5 Recent Beverage Brand Overhauls
Check out why these popular drinks were made over
In an attempt to regain sales lost during tough economic times, many companies are spearheading brand redesigns in hopes that a little creativity will go a long way. Putting the theory to work are some of the most famous food and beverage brands out there, including the five shown below. Drawing on everything from individual setbacks, sales goals and competition as additional motivation behind the marketing makeovers, each case is unique in terms of the specific reasons behind the transformation—and the consumer reaction they’ve provoked thus far.
Gatorade: Behind the “G”
According to The Wall Street Journal, Gatorade’s sales have been on the decline since 2007 largely due to an over-saturated enhanced drink market and a fade in the sports drink trend. Its redesign—part of PepsiCo America’s CEO Massimo d’Amore’s $1.2 billion-dollar effort to overhaul the company’s biggest brands—was an attempt to contemporize and modernize the brand in order to regain the lost market share and attract non-sports oriented consumers.
Coors: Cold Activated Cans
The beer industry is one of constant packaging innovation. Thus, Coors’ upcoming release of cold activated cans (following last year’s release of bottles with same capability) is not a total surprise. The redesigned cans turn the Rocky Mountains in the foreground of the logo blue when the beer is at the optimal drinking temperature, catering to the company’s initiative to stay ahead of the cold beverage curve.
Snapple: Biggest. Overhaul. Ever.
NACSOnline.com reports that March saw the most significant makeover of Snapple in the company’s 37-year history—referring to its ingredient update along with the bottle and label redesigns. Experts suggest the overhaul is an attempt to break through the beverage clutter to boost sales (which, according to Forbes.com, sagged 4% last year) and to disassociate the brand with the current backlash against high fructose corn syrup
by launching an “all natural” line that uses real sugar instead.
Pepsi: Where Have All the Soda Drinkers Gone?
Though Americans drink more soda than almost every other nation (49 gallons a year), BusinessWeek.com states that sales are down nearly 30% in recent years. In hopes of slowing the decline in sales, Pepsi revamped their trademark red, white and blue logo by tilting it so the white stripe shoots upwards to look like a smile—so the brand appears hopeful and modern.
Tropicana: Welcome Back, Orange!
Another brand from d’Amore’s total overhaul, Tropicana took a vicious consumer thrashing when the redesigned packaging, meant to create new emotional connections with Tropicana’s long-time consumer base, did just the opposite—cutting ties and confusing loyal OJ drinkers. Dubbed generic and unappealing, PepsiCo bowed to consumers and reverted back to the original design after sales decreased by 20% during the few months the new carton lined grocery store shelves.
