Rivella launches new brand
Rivella is launching a new beverage in March. It is independent of the three brands Rivella, Michel and Passaia - a first in the company's history. The background is a strategic realignment and the creation of a new business unit.
The company confirms corresponding research of the Handelszeitung. "Rivella is in the process of building a strategic business unit," says a spokeswoman for the Rothrist-based family business. The aim is to "develop new beverage concepts outside the existing range of brands and customers for the Swiss market".
The first drink independent of the Rivella brand is a non-alcoholic mix of fermented lime and vermouth. The first images are already available on the Internet, and Rivella has had the associated trademark protected in recent weeks. The new drink is called Urs. The heraldic animal is a polar bear. The slogan is "Polar bear instead of hangover".
The lime drink and its makers are the new sales hope at Rivella. For more than ten years, revenues have been stagnating at the family-owned company. The sales record dates back to 2003, when sales totaled almost 160 million Swiss francs. In 2016, the result was more than 20 million less. The figures for 2017 will be published in March.
