Coca-Cola Wants to Sell You 'Simply' Oranges and 'Minute Maid' Grapes
Two well-known juice brands are set to start popping up in the produce section.
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If you thought Coca-Cola would stop at sodas, fruit juices, sparkling water, coffee, and whiskey-infused drinks, think again. Last week, The Coca-Cola Company licensed its Simply and Minute Maid labels to global fruit sales and marketing giant Frutura, which will distribute fresh grapes and citrus fruit bearing the Coke-owned branding. The move marks the first time Coca-Cola has tapped into the fresh produce category.
Coke’s Minute Maid and Simply logos will be used on select produce distributed by Frutura’s Dayka & Hackett brand. Founded in 2005, the California-based company grows, packs, and distributes citrus fruit, such as clementines, lemons, limes, oranges, and mandarins, as well as green, red, and black seedless grapes. In the United States, Simply Select logos will be used on D&H fresh citrus, while Minute Maid will be placed on D&H grapes. Also, Minute Maid will be used on D&H's fresh citrus and grapes in Japan.
“Our company is committed to serving the consumer with superior products at every part of their day,” Kayla Carlucci, associate licensing manager with Coca-Cola, said in a statement. “When we consider licensing one of our brands, the quality of the product that will bear our name is paramount, as is the quality control the licensee exercises at every step along the supply chain.”
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Citrus fruits and grapes with Simply Select labels are slated to begin hitting retail shelves before July, and Minute Maid products are expected to follow soon after.
Outside of its usual soft drink products, Coca-Cola’s wide-ranging portfolio of brands has made its way into a variety of nontraditional categories. Last fall, a licensing agreement between the Coca-Cola Company and Constellation Brands — whose brands include Corona, Modelo, Svedka Vodka, and Casa Noble Tequila — resulted in the release of Fresca Mixed, a line of pre-mixed canned cocktails combining the soda with premium spirits. Canned Jack Daniels and Coca-Cola whisky and cola cocktails are also going nationwide this year. And this past January, home décor brand Ottomanson even inked a licensing deal with Coca-Cola releasing a colorful line of rugs.
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