Gatorade: A SWOT Analysis

Gatorade is a flagship brand of PepsiCo and has a commanding 75% market share of the sports nutrition beverage marketplace globally, being sold into 80 different countries according to the latest PepsiCo annual report published in late 2011. Gatorade's success in branding and product marketing has actually expanded the global market for sports nutrition beverages during the late 1990s and into the 21rst century. Recently however the company has faced many channels including product line extensions of the last decade which failed to deliver strong results (Pollack, 1997) and a more critical analysis of their ingredients as many of their beverages are sold in public schools (Tallon, 2009). Despite these challenges however, Gatorade continues to experience strong market share and growth. The intent of this analysis is to evaluate and provide recommendations for each of the four areas of the marketing mix including product, price, promotion and place or distribution.

As you watch the Gatorade commercial you notice that Gatorade wasn’t only promoting hard work and dedication, but they were also promoting hydration, strength, power, and energy. Dedication is shown by waking up early in the morning, going for your daily jog or walk, while others are still sleeping. Staying hydrated helps the body keep moving and fully functional. Gatorade shows the importance of hydration by athletes taking breaks between workouts. Hydration also reduces the risk of cramps and soreness. Gatorade promotes energy by showing, before eating a Gatorade chewy the athlete did not have the energy he needed to start his morning run or weight lift. However, after eating the chewy they instantly gained energy. Power is symbolized by the lightning bolt, which

Smart water is "vapor distilled water and added electrolytes for taste." It has electrolytes added not for performance as in Gatorade, but instead added "for taste." The electrolytes are calcium chloride, magnesium chloride and potassium bicarbonate. Gatorade has Filtered Water, Brominated Vegetable Oil, which helps prevent the oils from rising to the surface. It also ensures the stability of the flavor mixture and it has Sucralose (a non-calorie artificial sweetener) High Fructose Corn Syrup. While Dr. Pepper has carbonated water, high fructose corn syrup, caramel color, phosphoric acid, natural and artificial flavors, sodium benzoate (preservative), and caffeine. Drinking soda is not the best option because a single can of soda contains

Gatorade is a sports drink that is used to put electrolytes back into an athlete’s body after a long workout. Athletic trainers, for most sports teams, make two ten-gallon coolers full of Gatorade for the athletes after practice. To make Gatorade in a ten-gallon cooler you will need, a ten gallon cooler, 30 ounces of Gatorade powder, a long spoon or Gatorade stirrer, water, and ice.

Have you ever gotten a sports drink instead of a soda thinking you were choosing a healthier option? Well this might change your perspective. Powerade and Gatorade are just watered down soda; yes,  it gives you electrolytes which is what you lose when you sweat, but that does not mean it is good for you. There are many other healthier ways of getting electrolytes than by just drinking a sugar drink. In the Powerade article written by the company does not argue about how water is not helpful to athletes and does not have the opposing argument. Although the gatorade article written by David R. Lamb they make it more persuasive than informational.

The commercial I chose was very influential for me but might not be to everybody. The commercial that I ended up picking to write this essay about is a Gatorade commercial of a couple of the biggest names in the National Basketball League, also known as the NBA.To begin this commercial, Kevin Durant goes to shoot a layup and Dwyane Wade, a player from the Miami Heat in this example, comes out of nowhere and blocks his shot to win the game for the Heat. It turns out that the close game situation was just a dream or rather a nightmare that Kevin was having. Immediately after having this dream, the superstar athlete goes and trains vigorously all while periodically consuming Gatorade products that range from eating energy chews to  drinking the actual Gatorade making the customer think that drinking this specific brand will make you better or more like the athlete Kevin Durant. After continuous training, Kevin finds himself in the game situation once more. However, this time it was different but the situation was the same.

Gatorade is less helpful than water at making plants grow. The sugar causes a build-up of mold and thickens the soil to the point where the plants cannot grow very well. The 200 milligrams of salt in Gatorade also inhibits plant growth by preventing the plant from absorbing water. Therefore, the plant must expend extra energy to obtain water, and cannot grow as well as a plant that easily obtains water. The other main ingredients in Gatorade, including electrolytes and citric acid, do not have a major effect on the growth of a plant. The water content in Gatorade is the only thing that assists a plant in growing. Tap water is fine for watering most plants, but it may contain trace amounts of chlorine and is likely fluoridated--and both of these

The Affordable Blended Smoothie, Inc. will be producing a healthy non-alcoholic product. As more families and the society continue struggle to maintain healthy lifestyles, the new beverage comes at the right time in remedying the situation. The new energy drink will be suitable to all classes of people regardless of their age, educational level, income, gender, or ethnic affiliation. However, we will be able to employ targeted marketing where the marketing strategies for the company will be directed to rising middle class in Virginia (Wit, 2010).

The people who drank Gatorade and coffee were both only able to produce three urine samples at 30 minutes, 60 minutes, and 90 minutes. The general trend for these two drinks was that the volume of urine increased over time. The urine produced from Gatorade samples increased greatly over each sample, beginning at a low 46 mL with the first sample, jumping to 215 mL, and ending at 410 mL. The person who consumed coffee began with a moderate amount of urine at 170 mL, increased by 30 mL up to 200 mL for the second, and the final sample was 470 mL of urine. (Figure 1)

| Weaknesses: * Pays extra payment for new flavor. * More expensive to produce than other sports drinks. * Deciding the segment to target. * How to position the product in the mind of its potential consumers

The Gatorade Company is mainly concerned with the manufacture and distribution of sporting equipment for commercial and domestic uses based on their knowledge of the best industry practices for the production of sporting equipment. The primary agenda of this market plan is for it to work as a strategy to guide the company on how to supply the customers of Gatorade with quality yet affordable products. This brand of sporting equipment will be produced and supplied in many different designs and colors that will be appropriate for both genders. Approximately half of the clients of the Gatorade brand, range between the ages of 18-34.These clients are ardent customers as they make the most purchases and are the company’s primary target. Gatorade sporting equipment are purchased more by those who dwell in the Northeast regions and Midwestern parts of the United States. This market plan focusses on the introduction of a range of Gatorade environmentally friendly brand of sporting equipment into the United States market.

Gatorade has emerged as the global leader in sports nutrition beverages by continually managing their brand to signify high energy, athletic excellence combine with one of the most efficient new product development and introduced processes in the beverage industry. As a result of being able to consistently synchronize these many components of their business so well, Gatorade today holds a 75% market share in the sports nutrition market globally today. Gatorade is owned by PepsiCo, which has made it possible for the company to sell in 80 countries today. Gatorade relies heavily on the PepsiCo distribution and retail network globally. Gatorades' revolutionary approach to managing branding for beverages has served to increase the total market size for this product category globally (Huang, Sarigöllü, 2012). Despite the continued widespread adoption of Gatorade as a healthy energy drink, the company has encountered resistance to its brand and the ingredients used for creating the many variations of Gatorade energy drinks (Tallon, 2009). Despite these setbacks the Gatorade brand continues to experience exceptional growth and stability over time.

Dr. Pepper/Seven Up, Inc. is the company which produces the brand Squirt. “Squirt is a caffeine-free, low sodium carbonated soft drink brand with a distinctive blend of grapefruit juices that gives it a tangy, fresh citrus taste. Squirt is the best selling carbonated grapefruit soft drink brand in the U.S.” (Kerin and Peterson, 2010) Kate Cox, the brand manager responsible for Squirt believes that market targeting and product positioning are key elements in Squirt’s advertising and promotional plan development. This case study will provide a summary and analysis of Dr. Pepper/Seven Up, Inc.’s options and the examination into the company’s strengths, weaknesses, threats, and opportunities.

Nike will have a number of different marketing objectives for their isotonic sports drink, Nike Go. A main market objective will be to establish the isotonic drink as the most credible sports drink in the market. This will not just happen though, this can only happen through a lot of promotion and appeal. Creating strong consumer awareness is very important in gaining market share as it is a completely new product from Nike. This can be done through promoting the product, Nike Go, and allowing consumers to become aware that Nike has this new product. In order to establish brand recognition, there needs to be a capture of market shares in the sports drink segment. This will mean the product, Nike Go, will be well known

Energy drinks have outperformed the growth in carbonates in the last few years, and present a substantial opportunity for beverage manufacturers to extract further growth from their sales. There are many driving forces of change and critical success factors in the energy drink industry. Companies such as Coke Cola and Pepsi contend with criticism from health officials due to the excessive caffeine in most high-energy drinks. However, before the 2000’s consumers were accustomed to carbonated soft drinks as the traditional beverage. The shift to an energy drink, sports drink, and vitamin enhanced waters increased sales while becoming an alternative beverage choice for a fast-paced mobile society. Therefore, this industry endures many