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Cheerwine Brings its 'Charm' to New York |
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Written by Zach Subar
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Wednesday, 27 February 2008 |
 The soft drink brand that calls itself "the nectar of the Carolinas" may soon have to change its slogan to "the libation of New York City."
Cheerwine, a North Carolina-based cherry flavored soda that has been around since 1917, held an event at Bloomingdale's in Manhattan over Valentine's Day weekend designed to raise awareness about the soda brand and to introduce New Yorkers to Cheerwine’s flavor.
"We wanted to announce Cheerwine’s arrival into the New York market and to introduce it into a scene that only Bloomingdale's can pull off," said Tom Barbitta, vice president of marketing for Cheerwine, in a phone interview after the two-day event.
The Valentine's Day alliance between Bloomingdale's and Cheerwine made sense. Cheerwine's primary target audience is young men, and Bloomingdale's recently opened a trendy new men's denim and sneaker department, called No. 59 Metro, that is meant to appeal to that very demographic.
Men, mostly, perused the Diesel clothing and fashionable sneakers while holding either cans or vintage-style bottles of regular and Diet Cheerwine that were being given out at a table right off the escalator. Others surrounded the table asking questions about the promotion. Even though the scene, which featured a DJ playing a mix of rap and hip-hop, had a trendy, New York City feel to it, Cheerwine sees an opportunity to deliver a certain Southern charm to the city that many of its inhabitants may be missing out on.
According to Barbitta, there have been documented reports of Northerners buying lots of Cheerwine in the Carolinas and sharing it with friends just to get a taste of home. The company's 90th birthday party, held last year, attracted 4,000 people, some driving from as far as Pittsburgh to attend. Cheerwine's office also often receives letters from soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan, asking the company if they can send the soda overseas. (Cheerwine usually doesn't actually send the drinks over, but does send shirts and other such merchandise, and promises to meet the soldiers at the army base or at their homes when they return safely.)
"It's the taste of home. It's part of the culture down here," said Barbitta.
Cheerwine eventually hopes to bring its sodas, and the personal touch that goes along with its flavor, to markets nationwide. Cheerwine beverages are already distributed in parts of 15 states, all east of the Mississippi River, but its Bloomingdale's event marks its first foray into the competitive New York City market. But Barbitta sees no reason to be afraid of entering such a difficult playing field.
"Small is becoming the new big, and we've got a backstory that appeals to people," said Barbitta. "Sometimes a whisper can be louder than a shout. We're going to put Cheerwine in the right locations, and we'll let people discover it on their own terms."
Cheerwine is much smaller than its fellow soda mavens—only 400 plus employees work for Carolina Beverage, for example, as opposed to the 55,000 that work for Coca-Cola. Its size, however, has allowed ownership of the company to stay within the family throughout its entire existence. L.D. Peeler created and owned the company from its inception in 1917 until his death in 1931. That's when his son, Clifford Peeler, took over and ran Cheerwine for 60 years. Now Mark and Clifford Ritchie, Clifford Sr.'s grandsons, run the company as president and vice president, respectively, of Carolina Beverage Corp., the maker and distributor of Cheerwine. Their current presence at the top means that members of the same family have been at Cheerwine's helm for its entire existence.
All of this makes Cheerwine a unique brand compared to larger soda conglomerates such as Coke and Pepsi.
"If you eliminate colas from the story and just look at the flavors, you've actually got a pretty positive story to tell," says Barbitta. "This brand's got a heritage unlike anyone else in the category." |
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