Gatorade is credited with inventing the sports drink back in 1965, to help athletes at the University of Florida stay hydrated. But now, it’s expanding to people who need energy to, WALK THE DOG.
Gatorade just announced a plan to broaden its reach to non-athletes who are looking for hydration, whether they’re on a long flight, going for a walk, or nursing a hangover.
Someone at the company said, “People say, ‘I didn’t exercise [and] I’m not sweating.’ The reality is, everybody is sweating and dehydrated from the moment they wake up and many just don’t know it.”
Don’t expect a MAJOR shift. They’re still going to target athletes. But they’re creating new packaging to highlight the specific ways Gatorade’s various drinks can benefit anybody.
One analyst says that 60% of the consumers who buy sports drinks aren’t “athletes”, but they DO want the functional ingredients from sports drinks, like electrolytes for hydration and carbohydrates for energy. (Or they’re just addicted to sugar, and will chug ANYTHING loaded with it.)
There will also be some new versions. For example, there’s the classic “thirst quencher,” with 48 grams of sugar and 18% of the recommended daily amount of carbohydrates, which athletes need to maintain energy.
But now there’s “Gatorade Lower Sugar,” which has 75% less sugar for more casual use, like when you need a pick-me-up after walking the dog around the block.
(Associated Press / PR Newswire)
