Due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, there is a boycott movement of companies and products associated with certain sides of the conflict in various parts of the world. Several international brands came under fire for their perceived stance on the issue. In such a situation, the halal soft drink brand Shukran Cola has seen a surge in popularity. The demand for Shukran Cola from various countries, including those in the Middle East and Europe, is increasing.
Due to the boycott of the Western giants, Shukran Cola has become an alternative to other globally known brands for many in certain markets. The demand for the drink is so high that one factory is struggling to produce it and supply it to different countries around the world. Therefore, the company continued its export operations to various countries by supplying and supervising its own recipes from Jordan, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, and Turkey.
Entrepreneurs say that “Shukran” is the most used word for blessing and thanksgiving among Arabic speakers. As a result, the name Shukran is more acceptable to the people of the Arab region. So, the entrepreneurs are planning to expand this new brand globally. All the Middle Eastern countries are already drinking from them. The company will soon start its own production process locally in Pakistan, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt due to the increasing demand for Shukran Cola globally.
Business people from more than 50 countries around the world continue to contact the company regularly to market Shukran Cola locally as a replacement for other well-known brands. The international marketing department of the company recruits new distributors in different cities and countries every day, subject to verification of business experience and businessmen’s abilities through email and video conference.
Shukran plans to increase production capacity in different countries and market new and different flavors of soft drinks. These include Cola Zero, Lemon Zero, Soda Water, Healthy Baby Cola for Kids, and various new flavors. Apart from carbonated drinks, juice products like orange, mango, strawberry, apple, pineapple, basil seed drinks, and various dry foods have been planned extensively and long-term.
Shukran’s entrepreneurs find specific consumer markets for the new product. Because of the boycott, most restaurants in the Middle East are not interested in selling products from certain Western companies. As a result, the demand for Shukran soft drinks in those restaurants is increasing day by day.
Shukran also got a massive response on social media within a short period of time. Their number of followers on Facebook has crossed a million. They also have more than half a million followers on Instagram
Shukran is attracting the attention of various importers and distributors worldwide to market the product. This year, the company set a target of capturing a significant portion of the global soft drink market. At the same time, Shukran Global (www.shukranglobal.com) is working to expand Shukran brand recognition and product marketing activities in more than one hundred countries this year.
Incidentally, after the start of the conflict in the Middle East in October last year, several small brands of drinks have become popular around the world. In addition to Shukran, Iran’s Zamzam Cola is one of the brands with the largest market share. Zamzam Cola is likely to rise to the peak of popularity in various countries due to its association with the name of the holy Zamzam, which Muslims most trust.
Apart from this, Palestine Cola, G Cola, Afghanistan’s Pamir Cola, and Safa drinks have gained popularity among locals. Saudi Arabia’s Kinza, FIFA drinks sales up to 600 percent Akiz Food and Beverage Company in Bangladesh has pledged to donate a portion of its Mojo Cola sales to the Palestine Fund. Currently, sales of Mojo Cola have increased by 140 percent.
