Regional player on home ground

Rauch Hungária is a successful competitor in the fruit juice market, which has good reason to be optimistic about the future. In spite of rising costs and the success of private labels, their revenues reached HUF 20,8 billion in 2007. Half of these revenues were generated by export. They are one of the biggest customers of Hungarian fruit producers, who rely exclusively on Hungarian suppliers. The intention of Rauch Hungária is to optimise operation, in order to adapt to the less favourable business environment. Their warehousing system has been automated recently. Last October, they also introduced a SAP-based management system, which is IDE compatible and allows electronic invoicing. The Austrian mother company has the last say in brand development, while the Hungarian management is responsible for the domestic positioning of international brands. Sometimes different tools are used for positioning brands from those used in other markets. This is necessary when the brand plays a different role in Hungary from its role in other markets. For example, the popularity of the apple flavour is a Hungarian speciality. The introduction of more exotic combinations of flavours requires more caution. As almost everything has already been invented, product development is not easy. This is why in-depth and precise knowledge of consumers is needed. Like flavours, promotional techniques require continuous refreshment. International promotions in co-operation with multinational retail partners in the high season seem a promising option. They always employ special incentives for their retail partners in promotional campaigns.