Getting young Chinese females to drink cocktail through Hello Kitty collaboration

The Chinese cocktail brand Rio has collaborated with Hello Kitty to introduce the Rio Hello Kitty limited edition collection. The Chinese actress Zhou Xun is the brand spokesperson.

Here is a close up look of the 275ml Rio cocktail, which has an ABV of 3.8%. The bottle design is really attractive and is clearly aimed at the young female market.

 

Ready-to-drink cocktail has seen huge success in attracting young Chinese consumers who prefer something more sober than baijiu, which often have a 50% ABV, and sweeter than other alcoholic drinks such as beer. Industry sources said China’s cocktail market has maintained a 30% annual growth between 2009 and 2013 and is set to reach CNY 4 billion (USD 647 million) in 2014, reported China Daily.

Rio is made by Shanghai Bakesi Wine Co., Ltd. (上海巴克斯酒业有限公司). The company is now fully owned by Shanghai-listed Shanghai Bairun Flavor & Fragrance Co., Ltd. Bairun formed the joint venture in 2003 holding a 60% stake but subsequently disposed its entire stake in Bakesi Wine to the other joint venture partners. In 2014, Bairun bought back the company to capitalise on the ready-to-drink beverage sector.

Bakesi Wine has witnessed spectacular growth over the past few years. Clearly, the company still has some leg, which makes the company with a price tag of CNY 5.5 billion (USD 939 million) a worthwhile investment for Bairun. Rio is currently the top cocktail by market share in China. The other competitors are Barcadi Breezer and Red Square (红广场).