Stress-busting drinks take off
By Bruce Horovitz, USA Today
In a stressed-out culture, their antithesis, "relaxation" drinks, are emerging as the beverage world's hot ticket but are also drawing their share of critics.
More than 70 of these drinks, heavily marketed as stress reducers in a bottle, have rolled out in the past three years, research specialist Mintel estimates.
Nutritionists warn they may be more marketing than substance. "I don't think there's any mainstream research that would support any of this," says Alice Lichtenstein, professor of nutrition at Tufts University. "If you want to relax, drink chamomile tea."
Read the rest of the article here:
In a 2 paragraph response (a minimum 5 sentences for each paragraph), answer the following questions. In paragraph # 1, discuss the general marketing strategy employed by this industry of "relaxation" drinks. Also, what are some of the obstacles that industry must overcome. Be specific with your thoughts. In paragraph # 2, provide your thoughts and opinions on these drinks. What is appealing or unapplealing about them? If you were a marketing director for a company competing in this industry, how would you market these drinks? Why? Be specific with your thoughts.
Please sign your name to the bottom of your blog entry.
Please sign your name to the bottom of your blog entry.
In this article I read about how companies are beginning to make relaxation drinks. Those companies are going to have to overcome many obstacles. The reason for that is because many people are criticizing their products. The reason is, because they are saying that it is more marketing than the product itself and that the product does not really help you relax. Also, many consumers might rather just drink tea than something that is being criticized by many people.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading this article I have read how companies are making relaxation drinks. I personally would not buy these relaxation drinks because I have never come across a path in life where I needed them. Also, I don’t like the types of ingredients that they put in those drinks along with the energizer drinks. If I was a marketer I would start off by making sure the product has good , safe, and natural ingredients that way people are more attracted to it. Than I would test it in one area to see if it is successful or not. Those are my thoughts on this article.
-Charlie B.
The article we are reading this week is about, relaxation drinks. The companies market these drinks as “relaxation in a bottle”. I don’t think that is very smart because consumers will have high hopes to be instantly relaxed, when drinking this. Another obstacle the companies will have to get over , are the critics. Like the ones in the article are saying how no “mainstream research will support this”. They are not coming out with a good start.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion I don’t think they will really work. I also don’t see when people will really need the. If a person is really stressed out they can go lay down and they will be fine. I guess it would be appealing to people to have instant calmness in a bottle. One thing that is unappealing is the bad buzz about the product already. That can’t be helping with sales. That is what I think of the product.
James Graham
Relaxation drinks are made for people that want to unwind. They are marketed in such a way that if someone has stress they should just drink some and they will feel better. Their commercials are probably about somebody that just can’t seem to relax and after they drink something they calm down immediately. The industry does have to overcome obstacles. Many people already know that energy drinks work to some extent but feel that these relaxing drinks are more of a scam or something that is just around for a little while rather than something that can stick around for a while.
ReplyDeleteI don’t really like this idea. I think that it is going to be one of those things that is around for a while and then disappears. I don’t find it appealing at all. If somebody cannot relax on their own I don’t think that a drink is going to give them much help. I really can’t see what would be so appealing about these drinks and why people would even go and buy them. If I was a marketing director for a company competing in this product I would try my best to show the public that my drink is different.
They are marketing these drinks as an anti-stress drink. They simply say that they are a much good alternative to beer or pills. Even though they are advertising in a positive way there a many dilemmas for these company's. Some of those dilemmas are that people are not sure its the best thing for you, or that some people say there is no real benefit to these drinks. Even though some are critical of these new drinks, there is a lot of progress in the little while they have been around.
ReplyDeleteI think that these drinks are great, and they critics don't realize that they can help. They will draw some of those that drink alcohol over to there drink and if it works customers may stop drinking. They are appealing to many people because stress is very common, and most do not enjoy it on a day to day basis. If i ran these companys i would be doing the same thing they are, trying to convince customer that they are a safe alternative to many things. Even though i have never seen any, i except to soon.
The general marketing strategy is that they are advertising the opposite of a economic juggernaut, the energy drink. These drinks are the polar opposite of them, a relaxtion drink. They will certainly encounter obstacles. These obstacles will include getting people to believe they work, as well as getting people to realize they are not drugs. This new theory of relaxtion drinks will certainly take people by suprise, as well as have to encounter obstacles, but with the right marketing strategy I believe it will be succesful.
ReplyDeleteI think these drinks are a good idea. They take away the thought of having to grab a bottle of pills or grab beer to calm yourself down as the article says. If I were to market these drinks I would certainly put out a commercial. I would also advertise at independently owned stores such as 7-11 because thats where I believe the products would be first sold. Overall, I look forward to trying one of these new "relaxtion drinks" and look forward to discovering whether they will excel or fail in the marketing industry.
-COLE
I think their marketing strategy is kind of dumb. Just because you say it’s a relaxation drink doesn’t mean that everyone is going like it. I feel like they need to do a lot of advertising, especially include false facts for people who are gullible. I don’t think this product is going to be successful because parents are already criticizing it and it hasn’t even shown up in stores. That already proves that this product is going to be a fail.
ReplyDeleteI think that drinks like these can be come addictive. I also think that they wouldn’t be good for your overall health. I mean if people are saying that energy drinks such as “monster” and “Red bull” is bad for you. Imagine how a “Relaxation” drink would be. If I was marketing this, I would add false facts and false advertising. I would say that it is clinically proven to reduce stress. If your stress is that bad, maybe you need to change something in your life, not resort to drinking “relaxation” drinks, as if they actually work.
Frankie Otete
Stress relievers come in different shapes and forms. Pills, beer, and the most innovative modern technology, relaxation drinks in tiny bottles. People tend to find comfort in these tiny bottles filled with stress-free liquid. The marketing behind these relaxation drinks is stereotypically the name. Researchers found that these intense corporate companies design certain names that attract the consumers. Names range from Unwind, iChill to Be Happy. Typically Americans like the metaphorical phrase, Don’t Judge a Book By Its Cover, but isn’t that what the marketers are trying to do. The attempt in forming a perfect name to attract a customer is an extreme paradox on the marketers part. However that strategy didn’t work to its full extent. In 2011 relaxation drink sales increased only by 38%.
ReplyDeleteAs a female I am typically attracted to color and appearance. The bottle has to look worth buying if it was to attract my attention. The “Be Happy” bottle is of a green color and has a female jumping for joy. That concludes to another point, is a picture of a person jumping suitable for this “relaxation” product? It makes it appear as if it’s an energy drink. Speaking of energy drinks the bottle these drinks are bottled in makes it look like a knock-off of the energy drink “5 Hour Energy.” If I was to be marketing for these companies I would make sure the product actually worked, and the appearance was on tip top condition.
- Oumayma Driouche
The general marketing strategy of this article is to help people relax. They are making a drink that will presumably help people relax. There has been a lot of criticism at zenith. That is the company that is making the sports drink. These companies have to overcome these critics to sell their product. People these days are always stressed because of school, work kids, etc. and a drink that relieves stress might help them out in carrying out their daily process. They have to find a way to explain to the people that these ingredients are not harmful if taken at the right amount.
ReplyDeleteI think these types of drinks are not good for the public because while they may reduce your stress level, people might get hooked on them and start overusing them. That is how people harm themselves when they think it is ok to drink a couple bottles instead of one. Then they end up seriously hurting their bodies. I personally would not buy drinks like these. If I was stressed out I would do something to make me forget about the stress. I would not turn to a stress reliever drink. If people are stressed then they should drink tea. When I get stressed, I like to go outside and play sports. If I was a marketing director in this industry, I would compete by making my drinks out of all natural products and my drinks would also taste good.
the marketing strategies that these people are using i think they are great because its getting peoples attention and they are going to buy the product.the name that these people are naming this product is great because people want a drink that relaxes them and after they hear about this drink they are going to beleive it and they are going to try it and see if it works.some obstacle that these product makers are going to have are other energy drinks that are known all over the country or eventhe world.but i think that in the future this product is going to be well known everywhere.
ReplyDeletewhat i think about this drink is that it sounds good but i think that they need to put in more effort into the popularity of the drink because if they want to seel the drink first they have to let people know that the drink exist .i think that they need to work more on the advertisement area so that people know about the product.something else i think that they should work on is on the amount and the priuce they sell it for , i dont really know the amount but this item looks pretty expensive and the bottle/container doesnt look like it has much in it.if i was a company like redbull i wouldnt have to worry about this company being more popular than my company.--->javier solis
The companies who are making the “relaxation drinks” are marketing these products pretty poorly to me. The only good thing they are doing is giving these companies names that people would like. The obstacles they have to overcome are like people having second thoughts about the products an if they will really work. Other obstacles are like nutritionist and people who work with relaxation saying this product doesn’t work and is just a way for companies to get people’s money. Also that there are other ways to relaxing other than taking this drink that most people have never drank
ReplyDeleteI think this product is dumb and I would never buy it. If I wanted to relax would just do things that are relaxing other than buying a drink like lay down or do yoga. The only appealing thing to me about these drinks are the names. If I was the marketing director I would probably make a commercial about it or an ad on a website something that would get a lot of peoples attention. I would do this because I don’t think this product would spread fast if I did something else
The general marketing strategy of the relaxation drinks is the creative logos and names they made up. Also there trendy small bottles that will be eye popping to the customers. The name itself brings a lot of people to these products. When people hear relaxation drinks they will immediately put their attention on the product and most likely buy it. The obstacles that the industry musty overcome are there critics they will spread false rumors about the relaxation drinks and they have to advertise there product and crush the lies. Also they would have to compete with the energy drinks because they will try to advertise there product even better because they know that relaxation drinks are there competition.
ReplyDeleteMy thoughts on these drinks are that it will be one of the best sellers because many people are stressed in America and they are desperate to relieve that stress, so they will come to this product. But it will be hard for them for a while to be on the market because there is tough competitors, they do anything to put them down, but I would surely buy there product because it seems interesting. If I was a marketing director for the company I would place billboards everywhere and show advertisements on TV. Also I will put a infomercial that will show many people that relax by the product.
Sulman Chuhan
In the article I read it says that the drinks are supposed to help you relax and not be tensed, some obstacles that industries must overcome are making a drink that people will enjoy and drink more of so that they wont be tensed up all the time. Also the drink has to actually work on people that are not relaxed and always in a hyped up mood to do anything. If the drink actually helps people to settle down and relax then they are going to buy more of the drinks, but if the drink doesn’t help a person trying to relax then they are most likely to not buy the drink.
ReplyDeleteMy thoughts and opinions on this drink is that if it works then I am most likely to buy it but if it doesn’t help me sleep or relax then I am not going to buy it, because what is the point of buying a drink that doesn’t even do what the bottle or store owner says it is supposed to do. What is appealing about this drink is the name on the front of the bottle or box because who doesn’t want to be happy. If I was a market director for these drinks then I would market them on a sports or energy drink commercial because the drink doesn’t only make you happy but it helps you relax and have more energy to do more things.
In today’s society people are always on the go, they don’t have time to stop and relax. This company noticed that and thought of the stress load on their bodies. This idea to give people a way to relieve stress is a great one people need a source of motivation and relief. Also people might be a bit skeptical about this drink because of those that failed in the past. Also people find it hard to believe that there is a drink that relaxes you so the company will have to overcome these skeptics with a drink that does all that is promised and is successful.
ReplyDeleteI personally have not tried these drinks but they sound somewhat of a good Idea and I think if they work that they are a great idea. Also I expect them to be original and different then all of the other ideas before it because there have been tons of these ideas and they have all been way to close to the same thing. I think what is appealing about them is that they are a drink that actually changes the way you feel and I think that is why they are successful. Unlike most I have faith in these drinks, a lot of people were skeptical about 5 hour energy and they have become one of the most successful companies, and so what is different about this idea?
It’s about this relaxation drinks. The general marketing strategy employed in this industry divides and the drinks go by mellow-sound names like Unwind, iChill, Be Happy and category behemoth Drank. The ingredients may vary from the amino acid, which is found in green tea also used in sleep aids. The company is trying to show a good imagine, trying to make people understand the great product that they offer but they are obstacles. They have to consider that consumers mostly parents, are concern about the ingredients and marketing techniques. Some relaxation drinks are coming under scrutiny, says Marc Ullman, an attorney who advises product makers.
ReplyDeleteWell, people will obviously be interesting in having to relax especially with something simple to consume like a drink. If the researches have proven that it can actually help you, I would still be concern that can be some risks to it. Some say that the relaxation product category is a category that's looking for trouble. They could be appealing but that will have to match with how good they are and taste. If I was a marketing director, I would make sure that people get familiar with the drinks. Since it something that not many people are interesting about then first step is to make it popular. Later, I would be concern on how to convince people that is a good drink and even risks about second effects can be worth because it will benefit me and my company.
Pamela Paredes
The general marketing strategy of this product is to make theses stress-relieving drinks seem like they work and appear to be a better alternate than drinking, or pills. The major obstacle that these drinks are going to have to overcome is the scrutiny of how safe these drinks will be, and if they actually work. Because these days you can get sick from anything, and you also don’t want to spend your money on things that wont work. I think that as long as they market themselves right and prove what ingredients they have in their drink they’ll be fine. They just have to show that they use stuff that’s already used in sleeping aids and green tea. That way they prove that it’s safe and effective.
ReplyDeleteMy thoughts on this drink are that it will work, as long as you do other stuff to help with your stress as well. Like loosing weight, you have to commit. People take it as a lifestyle because you can’t just work out and then pig out. Like this energy drink, you’re going to need to work on your stress on your own time too because its not a magical drink, it can only help. What is appealing about them is that they help you relieve stress, which everyone needs now. What is unappealing about them is that it seems like a scam. I would market these drinks by clearly showing the ingredients used, and how they are already used in green tea and sleeping pills, meaning that it is safe and effective and try to put it in a more positive light.