“Is it in you?”… Gatorade is one of the biggest brands in the sports beverage industry, holding nearly 70% of the market share in 2013 (Marketrealist). They have been the leading brand in that industry for the past 50 years, when it was first invented. They have an exceptional marketing mix, as well as brand awareness which helps them hold the top spot in the industry. It also helps being part of one of the largest beverage companies, PespsiCo.
Their marketing mix has many different aspects to it, especially in relation to the products. For many years, Gatorade only had one flavor, and one drink; lemon-lime sports drink. Now, there are 31 different drink flavors, along with 20 others which have been discontinued. A release of their ‘G Series’ introduced a pre-workout, and a post-workout supplement to go along with their standard sports drink. This gained much popularity and expanded their product mix. To add to their product lines, they also manufacture water bottles, coolers, towels, and other equipment for athletes everywhere.
When it comes to pricing, Gatorade is pretty much the same price as other beverages in the market. However, they have many different sizes, bundles, and deals which give the customer many different options. This gives the consumer more choice and power to choose what they really want, which is why Gatorade appeals to buyers so much. Their drinks are currently in the maturity stage, in regards to most flavors, but their new product lines are still in the growth stage. In regards to place, you can pretty much get a Gatorade product anywhere. Whether it’s online, the grocery store, or a gas station, it will probably be right there for a customer to buy. This easy and convenient access is also another reason of why Gatorade is so successful.
The best part about Gatorade’s brand, are their promotional strategies. They use their product differentiation, along with market segmentation to fully engage their customers. They appeal to all different kinds of athletes, especially the younger generation. They have marketed their brand, and products in many different ways, but usually by showcasing star athletes, and premiering motivational advertisements. Gatorade dishes out numerous advertisements a year that highlight new, or existing products that also enhance the brand. They position their brand as exciting, motivational, and active. They sponsor many athletes, along with sporting events so they are entrenched in the identity of many sports. Almost every sporting event will have Gatorade logos appearing in many locations which imprints the image of Gatorade deeper and deeper into customers’ heads. Here is one of Gatorade’s most recent advertisements…
Young athletes are the most common users of Gatorade products, which is heavily caused by their marketing plan of segmenting to that audience. The usage rate is pretty high when it comes to Gatorade’s products, so they can lead their customers to repeatedly buying their products through multiple sales promotions. People who aren’t athletes even enjoy Gatorade, which is believed to help people of sickness. Gatorade is deeply integrated in American culture, anyone can look at the logo and quickly state the company. They are one of the best at what they do…
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