OAKBROOK TERRACE, Ill. -- In energy drink’s halcyon days (mid-2000s), numerous takes on the concept tried to capitalize on the category’s success: energy gum, energy jerky, energy chips and, of course, energy shots.
Few had staying power. Energy shots had a boom period and Perky Jerky is sticking it out, but the common ingredients in these wake-me-up products seldom agreed with the flavors consumers have come to accept.
Today, the energy-drink category is maturing:
- Monster Energy is in the hands of Coca-Cola.
- Rockstar is embracing its third-place position while shirking the bigger boys’ strategy to drive growth through price increases.
- Similarly, Dr Pepper Snapple Group’s Venom is toying with a low-price play.
- And even Red Bull, while still a role model for independent manufacturers, has seen some of its flavor innovations fail, forcing it to learn from its mistakes.
So I find it very interesting that consumer-product manufacturers are taking another swing at bringing “energy” to a variety of new products and categories.
In the past six months, I’ve seen energy-infused water add-ins (Kraft Heinz’s Mio), continued additions to energy shots (5-hour, Stackers, Tweaker, et al.), energy gums (Go Fast’s Apollo) and, most curiously, an energy e-cigarette (Eagle Energy Vapor) that’s flavored like Red Bull.
An August Chicago Tribune article about high-school kids developing new products as part of a business class told the story of a student who created a caffeinated toothpaste. What a way to start the day! But that tells me teenagers are prepared to get their energy boost any number of ways in the future.
The latest rollout to come across my desk is Blast Power Gum, a chewing gum that has 80 milligrams of caffeine in each piece and comes in three flavors: spearmint, mango and peppermint.
What makes now the right time to target the energy category once again?
"People are frustrated by not having enough energy to get by throughout the day,” said Gilles David, the CEO of Blast Energy LLC, Yorba Linda, Calif. “Our gum offers a portable and great-tasting solution, where the consumer gets the energy boost needed with a single piece of gum, eliminating the need to carry an energy drink in a backpack or cooler.”
Ah, the old convenience play, hoping to capitalize on so many exhausted consumers. (“I don’t even have the energy to lift this 8-ounce can!”)
I don’t expect any of these products to launch a new energy craze, but the entrepreneurs continue to mine a fertile ground that may one day drive consumers to the “next big thing.” It’s up to you if you want to be one of the guinea pigs that gets in on the ground floor.
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