocent Drinks are attracted by the brand's pure image. Selling fruit puree in a highly processed 'squeezable' format is unlikely to attract the target consumer. Innocent Drinks have a somewhat unconvincing...
"No bits. No rubbish. Just a tubeful of pure fruit puree to keep your little ones (and their lunchboxes) nice and healthy." Food activist and author Michael Pollan has been particularly scathing in his criticism of purees of fruit or yogurt in squeezable tubes marketed as healthy to children. "What would your great-grandmother do with this?" he asked. "Would she know it wasn't toothpaste?"
Cash cows
Innocent Drinks produces popular juices, such as orange juice, in an all-natural formula. Free from concentrates, the drinks are designed to be healthy yet flavorful and offer an alternative to more processed forms of juice from other brands. They are likely to have a wide demographic appeal. They are marketed at both adults and children. Additionally, even older consumers who are wary of trying unusually-flavored smoothies may still want the most…
