The Value of Added Value

Here at Radnor, we’re big fans of using on-pack promotions to drive sales and boost brand loyalty. William Watkins, our founder, talks through the reasons he believes that adding value can have such an impact on sales.

Let’s start with the flavoured water market. What is your strategy for keeping sales high?

The flavoured water market is growing, with 440million* litres being consumed in 2021 alone, so keeping consumers interested in your product is key – for both brand loyalty and sales. Our flavoured water range, Radnor Splash, is focused on offering healthy hydration with zero calories, a brand perfect for the whole family. Over the years, we have introduced new flavours, formats, and retail packs. In the last few years, we have seen real uplifts being driven by on-pack promotions.

What type of promotions have worked for you?

In 2022, we were delighted to partner with Merlin Entertainments to launch our ‘Radnor Thrills’ promotion. We printed tokens on the back of over 50 million Radnor Splash labels, which could be redeemed for a 2-for-1 entry ticket to the UK’s leading theme park, Alton Towers Resort. The normal retail cost of entry on the day is £68 per person, so it offered real value for money, especially as a 500ml bottle of Radnor Splash usually retails at just £1.20 a bottle. The promotion saw Radnor Splash sales increase by 40% month on month, and also positioned us as a ‘friend’ of the family as part of their day out.

This year, we’ve teamed up with Go Ape to give families the chance to win vouchers to win a treetop adventure. Our specially branded Radnor Fizz “Fuel the Fun” bottles feature a QR code that makes entering the competition easy: just scan the code to participate. Then, if you win, you can redeem your vouchers at any of their 37 locations across the country. Again, it’s an eye-catching offer and, with over 20,000 entries so far, we’re really pleased with the results.

The Go Ape promotion is running until November this year and is currently available across all Radnor Fizz products in food service and retail. We will then be running it again in 2025.

Why is it important to pick the right brand partners?

Brand values are everything, so it’s vital that you pick partners which truly chime with what you stand for. After all, any collaboration needs to strengthen perceptions of both partners so you need to be on the same page. Otherwise, you risk your own brand’s authenticity and could weaken your standing in the eyes of your customer base. The partnership also needs to excite your customers and make sense to them.

Both Alton Towers and Go Ape are committed to putting smiles on faces, with experiences can be enjoyed by the whole family, so there’s a real synergy with what we offer at Radnor Hills. We also love the fact that they both get families of all shapes and sizes outside, having fun together. Through these partnerships, we see our role as helping families to fuel lots of memorable moments together, whilst keeping them naturally hydrated.

What other ways are there to ‘add value’?

Innovation is always front of mind for us, whether that’s flavours, packaging, formats and so on. For example, after the pandemic, we saw a gap in the market for a lunchbox and pocket-friendly Tetra Pak product. We expanded our Radnor Splash range by launching a small 250ml flavoured water carton, now available in Morrisons, Sainsburys and Asda in a 3x250ml multi pack which is sold at £1.00. For families, it’s an easy to buy multipack which saves them money. And the fact that the drink is completely sugar and preservative free also opens lots of doors.

What would be your advice to anyone looking to ‘add value’ to their products?

Do not be afraid to push boundaries to express your brand identity! The power of on-pack promotions should never be overlooked. The last 12 months have been more competitive than ever, so doing more to get consumers’ attention and stand out on shelves is becoming increasingly essential.