Are there any case studies of overseas beverage brands implementing localization marketing?

Selling 20 cans per second! How European and American local beverage brands master localization marketing In recent years, many 'new consumer' brands and time-honored domestic brands have treated 'going global' as a pivotal moment for brand development—aiming to 'go overseas.' However, the path to international expansion is far from easy, especially for Chinese beverage brands. Compared with electronics, apparel, and other products, beverages have lower unit value but higher weight, making overseas logistics and market entry even more challenging. Successful overseas expansion for Chinese brands hinges on localization—not merely translation or currency conversion, but full adaptation across markets, cultures, and the entire value chain. Guided by the 'user-first' principle, localization enhances consumer experience; localized operations improve product quality, accelerate iterative innovation, and help close the loop from purchase to consumption effectively. In the long term, localized operations continuously build brand equity, fueling sustainable future growth. AG Barr is a soft drink manufacturer headquartered in Scotland—and one of Europe’s largest soft drink producers. It owns several sub-brands, including Rubicon, Rockstar Energy, and Bundaberg. Its most iconic brand, however, is Irn-Bru. In Scotland, Irn-Bru outsells Coca-Cola: local news reports that an astonishing 20 cans are sold every second. To this day, Irn-Bru continues to outperform Coca-Cola in Scotland and has dominated the Scottish soft drink market for over a century. Today, Guo Ge uses AG Barr—the quintessential British national beverage brand—as a case study to explore how local brands master localization marketing, and to draw insights for Chinese beverage brands seeking to level up their overseas localization strategies—from '1 to 10'. Social Media Presence AG Barr’s primary marketing focus is the UK—especially its home region of Scotland—and its social media presence is comprehensive. Content consistently reflects Scotland’s signature sense of humor. The brand maintains active accounts on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, amassing sizable followings. Unlike many brands that struggle to produce high-quality posts in-house, AG Barr takes a grassroots approach: inviting passersby on the street to taste and review its drinks, then encouraging them to tag the brand or use branded hashtags (e.g., #Hashtag) in their posts—boosting organic exposure while expanding audience reach. The distinctive flavor of Irn-Bru has always been central to its marketing. The brand’s slogan—'The taste of Irn-Bru is the backbone of Scottish manufacturing'—anchors multiple localized campaigns. For example, it launched the 'Great Taste Debate' hashtag challenge across TikTok, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. Consumers can also scan QR codes on Irn-Bru bottles to watch TV commercials. This campaign targeted 90% of shoppers aged 16–24 across Scotland and northern England—the brand’s core demographic—with the explicit goal of 'clearly differentiating Irn-Bru from all other carbonated beverages.'

Ingredion Incorporated reports strong fourth-quarter and full-year 2024 financial performance.

Westchester, Illinois, Feb. 06, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Ingredion Incorporated (NYSE: INGR), a leading global provider of ingredient solutions to the food and beverage industry, today announced its financial results for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2024. Jim Zallie, President and Chief Executive Officer of Ingredion, stated: “Our fourth-quarter financial performance reached a new record high, driven primarily by continued strong volume growth in our Texture & Health Solutions (T&HS) segment and outstanding results in our Food & Industrial Ingredients (F&II) segment across the U.S./Canada and Latin America. Our 2024 restructuring and establishment of a new organizational structure have enabled our teams to better pursue targeted market and customer opportunities, laying a solid foundation for future growth.” “The creation of the Texture & Health Solutions segment strengthens collaboration with customers and supports their pursuit of innovative, volume-driven growth. Amid ongoing food inflation and evolving consumer purchasing behaviors, the T&HS business delivered double-digit volume growth in the fourth quarter. Additionally, we are investing over $100 million at our flagship facility in Indianapolis to enhance reliability and operational efficiency.” “Renewal of multi-year customer contracts significantly benefited our U.S./Canada F&II business, enabling us to offset inflationary pressures and restore profitability—resulting in substantial operating income growth in the quarter. For our Latin American F&II business, despite soft demand for sweeteners, operations in Mexico and the Andean region remained robust. The inherent advantages and flexibility of our regional business model allowed us to navigate pricing challenges arising from corn cost and foreign exchange volatility.” “Our exceptional 2024 performance provides strong momentum entering 2025. Beyond the robust volume growth in Texture & Health Solutions and overall operational excellence, we exceeded our first-year run-rate savings target under the Cost2Compete program. We expect deeper customer collaboration to drive growth, and the benefits of Year Two of the Cost2Compete program will position us well to navigate the 2025 business environment. We remain committed to prioritizing capital allocation toward organic investments that fuel future profit growth, while returning capital to shareholders through dividends and share repurchases to create value.” Zallie concluded. * Results are reported in accordance with U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). Adjusted financial measures are non-GAAP financial measures. See Section II, 'Non-GAAP Information,' following the consolidated financial statements in this press release for reconciliations of non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable GAAP measures. Diluted Earnings Per Share (EPS)

Irn-Bru maker AG Barr sees stronger second half as supply woes ease

13 hours ago

AG Barr reiterated its annual forecast, projecting stronger second-half performance as supply chain issues eased. First-half adjusted profit rose 2.6% to £36.1 million, with summer disruptions now resolved.

reuters

2026-09-28

Irn-Bru maker AG Barr sees stronger second half as supply woes ease

Irn-Bru maker AG Barr sees stronger second half as supply woes ease

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