Up-and-comers will need a lot of spunk to compete in the Energy Drinks market. This includes brand marketing powerhouses Coca-Cola (Full Throttle and Burn) and PepsiCo (Amp Energy, SoBe Adrenaline Rush and No Fear), as well as underdogs Rockstar and BooKoo Beverages. Category leader Red Bull is going to ride the bull until someone dares to knock them off.
Like a soaring stock, this fast-track category is about to split, creating premium, mid-tier and value segments. According to Geoff Bremmer, Monster brand manager, “Virtually all energy drinks are at the same price point. We think within the energy drink category, segmentation will start to rise with different packaging sizes and brands to create segments that open the category.”
Consumers have learned to recognize an energy drink by the category’s “typical” package: the slim-line can, pioneered by Red Bull. But that’s not to say there hasn’t been any innovation. Just last month, Food & Beverage Packaging reported on the first reclosable can design on Coca-Cola’s Burn energy drink (see p.42).
The added cost of reclosability makes more sense, though, for Monster’s 24-ounce can than for Burn’s 8.3-ounce size.