Our debut episode, “Is Gatorade Beatable?” explores Coca-Cola’s mission to use a combined BodyArmor and Powerade to overtake sports drink leader Gatorade in the coming years. Coke leaders are through being an also-ran in this category, and PepsiCo has no plans to give up its supremacy. That will make for great competition, even as the category shifts beneath both companies’ feet with the emergence of “rapid hydration.”
Episode 2, “Is Sprite Beatable?” delves into PepsiCo’s Starry lemon-lime soda launch and the company’s plans to disrupt the dominance of Coca-Cola’s Sprite. We discuss how Sprite spent decades embracing hip-hop and the NBA to build a loyal consumer base, and how PepsiCo has decided to start from scratch with Starry to reach Gen Z consumers after years of struggles with lemon-lime brands including Sierra Mist.
CEO Says Tractor ‘Not Looking to Get into Any Battle’ With Soda Giants.
Tractor Beverage, the maker of organic, non-GMO bubbler drinks for fast-casual restaurant chains such as Chipotle, has its eye on the ready-to-drink beverage market as part of its new partnership with Keurig Dr Pepper, Tractor CEO Kevin Sherman told BD. Initial internal discussions could begin as early as this quarter, although a timetable for any RTD decision or launch..
