Dive Brief:
- PepsiCo's Mountain Dew is creating a new line of premium sodas, the Mtn Dew Label Series, that features herbal and citrus bitters, according to Beverage Industry. Varieties include citrus-flavored Mtn Dew White Label and apple-kiwi flavored Mtn Dew Green Label.
- The beverage line will be formally introduced at a two-day "Label Motel Event" during the Coachella Music Festival, where the company will convert the Musicland Hotel in Palm Springs, CA into a free tasting event for the public.
- The beverage line follows the success of Mtn Dew Black Label, which launched last year. "Through the Mtn Dew Label Series, we're looking to give our fans more choices for when they want to let loose but are craving something a little more sophisticated," Chauncey Hamlett, senior director of marketing for Mountain Dew, told Beverage Industry.
Dive Insight:
The craft soda category is bubbling, and a host of beverage companies are experimenting with different flavor profiles to produce premium, low-sugar sodas that are healthier than traditional soft drinks. Despite the soda category's overall decline there are still opportunities for manufacturers to make money in the craft space, as consumers are willing to pay more for these healthier, trendy products.
That opportunity is sorely needed — Beverage Digest reported total soda volume decreased 1.2% in 2015, registering the lowest total since 1985. It's unclear how much potential the craft soda category holds for the long term, but for now, manufacturers like Mountain Dew are racing to take their share of this space.
Mountain Dew's marketing strategy for the new Mtn Dew Label Series seems like a savvy way to capture the millennial demographic it's targeting. Aside from its upcoming launch at Coachella, the company is partnering with VFILES, a creative social media company, to create exclusive Mtn Dew Label items, including T-shirts, crop tops, Hawaiian shirts and beach towels.