Need a ‘Pick-me-up’? Refresh your business in uncertain times

Image via trublubeverages.com.au

Whether you’ve had a refreshing glass of Waterfords Sparkling Mineral Water on a hot summer day or sipped on a bottle of Pub Squash Lemon Soft Drink at a family barbeque, chances are at some stage you have enjoyed one of the many iconic brands made by Tru Blu Beverages.

 

In fact, one in every six beverages Australian grocery consumers buy is made by Tru Blu1.

 

Tru Blu has three state-of-the-art factories around Australia, producing brands such as Pub Squash, Waterfords, Diet Rite, Juices Crush, FruitCo, Glee, Riviera and Wicked Energy Drink.

 

Having full operations in Australia delivers Tru Blu the advantage of speed to market as well as helping it be at the forefront of product innovation – this is critical given Tru Blu’s vision is to provide every consumer with a quality product at an affordable price.

 

As part of its social governance, Tru Blu’s mandate is to develop healthy beverage alternatives for its consumers and strive for environmentally sustainable manufacturing and packaging solutions.

 

Image via trublubeverages.com.au

 

Looking into Asia and beyond

 

Tru Blu’s products are currently sold in leading supermarkets and retail outlets Australia wide, however, never resting on its laurels, Tru Blu had its eyes firmly set on the Asia market and started exporting in 2017.

 

Pat Pavlis, Tru Blu’s Executive Director of International Sales, says “Asia holds a wealth of growth opportunities for Tru Blu; Asian consumers are thirsty for quality Australian products and as such, the business has been able to increase and broaden its distribution reach into over 15 countries in the region”.

 

Tru Blu considers gaining first-hand insights paramount and has invested heavily in major international trade shows to connect directly with Asian customers. That’s one reason why Pat joined the ANZ Opportunity Asia Delegation in October 2018, which opened considerable new opportunities for Tru Blu.

 

Always do Your Homework and Spend Time in the Market

 

 “Ensure you have done your homework, spend some time in the field to understand market prices and consumer trends abroad; but be vigilant and realistic of the economic climate…if a customer insists on credit, consider a documentary credit which ANZ will be able to assist with.” – Pat Pavlis, Executive Director of International Sales, Tru Blu.

 

 

Recipe for Success in Uncertain Times

 

This year many businesses across different industries are faced with challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic, yet Tru Blu is optimistic about the future.

 

Referring to the pandemic, Pat said it “had not significantly impacted the business from an export perspective; key markets such as China were impacted for a period, however, orders quickly came back strong as the market got back into action”.

 

The pandemic has also prompted Tru Blu to explore new opportunities in the Asia region. While Vietnam and Sri Lanka continue to be very consistent markets for the business, Tru Blu recently explored opportunities in the emerging India market. In such a vast sub-continent, Indian consumers are as diverse as its landscape.

 

Having such a broad product platform means Tru Blu as the opportunity to adapt very quickly to develop market-specific products either from a branded, original equipment manufacturer (OEM), or private label perspective.

 

1 Source: Tru Blu Beverages. “About us”.

 

The latest ANZ Opportunity Asia Report combines survey data from 1000 businesses across Australia along with timely case studies and industry research, to understand how companies are adapting to the COVID-19 environment. It provides actionable insights to help build a recovery and growth strategy for Asia. Download the report from: https://betradeready.anz.com/OpportunityAsia

 

 

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