The Marketing Strategy of Innocent Drinks: January 2016

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The Marketing Strategy of Innocent Drinks
Working Paper · January 2016

DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.11715.20009
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The Marketing Strategy of Innocent Drinks
1 Introduction
According to their website Innocent Drinks make 200 million in sales each year (Innocent
Drinks 2015). That they are so dominant in the European smoothie and soft drink market and the
market’s leading smoothie brand in the United Kingdom may also result from their distinctive
marketing strategy and their unconventional methods of selling their drinks and the associated
experience for the consumers (see Simmons, 2011:12), which is conveyed through recipe books,
many charity projects, experiential marketing with an own festival and with nature-oriented
decorations of the company’s vans, their rule book and the brand message.
The three founders, Richard Reed, Adam Balon and Jon Wright “have built Innocent from
scratch into a £16-million brand growing at 80 per cent year on year” (Edwards et al., 2005:46). The
company’s strategy must utilize the four Ps of the marketing mix, product, price, promotion and
place (Stone, 2007:40), very well in order to be successful and predominant in their market since
their founding in 1999 (Innocent Drinks 2015). The marketing mix was first introduced by Edmund
Jerome McCarthy who divided his marketing theory into those four terms. Drummond and Ensor
state that “the 4Ps are the vital decision areas for marketing managers, as they offer controllable
variables which can be innovatively applied to specific markets” (Drummond et al., 2005:8).
Moreover, these variables are interrelated and, in the end, act as a single unit for the consumer (see
ibid.).
2 The Marketing Mix and the Four Ps in the Case of Innocent
2.1 Product
McCarthy describes the function of a product as “consumer satisfaction or benefits” (McCarthy,
1960:209) and explaines that “in all cases, we are selling the satisfaction or use derived or expected
from the purchase of the product” (ibid.). A similar definition was mentioned by Drummond and
Ensor: “products are solutions to customers’ needs” (Drummond et al., 2005:9). Innocent states on
1
their website that they make “natural, delicious, healthy drinks that help people live well and die
old” (Innocent Drinks 2015). In the context of McCarthy’s theory this would imply that their
product is not only the smoothie or drink but the satisfaction of the consumer and the promise of
natural ingredients and, as a consequence, a healthier consumer.
“Sometimes a product is not useful unless properly installed and instructions given for its use”
(McCarthy, 1960:210), which is reflected in the advertising and the company’s corporate image as
well as their slogan “tastes good does good” (Innocent Drinks 2015), which alltogether delivers a
certain message to the potential customer. Notions of health, delivered by their promise of natural
ingredients in their pure drinks, and charity, by donating “a minimum of 10% of profits each year to
charity” (ibid.), are being used to make their product desired by the consumers and connect the
purchase of a juice or smoothie with a healthier body and a reduction of world hunger.
This connotation, in return, fullfills McCarthy’s interpretation of a product’s function. To
embrace the image of Innocent being highly involved in charity the organization founded the
innocent foundation, explaining on their website: “we give grants to charities working all over the
world so that they can help the world’s hungry” (Innocent Foundation 2015). Thereby they include
other aspects in their brand message and corporate image like sustainability, especially with their
packaging, as well as social responsibility, which are being conveyed with every sold drink.
“Sustainability is a core part of who we are” (Innocent Drinks 2015) is said on their website,
followed by listing their company values: “to be natural, generous, commercial, entrepreneurial and
responsible” (ibid.)
Innocent Drinks expanded their product offerings, which McCarthy terms “product
differentiation”, from just smoothies to juices, coconut water, so-called bubbles and special drinks
for children to cover a more diverse market and reach a diversified target audience. According to
the product, the brand message and the corporate image Innocent tries to reach a specific health-
and charity-orientated target audience even thought they have extended their product range by
adding products that still fit their product policy.
2
2.2 Price
Innocent smoothies and drinks are premium priced within its specific market. This may also be
down to the fact that they donate ten percent of every purchase to charity. McCarthy explains that
the marketing manager “must make price decisions which, in turn, determine the firm’s revenue”
(McCarthy, 1960:576) and “businesses obviously must make sales, and price has an important
bearing on the volume of sales” (ibid.). Furthermore he states that “price may not be the
determining factor but it is a qualifying factor, since it must remain within a reasonable range”
(ibid.). That Innocent drinks are higher priced than other drinks, with two to four pounds per drink,
and are still being bought by the majority of the consumers it is likely to say that this is a result of
their health and charity campaigns as well as their donations. That Innocent leads the market
although their products are higher-priced may imply that the prince range is justifiable.
In terms of discounts the grocery stores that sell Innocent products use quantity discounts to
induce consumers to buy more of this particular product series and stick with the product long-term.
Sainsbury’s, for example, uses discounts like “buy any 2 for £5.00” while one single smoothie costs
£3.00.
2.3 Promotion
McCarthy describes the process of promotion as follows: “sometimes consumers, before they
can appreatiate a product’s potential, must be shown or told how a product can add to their total
satisfaction” (McCarthy, 1960:210) and later in his theory as “communication with the potential
consumer” (McCarthy, 1960:502). Or as Drummond and Ensor define promotion: “the promotional
element of the mix provides communication with the desired customer group” (Drummond et al.,
2005:9). According to Stone and Desmond promotion “include[s] advertising, public relations and
sales promotions” (Stone, 2007:41). Besides various television adverts and other advertising
Innocent Drinks regularly publish press releases on their website in order to explain their products
and strategies (Unattributed, 2015a). They announced, for example, the deal with Coca Cola and the
launch of their new coconut water.
3
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See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.

The Marketing Strategy of Innocent Drinks

Working Paper · January 2016

Gender and Women's Studies View project

The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file.

The Marketing Strategy of Innocent Drinks

2 The Marketing Mix and the Four Ps in the Case of Innocent

McCarthy describes the function of a product as “consumer satisfaction or benefits” (McCarthy,

natural ingredients and, as a consequence, a healthier consumer.

This connotation, in return, fullfills McCarthy’s interpretation of a product’s function. To

adding products that still fit their product policy.

launch of their new coconut water.

View publication stats

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