SONIC HARD SELTZER OPENS UP TO THE U.S. MARKET

Sonic Hard Seltzer has announced the expansion of its hard seltzer to six new states in the U.S., specifically Texas, Kansas, Arkansas, Nebraska, Missouri and Arizona. A new step that confirms its expansion policy that has been developing since more than a year ago Sonic moved away from its characteristic ‘Two Guys’ spokespersons in favor of a new campaign focused on real customers.

The latest product offering is inspired by Sonic Drive-In’s unique beverage flavors, with a touch of carbonated water and features two distinct varieties, Citrus and Tropical. Undoubtedly one of the firm bets of the brand since by 2027, it is expected that the global carbonated water industry exceeds 10 billion dollars annually.

For Sonic, COVID-19 has meant a slight shift in that massive rebranding effort. Their slogan ‘This is how we are Sonic’ aimed to highlight families and friends celebrating their many milestones together, such as graduations and engagements. However, as many of those milestones were put on hold, Sonic seized new opportunities through the campaign.

“There was flexibility that we could lean on and we were able to take advantage of some of those missed opportunities,” says CMO Lori Abou Habib, who adds, “We spent a couple of years before the pandemic skinning our menu and in the two years leading up to the pandemic, we eliminated about 25% of the items.”

According to Abou Habib, the pandemic also meant a high return for the chain. One of the reasons, he notes, for that performance may come as a bit of a surprise: a solid menu. As several chains trimmed their options over the past year to meet the operational demands of increased off-premise business, Sonic stayed the course. Now, Sonic is ready to push the accelerator “by going deeper into product innovation in a big way,” he concludes.