Ocean Spray and Northland "Evolve Lines" into each other's market niche.

 

In an April 12, 1999 article in Brandweek entitled "Cranberry Leaders May Evolve Lines" by Gerry Khermouch, the competition for market share between Northland Cranberries and Ocean Spray is addressed. It was pointed out, before the announcement about Northland introducing sugar added drinks under its Seneca label, that the company was "likely to segue soon into dilute-juice blends" even though they had built their advertising strategy on attacking Ocean Spray for marketing similar beverages. More interesting, especially to Ocean Spray growers, is that the cooperative is "disappointed with the performance of the year-old 100%-juice Wellfleet Farms line", and furthermore "may drop the sub-brand and fold the juices into its core dilute-juice line".

Northland's marketing vice president was quoted as saying that while moving into non-100% juice products was a logical course of action for the company. An unnamed Ocean Spray representative who is said to have told Khermouch that they were "looking to tweak" the Wellfleet brand because it hasn't lived up to expectations, and that no decisions had yet been finalized.

 

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