Hands down the largest growing category in the beverage indusrty the last few years has been energy drinks. The caffeine- and sugar-laden drinks have become a $5.4 billion-a-year industry. Red Bull, Rockstar and Monster are the top selling brands and each one revolves around a similar concept; if it involves catching air on some sort of a board or bike, they're for you. As with any category (when the marketplace expands) the opportunity for new players comes along to cater to the niche consumers.
The Powerthirst spoof isn't that far from some brands actual marketing.
Sex sells. And Playboy is one of the most recognized brands in the world, their entry into the energy drink category gives consumers a taste of the lifestyle that has always been associated with the Playboy brand. Playboy's cousin from the south Hooters, is in the energy game also. Cans feature Hooter girls who work at the company, no doubt this drink will live up to the company tag, "Delightfully tacky yet unrefined." The adult film market is not without an energy drink to call its own. Deep Throat Energy boasts on its can "XXX-TREME ENERGY" and "Keep it up all night," forget innuendo they're banking that hardcore sex really sells.
Energy drinks already fight the stigma that they are bad for your health. Well remember the saying "Bad publicity is better than no publicity." Claiming to be 350% stronger than Red Bull, Cocaine Energy is redefining that old adage. Under pressure from the FDA they changed their name briefly but then changed it back. As a marketing stunt the name has attracted attention (mostly bad) and for a small few the novelty led to them trying it.
In an effort to differentiate themselves from the competition some brands are willing to try just about anything to create a buzz (pun #1). Most fall very flat (that’s pun #2). Some have no taste (pun #3, I promise that’s it). Seems like anyone can take the recipe and slap a sticker on the can and call it an energy drink. What this category is in sore need of is some innovation that will cross over many demographics. Until then I’m keeping my energy drink old school.
Coffee.
Black.
2 comments:
They'll supplant your coffee addiction yet... see: the endless versions of coffee flavored energy drinks. Now, if we could only figure out how to get energy drink K-Cups.
The crossover drinks you're asking for are already hitting shelves (e.g. Pepsi Maxx)
Damn... the beverage market is almost as fragmented as the media industry. Fun fact: there are over 1000 new beverage brands launched every year. That's almost 1 every 8 hours! And you can quote me on that. I've got the source in an old deck from college...
btw, Playboy's saline flavored energy drink is a total miss... instead of the traditional pull-tab it should come with a nipple
Well apparently I'm only one of over 68 million Americans who drink more than 24 oz of coffee/day, so at least it's good to know that there are many other addicts out there with me.
I'd be willing to bet though that this industry will take a turn in a few years as there is an increasing amount of research showing serious negative health effects of caffeine on the body. Of course, common to US culture, they'll just develop another additive to take so that people who can't quit caffeine can take this supplement and avert half of the bad side effects, creating another addicton.
And I'll likely be taking it..
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