Drinks company launches pulpier product for Asian market

(The Coca-Cola Company)

As competition for dominance in the Asian soft drinks market increases, Coca-Cola launches a new pulpy soft drink developed, it has been claimed, to suit regional tastes.

Coca Cola recently launched the Minute Maid Pulpy in Malaysia. The drink, which debuted in China, is accompanied by a marketing campaign that focuses on the content of orange pulp within the beverage. Coca Cola claim people of the region enjoy chewing on the orange pulp as they consume the drink, and so developed the Minute Maid Pulpy to meet local tastes. Coca-Cola plans to expand the product in other markets in the coming months, but no exact dates are yet available.

According to Coca Cola Minute Maid Pulpy is already the best-selling drink in China, Taiwan and Hong Kong; however rival Beverage Company Pepsi Co recently announced plans to invest $2.5 billion in the Chinese market over the coming three years. Pepsico currently markets several products in the Asian region including Tropicana Guo Bin Fen juices and Cao Ben Le drinks which are inspired by Chinese Medicine.

Western food and beverage franchises hoping to dominate the Chinese and Asian markets have a history of making significant changes to their products in an effort to appeal to regional tastes and sensibilities, McDonald's, Starbucks and KFC all offer products in Asia which are specific to the area, McDonald's menus include Corn Cups, and Starbucks sells green tea Frappuccinos in their Chinese franchises.

The Chinese mainland fast food and beverage market was estimated to be worth $200 billion in 2008 and has grown at a rate of 16 percent per year since.