Brand Audit: Gatorade

Travail de Recherche , 2011 , 9 Pages , Note: A

Médias / Communication - Relations publiques, Publicité, Marketing, Médias sociaux

The
Gatorade
Brand
is
a
dominating
force
in
the
sports
drink
industry.
Throughout
the
past
forty
years,
this
company
had
created
a
sustainable
competitive
advantage
by
developing
their
marketing
mix
which
include
product
strategy,
pricing
strategy,
promotional
mix,
and
distribution
strategy.
This
brand
audit
aims
to
analyze
Gatorade’s
marketing
mix,
and
examine
how
it
varies
when
it
targets
on
multicultural
consumers.
Or
in
other
words,
how
its
marketing
strategy
varies
when
it
applies
to
an
international
market.
Executive
Summary
Gatorade
is
an
extremely
popular
sports
drink
brand
and
has
outstanding
brand
awareness
and
loyalty.
It
markets
its
unique
products
mainly
to
pre-‐adult
group
who
ages
from
13
to
24.
As
what
John
Sicher,
the
editor
of
Beverage
Digest,
said,
“the
pre-‐adult
years
are
the
cutting
edge
of
where
those
sports
drink
brands
are
competing”.
This
is
a
tough
market
for
any
company
to
communicate
with,
since
the
youth
people
nowadays
prefer
to
avoid
traditional
media
outlets.
In
order
to
overcome
this
obstacle,
Gatorade
tends
to
be
not
only
a
sports
drink
distributor
but
also
a
“lifestyle
company”,
promoting
an
active
and
self-‐improvement
lifestyle.
In
order
to
reach
its
target
market,
Gatorade
adopts
a
very
competitive
marketing
mix
to
get
its
products
sold.
First
of
all,
Gatorade
spends
lots
of
money
on
the
product
innovation
and
development.
Secondly,
its
low-‐pricing
strategy
makes
the
products
more
welcomed
by
the
consumers.
Thirdly,
by
using
its
parent
company—PepsiCo’s
distribution
system,
Gatorade
can
get
its
products
sold
in
the
supermarkets,
liquor
stores,
department
stores,
and
so
on.
Besides,
Gatorade’s
promotional
mix
which
includes
advertising,
public
relation
planning,
sales
promotion
and
sponsorship,
and
personal
selling,
also
contribute
much
to
its
dominating
80%
market
share
in
the
whole
industry. [...]

Introduction

The Gatorade Brand is a dominating force in the sports drink industry. Throughout the past forty years, this company had created a sustainable competitive advantage by developing their marketing mix which include product strategy, pricing strategy, promotional mix, and distribution strategy. This brand audit aims to analyze Gatorade's marketing mix, and examine how it varies when it targets on multicultural consumers. Or in other words, how its marketing strategy varies when it applies to an international market.

Executive Summary

Gatorade is an extremely popular sports drink brand and has outstanding brand awareness and loyalty. It markets its unique products mainly to pre-adult group who ages from 13 to 24. As what John Sicher, the editor of Beverage Digest, said, "the pre-adult years are the cutting edge of where those sports drink brands are competing”. This is a tough market for any company to communicate with, since the youth people nowadays prefer to avoid traditional media outlets. In order to overcome this obstacle, Gatorade tends to be not only a sports drink distributor but also a "lifestyle company”, promoting an active and self-improvement lifestyle.

In order to reach its target market, Gatorade adopts a very competitive marketing mix to get its products sold. First of all, Gatorade spends lots of money on the product innovation and development. Secondly, its low-pricing strategy makes the products more welcomed by the consumers. Thirdly, by using its parent company—PepsiCo's distribution system, Gatorade can get its products sold in the supermarkets, liquor stores, department stores, and so on. Besides, Gatorade's promotional mix which includes advertising, public relation planning, sales promotion and sponsorship, and personal selling, also contribute much to its dominating 80% market share in the whole industry.

Brand Image

Brand image is the most significant and effective advertising tool that Gatorade has. It was first developed in 1965 by a medical research Dr. Robert Cade in University of Florida, as a means of replacing the fluids and electrolytes the football players lost during physical exertion. And its name derived from the school's football team, the Gators. We often see these Gatorade's commercial ads: sweating NBA players, shown in black and white, running on the basketball court as they push themselves to get the vital score in the last minute, or everyday people pushing the limits of physical endurance. It is those images that form the core message behind the Gatorade brand: this sports beverage helps you "Rehydrate, Replenish and Refuel” after an intense physical exercise and perform your best.

Based on my observation wherever in China or United States, generally speaking, people who drink Gatorade mostly are those young sports-lovers. They commonly embrace Gatorade as beingyoung, being active, and being energetic.

Product Situation Analysis

Gatorade is a sports drink offers people validated blend of key electrolytes and carbohydrates which they had lost during sports exercise. And it can replace fluids and provide energy to working muscles.

Basically, there are 6 main variants: Lemon-Lime, Orange, Cool Blue, Citrus Cooler, Strawberry Kiwi and Fruit Punch. Besides, Gatorade has 7 sizes—12, 20, 24,34, 64 (in fl oz) and 1 gallon.

Target Markets Analysis

Gatorade remained the leading player in the estimated $3 billion market for sports beverages in the United States (Frederick Ingram, 2007). Its primary target market is the youth enjoying practicing sports and enhancing their performance. Although it focuses on youth group, Gatorade's primary age group is 13 to 24-year- olds, so-called "pre-adult” years. They could be professional athletes who engaged in high-demand training and completion, or just a group of young people leading an "active” life style.

Sales and Profitability

According to Information Resources, a Chicago-based market research firm, Gatorade's main competitor, Powerade, notched $654 million in retail sales in 2009, while the Gatorade company sales was 2.6 billion dollars (Jeremiah McWilliams, 2010). The combined market share of all Gatorade products is 84.7% of the sports drink market.

Product Development

In its early years, Gatorade consisted of a single product line-Gatorade Thirst Quencher. And it had remained for almost twenty years, until a new sub-line entitled Gatorade Frost was launched. In 2001, Gatorade revealed the Gatorade Performance Series, a special line of sports nutrition products, which include Gatorade Carbohydrate Energy Drink, Gatorade Protein Recovery Shake, the Gatorade Nutrition Shake, and the Gatorade Nutrition Bar. Later in 2007, a lower- calorie line of Gatorade drinks, labeled G2, was released.

In 2008, as a result of a sponsorship arrangement with Tiger Woods, a new Gatorade Quencher sports drink was formed as Gatorade Tiger. However it was discontinued in late 2009.

Between 2008 and 2010, Gatorade had re-branded a number of its products. The G series performance categorized its products into three main segments basing on "before, during, and after athletic events”: Prime 01, Perform 02, and Recover 03.

Other brand extensions, like G Series Pro and the G Natural Gatorade line, were made in 2010. And also in 2010, the G series began to replace prior Gatorade product lines in the U.S, the brand's highestvolume market.

[...]

• Université: University of Florida
• Note: A
• Auteur: Xinwen (Fina) Xu (Auteur)
• Année de publication: 2011
• Pages: 9
• N° de catalogue: V187358
• ISBN (ebook): 9783656112198
• ISBN (Livre): 9783656112044
• Langue: anglais
• mots-clé: brand, audit, gatorade