I am brand loyal to Gatorade. I drink it a couple of times a week during and after running workouts. It’s a staple for most runners.
But its line extension has me confused.
First of all, what happened to regular Gatorade? And what is the difference between these ill-defined options with forgettable names? Here’s the current line-up:
- G (that’s the name) might be the original.
- Shine On seems to be the original with vitamin C added. It is positioned for drinking prior to morning workouts. I’m not sure why.
- Bring It has B vitamins added for “metabolizing energy.”
- Be Tough has vitamin E, an antioxidant.
- No Excuses seems to be Gatorade Light, a drink for those who find the taste of regular Gatorade too strong.
- Focus has vitamin E, 25% more electrolytes, 50% less carbs, and Theanine to help focus. With Tiger Woods‘ endorsement, it’s positioned for more serious athletes.
- G2 (that’s the name) is the low-calorie option with vitamins B, C and E.
Shine On, Be Tough, Bring It, No Excuses–these names don’t exactly convey the product differences needed when standing in the grocery aisle. Is Bring It the one with B vitamins? Or is that Be Tough? What’s the difference between G and G2 again?
To make it worse, these names just replaced some equally vague ones:
- Shine On used to be A.M.
- Bring It was Fierce.
- Be Tough was called X-Factor.
- No Excuses used to be Rain.
Both the old and new names are on each package to aid with the transition. Good luck.
So what do I want in a sports drink beyond hydration? Energy, focus, protection? Do I have to choose? Why not all?
Here’s my suggestion:
- Keep the original and call it Gatorade. It’s like Coca-Cola Classic.
- Make an enhanced version with all the extras: more electrolytes, vitamins, Theanine, etc. Call it Gatorade Plus or Gatorade Extra.
- Make a lighter tasting, low-calorie version, called, of course, Gatorade Light.
I know — boring. But at least I would know which one to grab at the grocery store.
PS: Since writing this post, Beverage Digest reports Gatorade’s sales dropped 13.7% first quarter 2009. Business Week‘s brand blog Brand New Day blames the new packaging.
I couldn’t agree more. Stick to the basics and don’t spread your brand too thin. I’m glad you compared it to Coca-Cola. Pepsi has really stuggled with their brand over the years, switching logos, pepsi clear, I think they even had a blueberry flavor at one time? Stick to what people like, and to what people know.
I’m glad I am not the only only one bothered by this! The Gatorade branding gone crazy has pushed me to go completely to Vitamin Water!
Seriously when the “G” commercials were running for weeks with no mention of Gatorade I found it extremely frustrating not knowing what the heck they were for. It’s good they are trying to compete with Vitamin Water and offer unique formulas for unique needs and times, but Gatorade has the strongest brand identity in this space and they seem to be abandoning their name recognition.
Maybe I am just old school… but their strongest add ever was the retro ad they did a couple years ago about the invention of Gatorade at the University of Florida. You know the one, “Naturally we called it Gator-ade!” I thought it was excellent, and I hate the Gators!
This is what happens when marketing and branding experts run wild. I don’t use Gatorade very much on the times when I stop to buy some it gets very confusing. Now that they have made changes in all of their products since last fall I’m glad you clued me in on at least what to look for.
Wow, I had no idea that Fierce or X-Factor had any different formula than the others! Same with the new names – I thought it was just packaging like the different Heinz ketchup bottles.
Branding is fine if it adds value, but this seems gratuitous to me.
p.s. I’m still hoping for a return to their pre-HFCS roots..