By wrapping its 20-ounce iced tea bottles with DuPont's "Cool 2 Go'' packaging, the beverage stays cool up to twice as long, the companies say.
And lower temperature makes for higher satisfaction.
"It tastes better, longer, no matter where you are,'' said Shiobhain Harding, Turkey Hill Dairy's marketing research supervisor.
The launch of the "Cool 2 Go'' label, or wrap, is officially just a test. Introduced in late May, the new label will be used through September, then evaluated by the dairy.
Consumers are being asked to give their views of the innovative label on Turkey Hill's Web site, www.turkeyhill.com. But it's hard to imagine a consumer disliking a cooler iced tea.
"So far, (the consumer response has) been very positive...They've definitely noticed a difference in the temperature of the beverage,'' said Harding.
The new label had no effect on the sales price of the 20-ounce product. It still retails for $1.09. The iced tea is sold in Turkey Hill Minit Markets, Giant supermarkets and other stores.
Depending on the results of the test, the insulated label could remain on the product past September, and it could begin to be used on the dairy's other beverage bottles too, said Harding.
The insulated label is a logical step for Turkey Hill, since coldness is a key to the success of the dairy's iced tea -- the nation's top-selling brand of refrigerated iced tea.
The company refrigerates its so-called "Cold-Fashioned'' drinks to 38 degrees Fahrenheit when they are made, bottled, shipped to stores and kept in stores' refrigerators.
It's when the beverage leaves the store's fridge that the drink warms and its taste gradually becomes less appealing, becoming unpleasant at 55 degrees, DuPont's research found.
On a warm summer day, a refrigerated beverage warms up to that point in 15 minutes. But in a bottle with a "Cool 2 Go'' label, it takes 30 minutes, according to DuPont.
A beverage that tastes better for a longer time should sell better, reasoned the dairy.
Turkey Hill opted to try the new label on its 20-ounce size, Harding said, because consumers drink the pint size much faster, negating the label's advantage, and the label on the half-gallon and gallon sizes covers a smaller portion of the bottle.
"The label on the 20-ounce size covers a fair portion of the bottle, so it has the maximum insulating effect,'' she said.
The label consists of a thin layer of DuPont's Thermolite, commonly found in ski jackets and sleeping bags, placed between two layers of DuPont's Teijin Melinex film.
The labels are made for Turkey Hill by its suppliers. The dairy puts the labels on the bottles, using existing packaging equipment that was "tweaked'' to handle the labels' greater thickness and stiffness, said Harding.
The partnership of Turkey Hill and DuPont came about through their common use of Kelly Michener advertising agency. When DuPont hired the Lancaster agency to produce its "Cool 2 Go'' logo, the agency suggested DuPont contact Turkey Hill about trying the product, explained Harding.
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