The target audience for the drink will be people aged 18 to 55 with at least high-school education. The cause is that these people are the most likely to drive cars frequently and, thus, have a reason to visit gas stations. The income range that it will target will be $20,000 to $80,000 because, according to “Maryland household income” (n.d.), the upper end of this range is close to the average household income for the state. There will be no particular gender or ethnic group differentiation, as the drink’s properties appeal to all audiences. According to “ZIP code 21201” (n.d.), 16,972 people live in the zip code area with a median age of 30, guaranteeing a substantial audience for the brand. Overall, the drink should have a sizable potential customer base in its starting location.
The competition in the field is strong and likely to increase further in the future. According to Heng, House, and Kim (2018), fruit beverage and diet soft drink consumption depend heavily on prices, and fruit drinks have to compete with soft drinks for customers, though diet variations target different markets than standard options. As such, GoGo Fuel will have to compete with giants such as Coca-Cola or Pepsi and their diet-oriented offerings as well as a variety of other companies. Moreover, with the recent increase in energy drink consumption, especially among adolescents and young adults (Vercammen, Koma, & Bleich, 2019), competition in the field is likely to grow. As a combination of a fruit and energy drink, GoGo Fuel will likely have to compete with both categories, which have dominant large companies as well as many smaller ones. However, it may be able to capture a market niche where there is currently little to no competition. As a combination of a healthy drink and an energy beverage, it occupies a position that has few to no direct substitutes. It can appeal to the cross-section of the two demographics of nutrition-conscious people and energy drink fans. The specifics of its design and distribution also enable a unique market appeal due to its organic nature and freshness. GoGo Juice will be prepared and served at specialized stands at gas stations, which separates it from many other brands, which are stocked on shelves and in refrigerators. With these two critical differentiating factors, the beverage should be able to position itself sufficiently far away from the competition. Due to its substantial benefits, it can also attract a sizable customer base.
The message of the company should be one of an affordable and healthy energy drink for people who are active and busy. Its function will be to provide a burst of energy while improving one’s overall health. At the same time, it will be inexpensive without compromising on the quality of the ingredients. In terms of freedom, the drink will be quickly and easily accessible at gas stations, which people regularly visit, without interrupting the flow of one’s day. The feelings it should inspire is confidence and inspiration from the energy support provided by the drink. Lastly, its future will be further expansion, the addition of more flavors, and possibly the introduction of other varieties of the beverage. As the drink’s functionality is the most important and differentiates it from the competition, the tagline will be “Healthy AND Energizing!”
Due to the target demographics of the brand, Internet-based promotion, and social media promotion, specifically, will be essential for success. The company will try to build a following for its brand accounts on various networks such as Twitter and Instagram. It will make a variety of promotions and interact with the visitors to its account actively. The suggestions and feedback can be used to adjust the company’s offerings and improve customer loyalty. It can then use these resources to draw awareness to its other marketing activities. In particular, sampling at its stands should prove effective at attracting an audience that may otherwise be distrustful of the enterprise. They will also try to partner up with the retailers where the installations will be located to increase awareness of the new product.
To contact the gas stations and arrange the installation of the GoGo Fuel stand as well as possible promotions, the company will have a sales team. Trade shows are not feasible because they do not happen often enough, particularly for the gas station and beverage industries. The presence of a separate stand rather than a generic fridge with a variety of options in it will help attract customer attention. Moreover, the brand representatives that work there will be able to answer questions and generate customer interest, as opposed to competitors, which are marketed passively. As such, customers will be attracted by the unusual features of the product and its distribution strategy. They will then become engaged because of the active interaction, both online and offline, and its unique benefits, and return later on. Overall, the plan should be effective at creating a niche for itself and securing growth that can fuel further expansion.
References
Heng, Y., House, L. A., & Kim, H. (2018). The competition of beverage products in current market: A composite demand analysis. Agricultural and Resource Economics Review, 47(1), 118-131.
Maryland household income. (n.d.). Web.
Vercammen, K. A., Koma, J. W., & Bleich, S. N. (2019). Trends in energy drink consumption among US adolescents and adults, 2003–2016. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 56(6), 827-833.
ZIP code 21201. (n.d.). Web.