Not sure what the relvance of all the other non fmcg comparisons in this thread are about.
We’re talking about a firm, who grew thanks to great marketing, with the pretence of a reasonably green viewpoint, marketing the positive health benefits of their (frankly overpriced) drinks.
You can’t continue to maintain those credientials when associated with an outfit like Coca Cola. Some of the global manoevering and corruption of such a powerful marketing financial outfit is pretty much shooting yourself in the foot. You want to appeal to left wing greenies – dont do businesss with the likes of coca-cola. Stories of how they come down hard on unions in south america, creation of polluted water supplies in poor areas globally, ect ect mean innocent have lost all credibility with their market.
Still look at the brand P&J (Pete and Johnnies). They were a premium growth brand sold alongside Innocent. And then Pepsico bought them. And ran the brand into the ground and have now closed it.
The shame is I quite like the innocent drinks. I do the litle cartons as a portion of fruit after my cycle into work. I shall vote with my feet and work harder to make my own and have a home made one in a bottle instead.
And if I am replicated up and down the country, when premium soft drinks will be one of the marketing lines that go “soft” in a recession, then in 18m there will be no more Innocent. And for all those parents who struggled to get little Johnny to get his veg and fruit in without a fight, thats a shame.