Ocean Spray's cranberry-pomegranate blend.

Avia Collinder, Gleaner Writer

Jamaica continues to dominate the cranberry juice market. Distributor of Ocean Spray's brands, Wisynco Group Limited, said it has brought in one million cases of the beverage to make Jamaica the largest consumption market per capita, giving Wisynco 80 per cent of the cranberry juice market.

"We have had four successive years of double-digit growth, with the volumes in excess of anywhere else in the Caribbean-Latin America region," said Wisynco Brand Manager Tamara Ward.

Costliest on the market

The Ocean Spray cranberry brand is one of the costliest on the market, with the two-litre, 100 per cent juice, retailing for $370.

The price has not deterred consumption.

"Jamaicans have a voracious appetite for information on eating healthily and they are sponges when products come along claiming to have superior health benefits," said Ward.

"Almost overnight, Jamaicans became aware of the benefits of cranberries and it seems as if we just can't get enough of its natural wholesomeness."

Cranberries are considered good as a purifier of the body and a boost to the immune system.

The new health kick has sparked the interest of local companies. GraceKennedy Limited and Lasco Foods have launched their own cranberry products - efforts at comment from the two companies were unsuccessful - but, Ward said, their entry has had little impact on Ocean Spray's dominance.

"Competition is a natural process. We've created the demand, and now they've arrived to take a share. Our relationship in the market is second to none, and Ocean Spray is proud of that and will work hard to keep it there."

Still, the business has seen its sales negatively impacted under escalating inflation and as disposable incomes decline.

"We will revert to strong growth again next year as inflationary pressures ease off the consumers," Ward declared.

"Our sales have levelled off only slightly this year," she adds.

While Wisynco as a private company was reluctant to release its sales figures, in 2005, when Jamaica was the second-highest consuming market with 400,000 cases sold locally, Ocean Spray's international cranberry juice sales totalled US$1.4 billion.

History of Ocean Spray

Ocean Spray, which is based just outside of Boston, Massachusetts, in the United States, is a privately held cooperative, formed by 900 cranberry growers in the United States and Canada.

It controls about 72 per cent of the world's cranberry crop and is the standard bearer of the cranberry juice brand with a significant international presence in 30 countries.

In mid-year, Wisynco launched a $30-million healthy-living campaign with singer Tarrus Riley as spokesperson.

The objective, Ward says, "is to join a strong brand in Ocean Spray to one of the more conscious, wholesome Jamaican artistes having mass appeal".

"We all know that the cranberry is the wonder berry and with all the talk about the need for anti-oxidants to fight cell damage, our products are in the limelight, and leading the charge."

avia.ustanny@gleanerjm.com