Simply Spiked Lemonade, which quickly won over American drinkers when it debuted last year, is heading north, launching in Canada this week.
“We think consumers are going to fall in love with Simply Spiked Lemonade. The Simply brand is already huge in Canada, and all the trends say drinkers have been waiting for something like this,” says Carlie Lorentz, marketing manager for the brand. “It’s made with 5% real fruit juice and natural flavor, inspired by the Simply brand many Canadians already know and love.”
Arriving across Central, Western and Atlantic Canada in the coming week and in Quebec in April, Simply Spiked Lemonade will be sold in grocery, independent and liquor stores across the country. It is available in three flavors: Signature Lemonade, Strawberry Lemonade and Blueberry Lemonade. It is made with a vodka base for most of the country and a malt base in Quebec.
Simply Spiked Lemonade is packaged in 355-mililiter slim cans sold in a 12-pack variety pack of all three flavors, with the Signature Lemonade flavor available in 12-packs, six-packs and singles. Pack sizes may vary by region.
Simply Spiked hopes to win over Canadian drinkers the way it won over drinkers in the U.S. The non-alcohol brand of Simply juices (owned and produced by The Coca-Cola Company) that inspired the alcohol beverage is found in a third of Canadian households and ranks as The Coca-Cola Company’s second-largest brand.
Molson Coors Beverage Company, which manufactures, markets and sells Simply Spiked Lemonade, has cemented its beyond-beer credentials in Canada in recent years. In addition to offering AriZona Hard Tea, Molson Coors has captured a 13.8 share of the Canadian hard seltzer market with Coors Seltzer, Topo Chico Hard Seltzer and Vizzy Hard Seltzer as of September, the last month for which figures are available, according to according to Molson Coors data.
Now, with Simply Spiked Lemonade, it’s entering a growing RTD category with a lemonade flavor that is “bright, juicy and refreshingly unique,” Lorentz says.
“Simply Spiked Lemonade comes with its own social swagger,” she says. “Consumers already love making cocktails with the non-alc version, so we’re connecting drinking occasions and social moments.”
Molson Coors is supporting the Canadian launch with a robust campaign that includes video spots that will air on TV, digital and social media, as well as product placement on programs such as “The Bachelor” and “Love Island Québec.” Its marketing campaign will be augmented with a robust sampling program throughout the year, Lorentz says.
“We’re going to work hard to get drinkers to try the product because we truly believe in the taste,” she says. “Once consumers try it, they love it.”