PepsiCo’s recent extension of Gatorade Zero into a protein-infused variant may be just the start of the brand as a functional platform. “I do think there is future functionality we can do with G Zero,” Gatorade SVP and General Manager Brett O’Brien said in a recent interview. “It’s really about building that platform with the athletes in mind, especially that older athlete that maybe isn’t competing as hard but continues to push themselves in workouts.” Added functionality could include caffeine, immunity assistance, injury recovery, and bone and joint health, O’Brien said. That doesn’t mean the brand will dive headlong into ingredients such as CBD or mushrooms. “As we see trends, we’ve got to understand, are those trends viable or are they simply trends that pop up and go away?” he said. “There’s a lot of hype right now across all kinds of ingredients. Some, we think, have viability. Others, we’re not so sure yet.”

G ZERO PROTEIN. Gatorade launched the product nationally last month in 16.9-oz plastic bottles. The sports drink contains 10g of whey protein, no sugar, 50 calories, and the same electrolytes as regular Gatorade. Sweeteners are acesulfame potassium and sucralose. Retail channels include large format grocery, convenience, mass merchandiser, drug, and club. Pricing is $2.49 per bottle and $6.99 per 4-pack. Flavors are Glacier Cherry, Cool Blue, and Fruit Punch.

PANDEMIC RECOVERY. During a conversation with BD about pandemic-related insights, O’Brien said he expects strong growth from the convenience and gas retail channel this summer as state economies open further and vacation travel ramps up. The convenience channel is important as a driver of higher-margin immediate consumption beverages. Separately, O’Brien believes a couple of trends during the pandemic will continue to pay dividends. First, office closures allowed consumers to trade work commutes for morning and afternoon workouts. When offices reopen, consumers will continue to work from home at least part-time, leaving room in the day for workouts, he said. The second trend revolves around families that cocooned together during the pandemic and were exposed to new brands, product types, and flavors that they hadn’t tried before. “So instead of just buying your case of fruit punch Gatorade, now you’re buying a grape G Zero in addition because somebody else is now living at your house and asking for that,” he said. “Now there’s some cross trial happening. And, we’re seeing increased adoption, certainly with some of our newest flavors and our newest lines.”

RTD GATORLYTE LAUNCH. For a decade, Gatorade has marketed packets of powdered electrolytes called Gatorlyte for endurance athletes or those who needed extra help with cramps. Now the company is bottling the concept in a ready-to-drink format by the same name, as the general market has become more interested in heavier doses of electrolytes for certain occasions, O’Brien said. Of course, it’s no coincidence that the Gatorlyte launch comes as a similar product called Electrolit, by Mexico-based Laboratorios Pisa, has been taking US sports drink share in heavily Hispanic markets. On March 10, Gatorade settled a trade dress infringement lawsuit by Electrolit. The terms were not disclosed and neither company would provide details. O’Brien declined to comment on the legal matter. A review of Gatorlyte packaging before and after the settlement reveals changes to the front panel that appear to address concerns by Pisa detailed in the lawsuit (see photo comparison). Gatorlyte is being rolled out on a limited basis this year to incubate the brand and gather learning before an eventual national rollout, O’Brien said. “We’ll introduce it to a heck of a lot more people next year,” he said. While emphasis will be placed on the Hispanic market in the US, especially in markets such as Los Angeles, Texas, Chicago, and New York, O’Brien said, Gatorlyte isn’t “a solely Hispanic market play.”