Partner Article

Baby Blue and Baby Pink company sees red

A North East drinks company is preparing to do battle with one of the industry giants for allegedly copying her brand.

Sunderland woman Lorraine Griffiths last year identified a gap in the market for a sugar free beverage and set up her company Alcohol Brands to launch Baby Pink and Baby Blue.

The brand has gone from strength to strength and is sold in bars and clubs throughout the UK and has just brokered a deal with Nisa supermarkets for it to be sold in their stores nationwide.

But she is now concerned about the future of her business after drinks company Halewood International - which also distributes Baby Pink and Baby Blue - plans to launch what Lorraine believes is a copycat brand.

Halewood has created Pretty in Pink and Out of the Blue using similar packaging and marketing materials and Lorraine says this is already causing confusion for some of her customers.

“I’ve had people in touch asking why I’ve changed the brand name when of course I haven’t,” she said.

“I have worked really hard to create Baby Pink and Baby Blue and I can’t believe that Halewood - which actually takes my products - can launch something which I think is virtually identical, or at least close enough to already cause confusion.

Lorraine is now working with her solicitors to try and stop Pretty in Pink and Out of the Blue being launched.

“The implications for my small company if they go ahead with this don’t bear thinking about,” she said.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .