Fastest growing juice brand; records highest Brand Equity Index of 3.4

Unveils Pineapple flavour to complement innovative juice blends


Dubai, March 24, 2009: Masafi Juice, one of the leading juice brands in the region, today announced that it has achieved a staggering 37 per cent growth in MAT (Moving Annual Total) terms in 2009 compared to previous MAT, making it the fastest growing juice brand in the Supermarket Channel in the UAE.

The juice line also achieved a Brand Equity Index of 3.4 in Q1 2009 - the highest levels since its launch in May 2006, as per a study conducted in Jan-Feb 2009. The Brand Equity Index is based on consumers' responses across three basic criteria - willingness to pay a price premium; favourite brand and the brand they recommend most to friends and family.

Masafi Juice also announced the launch of a new Pineapple flavour to cater to discerning customers' tastes and preferences. The launch comes close on the heels of innovative proprietary flavour blends unveiled by Masafi in line with different consumer need-states and wants.

Rami Benjamin, Business Development Manager at Masafi, said: "The success of Masafi juices is driven by our innovative blends coupled with its pure, natural freshness.  We pride in this amazing market leadership of Masafi Juice, amidst this challenging time for all businesses. The highest Brand Equity Index for our juice line is a significant development in the broad scheme of things for the company."

He added: "Masafi's continuous endeavour is to provide wide range of options to our consumers and our constant research and new flavours clearly reiterate our commitment in keeping our consumers' content and the demand for tasty, natural and nutritious juices. The launch of the new pineapple flavour epitomizes Masafi's commitment to extending value and choice to its customers and reinforces its reputation as a byword for innovation and excellence in the region."

The new pineapple flavour, coming in 1 litre and 2 litre bottles, offers the unmatched taste and health benefits of pineapple in its purest form.

Rami said: "The new juice variant follows detailed consumer insights and market trends - both qualitative and quantitative. The new flavour reflects Masafi's commitment to support and maintain the juice's growth momentum and build a differentiated and premium position for the brand. The success of the juice line stands testimony to our commitment to excellence and quality, which has been the essence in all Masafi products."

In December, Masafi had launched three 100% pure juice concepts to cater to three distinct need-states leading to their juice consumption i.e. rejuvenation, vitalization and a want of energy.

The Masafi Mango and a blend of Pomegranate, Raspberry, Cranberry & Acai flavours offer the 'Rejuvenating Effect' while the 'Vitalizing Effect' is achieved by Masafi Apple and a blend of Peach, Passion Fruit, Grape and Apricot flavours. The 'Energy Boost', the third need-state for consumers, is achieved by Masafi Orange and a combination of Guava, Lychee & Pear flavours.

The company has committed AED12.5 million towards the development and promotion of the new juice blends. In the Juice Category the carton packs comprise 32% of juice packaging, while PET bottles constitute 54% and pouches, glass bottles and tins will make up for 14%.

Masafi Juice contains no preservatives, no added sugar, no artificial sweeteners, and are 100% Pure Fruit Juice. Over 45% of Masafi Juice production is exported, which is indicative of the consumer trust in the equity of the brand.

-Ends-

About Masafi:
Masafi, the leading producer of pure natural mineral water in the entire Gulf, was established in 1976 with a paid-up capital of approximately $5.5 million. The company has retained its market leadership for the past three decades by providing world-class products which are renowned for their pure natural freshness. This has seen Masafi become the premium reference for bottled mineral water in the entire region. In the process it has built an extremely strong distribution network to consistently deliver to dynamic market requirements and has continuously upgraded its first-class equipment to keep pace with technological advances around the globe.

Being a leading brand that delivers to consumer needs, Masafi's wide product portfolio includes mineral water, tissues, Masafi Juices and the newly-launched Masafi Flavored Water. The mineral water product line comes in bottles of 1.5 litres, 1 litre, 500ml, 330ml (regular and sports) 4 gallon bottles, 330ml kids packaging (regular and sports); mineral water cups in sizes of 250ml, 200ml, and 125ml. The 4-gallon bottles are 100 per cent recyclable and only for one-time-use. The tissue line includes boutique fragrant tissues in three scents, floral tissues in purple, pink and green colors, car tissue boxes and recently launched its new boutique tissues -- Sense of Spring. Masafi leads the UAE market in Brand Equity Index in the tissue line and enjoys the number one share of heart across the UAE. The hugely popular Masafi Juices come in an array of original flavors and rich blends available in 2 litre, 1 litre and 200ml bottles. The flavored water is available in five flavors -- strawberry, lemon, peach, jasmine and mint & lemon in 500ml sizes.

The company was the first recipient of the ISO 9002 certification in the entire Middle East and was awarded the ISO 9001:2000 certification for developing and maintaining a high standard Quality Management System. Masafi has also been awarded the HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points) certification. Masafi is also a member of International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) and Asia Bottled Water Association (ABWA). Masafi Water is tested and approved by NSF International, USA, which carries out annual unprompted audits on behalf of IBWA. Masafi is the first mineral water company in the region to be awarded the prestigious ISO 14001 certification for Environmental Management.

For further information, please contact
Ghada Kammoun/ Venkat Iyer,
BPG Public Relations,
Dubai
Tel: +9714-295 3456;
Fax: +9714-295 1027
E-mail: gkammoun@batespangulf.com /venkat@batespangulf.com

© Press Release 2009