BRAND STRATEGY

Ugandan beverages giant launches another global soft drinks brand

By our African Marketing Confederation News Team | 2024

CBL introduces 7UP to its brand portfolio, as PepsiCo’s brand strategy aims to reshape consumer preferences in East Africa.

Crown Beverages Limited (CBL), Uganda’s PepsiCo bottler and the country’s oldest beverages company, has launched the international 7UP soft drink brand onto the local market.

This expands CBL’s already extensive brand portfolio which includes Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Mirinda, Evervess Tonic, Sting Energy Drink, Nivana Water, and Aquafina.

To promote the brand to Ugandan consumers, there is a new brand identity with the theme ‘say hello to 7UP’. 7UP is being sold in 300ml and 500ml PET bottles. 

The fresh visual identity features the brand’s signature green colour, but with added citrus hues and distinct high-contrast lines that portray a feeling of upward energy. The new design will be visible on the 7UP bottles, various marketing materials, and brand activations. 

Photo credit: CBL

Brand strategy includes sampling campaign

The brand strategy includes a multi-touchpoint sampling campaign across bars, restaurants, and on the streets. The aim is to showcase “how 7UP can bring moments of upliftment, positivity, and surprise to people’s lives in unexpected ways”, CBL says.

Comments Rogers Anguzu, Commercial Manager at CBL: “We are thrilled to bring 7UP to Uganda, a country with a vibrant and dynamic culture. We hope that 7UP will become a beloved brand in Uganda and inspire people to enjoy the deliciously uncomplicated taste of 7UP and the moments of upliftment it brings.” 

In April last year, CBL opened a new US$76-million bottling plant in Kakungulu, on the outskirts of Kampala, with the capacity to produce116,000 bottles per hour. A second phase of the project brings the total cost to around US$90-million.

“The expansion is part of a wider attack on Coca-Cola’s dominance in East Africa, as PepsiCo looks to reshape consumer preferences. In 2009, Crown Beverage sold 22-million cases in Uganda. In 2022 it sold 65-million cases,” comments Trendtype, the London-based emerging markets consultancy.

Woman in a plaid jacket waves at a smartphone on a tripod while filming in a bright kitchen with food on the table behind her

Researchers find a new way to enhance social media influencer messaging

By carefully selecting followers to engage with an influencer’s post, marketers can significantly increase the post’s spread.

Beige off-road pickup truck parked on a dirt trail with rocky hills and pine trees in the background

Watchdog instructs auto brand to remove or amend TV ad campaign

SA’s Advertising Regulatory Board finds Kia advertisement could be offensive to people with certain health disorders.

Person wearing blue over-ear headphones at a desk with multiple monitors showing digital graphics, focused on work.

The gap between AI’s efficiency promises and marketing reality

Global study finds AI is helping marketers produce more – but is not creating the time and creative space they expected.

Aerial view of a coastal city with tall skyscrapers, dense low-rise blocks, and a distant shoreline on the horizon.

Number of African megacities to increase from three to 17 by 2050

Urban Africa will double its footprint, adding the equivalent of more than 4,000 Manhattans or almost 400 Singapores, The Economist reports.

Portrait of a smiling older man with gray hair and rectangular glasses wearing a white shirt, facing the camera.

Nigeria’s Hyper City appoints CEO with strong Carrefour background

Luc Demez brings experience from Europe and African countries as the Carrefour brand looks to expand into Nigeria with a local partner.

Smiling woman in a lime green tank top pushes a shopping cart down a grocery store aisle.

Cracking the Africa Code: The functional path to market leadership

What makes brands successful in Africa? A summary of the award-winning paper presented at Esomar’s first conference in Africa.

Cartoon smartphone wearing a chef’s hat, displaying a recipe card with a plate of food and the word RECIPES on an orange background.

‘What’s for dinner tonight, mom?’ Woolies’ AI chef may have the answer

Woolworths supermarket chain embraces an AI-powered chef as it leverages two decades of recipes to answer an age-old family question.

White athletic sneakers resting on a basketball on a dirt path with autumn leaves in the background.

Demand for sportswear is sprinting ahead of the wider apparel market

Consumers are prioritising their wellness despite tighter wallets, meaning sportswear remains one of the most resilient areas of fashion.

A scene from the 2025 AMC Awards in Ghana

Deadline looms for African marketing and supply chain awards

Nominations for the 2026 African Marketing Confederation and African Supply Chain Confederation awards close on 31 July.

Researchers study why negative brand news fails to deter some customers

Consumers may stick with troubled brands because their emotional attachment overrides the perceived risk, study finds.

Dignitaries and photographers at a 'Citizen Experience' event on a blue stage backdrop with a poster on an easel nearby.

Marketing’s role in book on how Ghana can deliver public service excelLENCE

Book draws a line between customer experience – the private-sector marketing discipline – and what its authors call ‘Citizen Experience’.

Rozanne