Organic Gatorade

Organic Gatorade: Healthy-ish Like Veggie Chips

When nutrition and health meet marketing, the results can be jolting. PepsiCo’s new organic Gatorade concept takes the crown for healthy-ish marketing from Panera (for Clean Food). It’s a greater stroke of evil marketing genius than veggie chips. Truly, PepsiCo is giving the world the quintessential product that no one knew they needed. It’s USDA certified organic sugar water.

In marketing healthspeak, organic Gatorade “offers athletes a fueling option that is USDA certified organic, while still providing the scientifically proven fueling benefits found in Gatorade Thirst Quencher.” Maybe you’re not a world-class athlete. Maybe that’s why you didn’t know you needed organic sugar water.

Perhaps we’re being harsh. After all, if you’re going to drink sugar water, it may as well be USDA certified organic. And you can’t blame PepsiCo if the primary sport for many energy drinkers is video games. That’s not their target. Their target is elite athletes who need “fueling.”

But in a world where everybody’s kid is above average, what parent wants to tell a kid she’s not elite. She doesn’t need “fueling.” What grownup wants to confront that reality for himself?

Voila! We have a seven billion dollar market for sports and energy drinks. And we have consumers ready to gulp USDA certified organic Gatorade by the gallon. While soda sales are declining, sports and energy drink sales are growing.

Healthy-ish marketing leads the way.

Click here and here to read more about organic Gatorade.

G Organic Gatorade, photograph courtesy of Pepsico

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September 1, 2016

One Response to “Organic Gatorade: Healthy-ish Like Veggie Chips”

  1. September 01, 2016 at 11:12 am, Stephen Phillips said:

    Obesity Action Coalition Mission Statement
    The mission of the OAC is to elevate and empower those affected by obesity through education, advocacy and support.

    PepsiCo Mission Statement
    Our mission is to be the world’s premier consumer products Company focused on convenient foods and beverages. We seek to produce financial rewards to investors as we provide opportunities for growth and enrichment to our employees, our business partners and the communities in which we operate.

    Both OAC and PepsiCo have been diligent and true to their individual missions.

    Consumers have also been diligent and true in their pursuit of health
    Sales of good ol’ water, the original organic beverage, are expected to surpass the sales of soft drinks in the US this year
    The hard work of OAC and other public health organizations can be credited for this welcome ‘watershed moment”

    Stephen Phillips
    American Association of Bariatric Counselors