Innocent shakes up smoothies with functional launches

Coke-owned Innocent is launching a functional smoothie range in the UK from April centered on soft health claims - three varieties will use 'defense' 'energise' and 'antioxidant' positioning.

The drinks (pictured) will have a recommended retail price (RRP) of £2.35 or $3.91, and Dave Pickup, Innocent marketing director, said the Coca-Cola owned brand is looking for ways to "excite and invigorate" the smoothie category.

Smoothie sales in grocery, convenience and impulse channels fell 2% in value terms to £160m ($266m) in the UK in 2012, according to Britvic's most recent Soft Drinks Review. 

Volume sales also fell by 9.2% across these channels, but smoothies grew share within soft drinks as a whole by 2.2%