Dive Brief:
-
7UP has partnered with country music start Trisha Yearwood to create a series of summer recipes that use the soft drink as the key ingredient, according to a release from brand owner Dr Pepper Snapple Group.
-
Yearwood's recipes can be found on the packaging of 12-packs of regular, diet and cherry 7UP and include directions for how to make a 7UP fizzy lime margarita, barbecue foods like 7UP teriyaki chicken skewers and 7UP BBQ pulled chicken sliders, and 7UP cherry cake with sour cream frosting.
-
Apart from its use in cocktails and mocktails, the company said 7UP also could be used as a substitute for baking soda in some recipes. The beverage brand claims the carbonation can provide aeration and lift in baked goods, and can help tenderize meats and promote caramelization.
Dive Insight:
Celebrity chefs have a huge influence on U.S. food culture, and 7UP’s decision to associate itself with a well-loved personality like Trisha Yearwood is the latest example of a longstanding trend. Coke, for example, has just teamed up with Aaron Sanchez and Roble Ali for its latest campaign, but 7UP’s efforts go beyond simple celebrity association.
Soda as a cooking ingredient isn't a new concept, but these on-pack recipes could be a savvy way to bring relevance to a waning category. Bottled water surpassed soda last year to become the nation’s best-selling beverage, and a growing number of consumers are turning away from sugary colas for healthier sparkling tonics, kombucha and juices. In this context, it makes sense for soda companies to highlight alternative uses for their products, as well as consumption occasions that people associate with drinking carbonated soft drinks, such as summer barbecues.
Home cooks may not necessarily think of 7UP as a summer cooking ingredient, and the company will be looking to change that perception. After all, there is a strong precedent with Coca-Cola, which consumers have embraced in cooking to the extent that the soda giant features a recipes section on its website.
Although Dr Pepper Snapple Group has been affected by falling soda sales, it has held up better than its competitors, reporting a slight increase in carbonated soft drink sales in the first quarter this year. It attributes these relatively healthy sales to the fact that it doesn't rely on colas, which have been hit particularly hard for Pepsi and Coca-Cola. It also has invested in teas, waters and sports drinks as the soda category falls flat. Perhaps most notably, the beverage company paid $1.7 billion last November to acquire Bai Brands, a maker of fruit-flavored, antioxidant-infused beverages.