Mother energy drink target market

OVERVIEW

Mother is an energy drink produced by The Coca-Cola Company, which is marketed in Australia and New Zealand. Mother is targeted towards young males and includes guarana, ginseng and the Amazon berry acai as key ingredients (Datamonitor 2010). It was formulated and introduced to the market in 2007 to compete with Red Bull and V (Datamonitor 2010). The original Mother formula was largely unsuccessful and after 18 months on the market, the beverage’s formula and packaging were re-vamped following extensive market research (Entertainment Close-Up 2010). The new formula of Mother has been successful and is a natural juice-based drink. A natural focus acted as a point of difference to set Mother apart from Red Bull and V. “By juxtaposing this healthy formulation with tattoo-like designs on the can, the beverage aimed to gain appeal as a natural-based energy drink with attitude” (Datamonitor 2010 pp. 5). However, there is greater scope to emphasise health in a new product extension beyond the ‘all-natural’ claim that is being used at the moment. For example, added vitamins, added minerals, low calorie, low GI or sugar-free claims.

NEED FOR RESEARCH This project assumes that Mother is not performing well relative to competitors. One way to help regain market share may be to launch a new flavour of energy drink as a product extension. “The most popular claims in energy drinks have a more healthy focus, with the top three leading claims of this period being ‘natural’, ‘high in vitamins’ and ‘low in fat’” (Datamonitor, 2010, pp. 2). There is a growing trend towards healthy energy drinks and functional nutritional drinks, which fill a need for consumers (Jacobsen, 2011). “A lot of consumers who are energy drink users show interest in hybrid products like juice-based energy drinks or tea-based energy drinks… so those kinds of products can expand the market beyond what consumers are drinking now” (Jacobsen, 2011). Management needs to decide whether a new product extension that features a healthy point of difference, will meet a need in the energy drink market. By meeting this need, Mother can encourage switch over from competitor brands that may not offer this option, or entice potential energy users into the market, therefore increasing market-share.

MDP Should Coca-Cola introduce a new flavour of Mother energy drink, that has a health focus, to increase market-share?

MRP Do consumers in the target population have positive attitudes towards healthy energy drinks and what aspects of health/nutrition do consumers value most in an energy drink? TARGET POPULATION - The target population for the study will be 15-24 year old consumers

in the Australian domestic market, including energy drink users and potential energy drink

users. This age group has been chosen because “ the 15–24 year old age group purchases

the most energy drinks” (Datamonitor, 2010 pp. 2).

OBJECTIVES

1) To determine if consumers in the target population deem the nutritional value of energy drinks to be important (cognitions).

2) To identify consumers feelings towards healthy energy drinks (affect). 3) To determine consumer’s purchase intention in relation to healthy energy drinks

(conations). 4) To identify the aspects of health and nutrition that these consumers value most in

energy drinks (preferences).

RATIONALE FOR OBJECTIVES The first three objectives aim to determine consumer’s attitudes towards healthy energy drinks. As attitudes are comprised of thoughts, feelings and actions, three separate objectives have been used to measure the totality of consumer attitudes. Knowing consumer attitudes will help managers predict how successful a new healthy formula will be in generating increased sales and market-share and improving Mother’s competitive position. The fourth objective will provide managers with insight into which of the popular marketing ‘health’ claims will be most successful for Mother in the formulation of a new product.