Driven by Canada’s growing ethnic diversity and the increasing availability of exotic foods, the collective Canadian palate is fast developing a widening range of taste preferences.

Recently, Tropicana Canada moved to tap further into this trend by expanding distribution of its Tropics juice brand into Western Canada.

Tropics, a line of exotically flavored 100% chilled juice blends, was introduced in Eastern Canada in 1996. The blends combine Tropicana’s flagship not-from-concentrate orange juice with other exotic fruits to produce Orange Kiwi Passion, Orange Strawberry Banana, and Orange Peach Mango.

In addition, two new Tropicana Pure Premium blends – Orange-Tangerine and Orange-Grapefruit – were launched last year.

Caroline Russell, product manager, says prior to the introduction of Tropics, the company conducted research that indicated it could leverage the brand equity in its Pure Premium orange juice line to move into non-breakfast juices and offer consumers more variety.

‘Overall, we’re really addressing a couple of different consumer needs and emerging trends – the demand for exotic flavors and the emerging trend for more combinations of flavors and blends.

‘I think overall Canadians are becoming a lot more adventurous, developing a taste for more ethnic and exotic foods.

‘Exotic fruit flavors like mango and passion fruit – and even kiwi a few years ago – probably would have been considered a lot more niche, but now they have a much broader appeal.

‘The opportunity was there to build on our orange juice equity but with exotic tropical flavors for consumers to enjoy throughout the day.’

Russell says the trend in juices towards blended flavors parallels a restaurant trend of combining mainstream North American foods with complex and ethnic flavors.

An article in the November 1997 issue of Foodservice and Hospitality magazine, a publication serving Canada’s restaurant industry, identifies this trend as fusion cuisine. The article also charts the growing demand for exotic ingredients, the increasing use of multiple flavoring ingredients and the increasing interest in natural or organic ingredients.

Russell says the profile of the Tropics consumer is similar to the Tropicana Pure Premium consumer, with both tending to be middle- to upper-income earners with children. Tropics, however, skews to a slightly younger audience because kids, in particular, like the taste of the fruit blends.

Since its introduction in 1996, Tropics has become the No. 1 chilled blend in all three Eastern Canada regions. Share for a four-week period is sitting at 35.9% of refrigerated blends, says Russell, and is still growing by double digits.

Tropicana was ranked as Canada’s fourth largest supermarket brand in 1997 by ACNielsen, coming in behind Coca-Cola, Pepsi-Cola and Campbell Soup and just ahead of Tide Laundry Detergent.

The company accounted for $167 million in grocery sales, a big accomplishment for brand that is just seven years old in Canada, says Ron Perrotta, director of marketing for Tropicana.

Perrotta pegs the total juice and drink industry in Canada at about $1.3 billion, with the juice market accounting for $700 million of that.

There are three basic juice segments, including the refrigerated segment in which Tropicana competes. Perrotta says refrigerated sales have surpassed $300 million and are growing at about 23% annually.

The frozen juice market he estimates at just under $150 million, and the shelf stable market at about $220 million. There is another $600-million-plus on the drinks side of the business – juice cocktails or fruit punches which contain less than 100% pure juices – with the lion’s share of volume in shelf-stable drinks.

‘In terms of the major trends, juices as opposed to drinks are growing significantly and what’s driving this within juices is the refrigerated segment or chilled juices which are 100% pure juices.

Tropicana has been tailoring its advertising messages as well as its product lineup to the tastes of both mainstream and ethnic consumers.

Advertising for Tropics and Pure Premium brands has been targeted to both English and French-speaking consumers and in addition, the company is entering its third successful year of a fully integrated campaign for Pure Premium orange juice to Canada’s Chinese community.

Hamazaki-Wong Marketing Group of Vancouver handles Tropicana’s Chinese marketing programs.

A national campaign for Tropics from Harrod & Mirlin/FCB of Toronto debuted this month on transit shelters and in magazines across the country.

It is supported by an extensive summer-long sampling program and a colouful Tropics van that will tour the country and be on site at wide range of events and attractions.

Tropicana Canada is a division of The Seagram Company.