Gatorade Persuasion Analysis
Abstract
Gatorade sports drinks have consistently the most popular drink of its kind for decades now. There are several competitors that make nearly identical products, however, Gatorade always finds itself at the top of the chart in sales and produce steady sales growth each year. This paper looks at the persuasive tactics Gatorade uses to market their products and why it is so effective. The paper analyzes the demographics Gatorade targets, the company’s strategies for persuading those demographics and discusses the reasons why those strategies are so successful in persuading and have kept Gatorade in a class above all its competitors.
Gatorade
What do the athletes Michael Jordan, Sidney Crosby, Derek Jeter, and Serena Williams all have in common? All of these award winning athletes are sponsored and help advertise for Gatorade, the most successful sports drink marketed worldwide (Chavis, 2010). Currently owned by PepsiCo, Gatorade was first invented in 1965 at the University of Florida in Gainesville, FLA. (Chavis, 2010). The purpose of Gatorade was to display this message: “By drinking this non-carbonated drink, you're not only relieving your thirst, but you're also replacing lost hydration from sweating. Gatorade also supplies your body with carbohydrates and electrolytes.” (Emmerson, 2006). Gatorade has always been at the top of the sales market with other competing sports drinks, but in 2010 Gatorade’s United States sales volume grew 10% (“Gatorade Case Study,” 2011).
The Basic Communication Model The Basic Communication Model is a process that analyzes the marketing message that is sent from the company to its consumers. The Basic Communication Model is broken down into five sections: sender, receiver, message, medium, and noise. The sender is simply Gatorade, because they are the company communicating the message to the consumer. The receiver would be athletes nationwide. The target market is generally considered the receiver in the Basic
Gatorade sports drinks have consistently the most popular drink of its kind for decades now. There are several competitors that make nearly identical products, however, Gatorade always finds itself at the top of the chart in sales and produce steady sales growth each year. This paper looks at the persuasive tactics Gatorade uses to market their products and why it is so effective. The paper analyzes the demographics Gatorade targets, the company’s strategies for persuading those demographics and discusses the reasons why those strategies are so successful in persuading and have kept Gatorade in a class above all its competitors.
Gatorade
What do the athletes Michael Jordan, Sidney Crosby, Derek Jeter, and Serena Williams all have in common? All of these award winning athletes are sponsored and help advertise for Gatorade, the most successful sports drink marketed worldwide (Chavis, 2010). Currently owned by PepsiCo, Gatorade was first invented in 1965 at the University of Florida in Gainesville, FLA. (Chavis, 2010). The purpose of Gatorade was to display this message: “By drinking this non-carbonated drink, you're not only relieving your thirst, but you're also replacing lost hydration from sweating. Gatorade also supplies your body with carbohydrates and electrolytes.” (Emmerson, 2006). Gatorade has always been at the top of the sales market with other competing sports drinks, but in 2010 Gatorade’s United States sales volume grew 10% (“Gatorade Case Study,” 2011).
The Basic Communication Model The Basic Communication Model is a process that analyzes the marketing message that is sent from the company to its consumers. The Basic Communication Model is broken down into five sections: sender, receiver, message, medium, and noise. The sender is simply Gatorade, because they are the company communicating the message to the consumer. The receiver would be athletes nationwide. The target market is generally considered the receiver in the Basic
References: Jackson, S. (2009, January 30). Scoop Jackson: The Gatorade G campaign commercials - ESPN Page 2. ESPN: The Worldwide Leader In Sports. Retrieved November 29, 2011, from http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=jackson/090129 Leggatt, H Rovell, D. (2006). Be Like Mike . First in thirst: how Gatorade turned the science of sweat into a cultural phenomenon (pp. 100 - 120 ). New York, NY: American Management Association.