Richard Reed is the co-founder of innocent drinks, the UK’s fastest growing food and drinks company and the number one smoothie brand in the UK. The business was started in 1998 by Richard and two college friends (Adam Balon and John Wright) who he knew from his days at Cambridge.
In 2006 innocent had a turnover of seventy eight million pounds, employing almost 200 staff and selling over a million smoothies a week all over Europe. More than that, turnover is set to punch through one hundred million pounds in the next year.
Public approval for innocent came after the now legendary experiment at a jazz festival where the drinks were sold and people were asked to place their empty cups in a ‘YES’ or ‘NO’ bin to vote whether Richard, Adam and John should give up their jobs and make smoothies full-time. With the ‘YES’ bin recording a landslide victory they quit their jobs the next day.
Richard Reeds mantra is one certainly borne out by innocents early days. Distributors initially refused to stock the drinks, so one bank holiday weekend they loaded up a van and took the drinks round delicatessens and health shops in Notting Hill themselves. They just said we’re a local juice company thats just started up, here’s four boxes for free, stick them on your shelves and if they sell give us a ring.” Over that first weekend innocent drinks made it into 50 shops and were an immediate success, with 45 wanting more. They then went back to the distributors and said ”these companies want them” and then gave them a pallet for free.
Despite the overwhelming growth, until the summer of 2003 innocent hadn’t spent a penny on advertising. ”We didn’t spend anything,” admits Richard. ”First of all we didn’t have the money, but weve always said with innocent the reality and image is one of the same. We believe if we make nice drinks, people will tell their friends. We’ve always said we’ve got to be exactly what we are it’s got to be honest and not high corporate facades.”
However, distancing itself from the ”corporate” is something innocent seems to spend a lot of effort maintaining. Its witty packaging with ditties such as, ‘separation occurs, but mummy still loves daddy’, a business premises aptly named Fruit Towers, grass covered vans and cow patterned carts provides a studenty alternative image that in a world increasingly disillusioned with Americanisation and corporate power is perhaps as effective a marketing ploy as any other.
Innocent also gives away drinks to the homeless, plants trees, encourages recycling and donates to the third world, while its entire staff were treated to a snow-boarding trip every year, awarded two thousand pounds for the birth of each child and invited to apply for a one thousand pound scholarship to achieve something they’ve always wanted to do. ”Like recording a single or going surfing”.
Richard Reed’s presentation, The innocent Story, shows that with a non-corporate attitude, a sincere commitment to the cause and creative thinking, it is possible to create a fast growing, profitable company that acts responsibly.