First, I PROMISE I’m not kidding. I learned about this yesterday, but there was no way I was posting it on April Fool’s Day - you would insist it had to be a joke.
Low-caffeine “all-natural” Red Bull. I swear. Read it here: http://www.bevnet.com/news/2008/03-27-2008-Red_Bull_Cola.asp.
It makes as much sense, I suppose, as dunce moves like low-fat Haagen-Dazs, affordable Mercedes, and Gerber singles for adults. I’ve said it before, but let me say it again here: WELL-POSITIONED BRANDS SHOULD NEVER NEVER NEVER ABDICATE THEIR POSITIONING JUST TO PICK UP A FEW MORE CUSTOMERS. Ever. Ever. Almost without exception, it creates a vacuum in their core segment that sucks competitors into their old space … who often do a better job of filling it.
So, what should Red Bull have done when it realized it was missing the wellness consumer?
- Make darn sure that there weren’t opportunities in their core business that they could address more easily than moving into this space.
- If they really want to reach the wellness consumer, approach it with a completely separate brand.
- Jennifer Silverberg, President, Landmark Consulting www.landmarkconsulting.com