7-Eleven Pulls Cocaine; Boosts Drink's Buzz
The strikingly named brand has spent a pittance on marketing since it launched in early September--relying on negative publicity to create a buzz, and now enjoying the fruits of viral marketing.
The convenience store told its franchises to get the drink off the shelves after getting complaints from parents of teens, a big part of the drink's target audience. "Our merchandising team believes the product's name promotes an image which we didn't want to be associated with," said a spokeswoman for 7-Eleven, based in Dallas.
More good news for Redux Beverages of Las Vegas, which markets it as "The legal alternative" and promotes an in-your-face attitude on its Web site. The drink has none of the illegal substance, but more caffeine than a Starbucks Grande coffee and 350 percent more than Red Bull, No. 1 in the $8 billion energy drink category.
Hannah Kirby, the company's managing partner, said 7-Eleven stores didn't account for many sales of the drink, which is available in more than a half-dozen states, mostly in mom-and-pop convenience and liquor stores. "We knew it would be controversial," said Kirby after the product launched. "That was the marketing plan, because young adults and teens love controversy."
As of late September, the energy drink category had seen 203 new products since the beginning of the year; the total was 342 in 2005. In 2000, 119 new products entered the category.
John Sicher, editor and publisher of Beverage Digest, sees the heady success of Cocaine differently: "There has been more ink used in writing about it than there are people who drink it."
Recent Marketing Daily Articles
-
Microsoft Unveils Xbox One May 21, 2:34 p.m.
With its next generation Xbox (called simply Xbox One), Microsoft is looking to control what’s still ... -
Telematics Ecosystem Booming, But Caution Advised May 21, 2:05 p.m.
The head of marketing for, say, Starbucks, is probably thinking about cars. Specifically, how to go ... -
Sony Touts Ultra High-Definition TVs May 21, 12:19 p.m.
We’ve been through the HDTV era and the 3DTV era -- now get ready for the ... -
Destination XL's Pixelated Privates Cause Controversy May 21, 11:03 a.m.
Specialty retailer Destination XL is Super Sizing itself, and not everyone is comfortable with its frank ... -
Skyy Launches 'Be Part Of The Art' May 21, 5:57 a.m.
To support the debut of its new Skyy Infusions Moscato Grape variety, Skyy Vodka has launched ... -
Miller64 Partners With Former Pro Athletes May 20, 10:30 p.m.
Miller64 is launching "GO64," a summer-long initiative that will include local events, celebrity appearances, giveaways and ... -
Vespa Looks Back: 50 Years Of 50cc's May 20, 4:36 p.m.
Vespa has been tooling about since the ’40s, and sidelining as a movie star since the ... -
Industry Satisfaction Lagging, But Improving May 20, 4:02 p.m.
For the first time in years, the telecom industry is seeing improved customer satisfaction scores. But ... -
OMMA Social: Macy's Looks To Social For Connection May 20, 3:25 p.m.
Macy's is using social to connect with customers. That, said Jennifer Kasper, VP of digital media ... -
4 Types Of Marketing Cultures: How Fast Is Yours? May 20, 9:16 a.m.
Marketers everywhere may be talking about creating a fast-moving culture of innovation, but most CMOs will ...
Be the first to comment on "7-Eleven Pulls Cocaine; Boosts Drink's Buzz "
Leave a Comment