Powerade determined to maintain momentum in 2011

Volume sales of (750ml) Powerade in supermarkets has grown 22.4% since 2009* and New Zealand’s best selling sports drink is determined to maintain momentum in 2011with a multi-million dollar rugby focused marketing campaign underway.

In what’s set to be a massive year for the iconic national sports team, Powerade will leverage their All Blacks sponsorship across multiple touch points to drive sales and build brand equity.

At a shelf level, the introduction of the stand-out new Powerade Black is sure to make an impact. This patriotic variation is designed to fuel the pride of All Blacks fans nationwide. The mouthwatering watermelon/kiwifruit flavour, combined with striking All Blacks packaging and point-of-sale, promises to deliver incremental sales. Powerade Black is already in market and will remain on shelves until late October.

A strong television advertising schedule adds weight to the campaign. June will see the launch of the moody and powerful “Train Like you’re in the Game”. Focusing on an All Blacks training session, this TVC has received rave reviews within the Coca-Cola business.

“The feedback from our internal stakeholders on the new All Blacks TVC is amazing. Sports training is a key occasion where we can increase consumption frequency and this creative does a fantastic job of leveraging this,” says Coca-Cola Oceania Marketing Manager – Still Beverages, Delina Shields.

Online advertising is also a critical component of the Powerade campaign. As well as being proactive participants on the sports field, the brand’s core target market spends much of their time on the internet. Accordingly, a new and exciting website and a Facebook page (Powerade New Zealand) have launched. Powerade.co.nz provides an invaluable resource to those who are serious about rugby and sport in general. There are training programmes designed by All Blacks Strength and Conditioning Coach Dr Nic Gill, as well as behind the scenes interviews with the players.

Support for the avid sportsman doesn’t stop at the web. The Powerade Challenge will launch in July with a running course located on the Auckland waterfront integrated with technology so participants can track their times. Participants register online to receive their free personalised Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) bracelet. The RFID technology delivers accurate time keeping by monitoring the participant’s running time, and communicates with vending machines that upload results to powerade.co.nz.

The Powerade Challenge will be supported by a targeted public relations program. As well as promoting the fitness course in mainstream media, a grassroots activation strategy will recruit “born sportsmen” to register and participate.

Shields concludes; “We are tremendously proud of the scope and quality of the 2011 Powerade campaign. In what is set to be a massive year for New Zealand retailers our focus is on supporting the trade and leveraging our fantastic sponsorships to drive sales.”