Orange You Loyal? A Study of the Minute Maid Brand

Orange You Loyal? A Study of the Minute Maid Brand

Branding My Loyalty

    I have been a loyal customer of Minute Maid Orange Juice for many years. When I was younger, my parents often bought generic brand orange juice in order to save money. I always found the taste rather bitter, and nothing like the taste of real orange juice. As our circumstances improved, so did my parents’ acquisition of name-brand products. Eventually, I was introduced to such orange juice brands as Tropicana, Sunny Delight, and what became my personal favorite, Minute Maid. As a consumer capable of making my own grocery purchase decisions, I found that Minute Maid was the best value for the money. There were other brands that also tasted great, but they were much more expensive and were packaged in smaller containers. I can’t remember the last time I purchased a rival brand. My loyalty increased in 2003 when the Low Acid variety was introduced. As a frequent sufferer of heartburn due to acid reflux, I had to take orange juice out of my diet or risk severe pain. The low acid orange juice was true to its name and I was surprised to find that it went down smoothly. Tropicana quickly followed with its own version, but for me it was too little, too late.

A Juicy History
    Minute Maid began in 1945 with an orange juice powder designed for the troops fighting WWII. After producing the powder and having it ready to ship out, the war ended and the product was no longer needed. In spite of this turn of events, the company proceeded ahead and began to market its powdered juice to consumers. The brand name, Minute Maid, was created by a Boston advertising agency, naming it afte the city’s famous “Minutemen”.  The company was given a boost when radio favorite Bing Crosby praised its fresh-squeezed taste.
Squeezing Out a Timeline
      1960 – Minute Maid was purchased by the Coca-Cola Company. While some might fear that this move would alienate the clients and risk obliterating its consumer base in its absorption into a much larger company, this strategy ensured that the Minute Maid brand would find wide distribution through Coca-Cola’s deep financial pockets.
      1961 – The orange juice was only offered, at this point, in the frozen concentrate. The company put its resources into researching new methods of freezing, in order to improve the taste of the product.
      1963 – Minute Maid introduced ready-to-drink orange juice while still offering the frozen concentrate. The company expanded its market to cater to large families who could serve all the members with the less-expensive frozen concentrate as well as the consumers who were “on the go” and simply didn’t have the time to do anything but pour the juice into a glass.
      1987 – Minute Maid introduced the 96-ounce plastic bottle. This bottle was perfect for consumers who shopped infrequently or needed to serve a larger number of people. Changing the packaging is an effective strategy for reaching more consumers. This was the same year they launched Calcium Rich orange juice, taking advantage of the current pro-calcium health craze and the recent medical warnings about osteoporosis. At this point, most required daily vitamins could be found in a single serving of orange juice. Tastes good, and good for you – who can beat that?
      1996 – In order to compete with other brands that boasted a fresh squeezed taste, Minute Maid launched Premium 100% pure orange juice. The company now offered products to the average consumer, the consumer on a budget, and finally, the customer who was willing to pay a little extra for added flavor.
      2003 – The most recent developments in the Minute Maid brand occurred when they released an entire line of different juices. Among them were products enriched with extra vitamins, juices intended for children, and the low acid variety that would appeal to the many consumers who were now dependent on acid-reducing medications.
A Tasty Conclusion
    In conclusion, it is clear that I am loyal to Minute Maid Orange Juice because that is what the company intended to accomplish. They first offered me great taste. Then they made the packaging convenient. Finally, they appealed to my desire to be healthier through the inclusion of extra vitamins and specialty orange juice that would allow me to continue drinking it in spite of my acid reflux. Had I not researched this paper, I would have assumed that I liked the orange juice because it was tasty and they conveniently offered a variety compatible with my medical needs. Silly me.