As the sports drink market continues to decline year-over-year to beverages with more functional ingredients, Bodyarmor does little to differentiate itself from the categories stale traditional messaging.
Brand Background
Bodyarmor SuperDrink (stylized as BODYARMOR) is an American independently owned super drink packed with electrolytes, coconut water and vitamins.
Bodyarmor is a recent entry in the sports drink category; a category that has been heavily controlled by Gatorade and PowerAde.
The Problem
While the leader in health drinks according to their U.S sales, sports drinks have suffered a 7.5% loss in market share between 2010 and 2015.
As the sports drink market continues to decline year-over-year to beverages with more functional ingredients, Bodyarmor does little to differentiate itself from the categories stale traditional messaging.
Category Insights
Sports drink usage shifts, but never really goes away.
The notion that hydration is important follows you from childhood into adulthood. But as we age we begin to consider healthier and more beneficial ways to recuperate our bodies.
Consumer Insight
But eliminating sports drinks doesn’t mean they’ve stopped being active.
As adults, they no longer want to be Kobe Bryant, they just want to be the best version of ourselves by taking up less active sports; jogging, gyming, hiking...
The Opportunity
From the focus group discussions and the results of the blind tests, BodyArmor was ranked number one in taste, second in health (only to water), second in want to purchase (again, only to water), and ranked second to last in cost (as it was presumed to be expensive). It was also favorable among high level sports drink doubters.
BodyArmor could tap into the strong customer perception of the brand (especially on health) and its favorable taste (fruity) to help it differentiate itself.
Solutions and recommendations
My team and I recommended that BodyArmor;
Develop messaging that positions it against the traditional sports drink category; bringing its functional ingredients and benefits to the forefront with an audience that seeks them everyday.
Remove the focus from professional athletics and athletes towards everyday fitness
Redesign packaging to be more approachable
Desired Outcome
The possible desired outcome on this is to tap into consumers whose lifestyle has changed into an everyday healthy workouts from the childhood active sports.