The Effect on Energy Drinks, Alcoholic Energy Drinks Research Paper Essay Example
Alcohol, Energy Drinks, and Youth
A Dangerous Mix
Targeting Youth
To understand how alcoholic energy drinks are marketed, it is critical to examine the popularity of nonalcoholic energy drinks among youth. Teenagers and young adults are thecore consumer group for these products. Thirty-one percent of 12- to 17-year-olds and 34 percent of 18- to 24-year-olds report regular consumption of energy drinks. Nonalcoholic energy drink producers promote youth consumption using “grassroots” level marketing strategies, as opposed to traditional channels (such as television, radio, magazine, and outdoor advertising). Companies are looking for “one-on-one relationships” gained through events, extreme sports sponsorships, Internet interactions, text messaging, and communication among users on Internet sites such as MySpace and Facebook. Alcoholic energy drink producers have built on the popularity of nonalcoholic energy drinks in two ways:
1) promoting the mixing of energy drink products with alcohol
2)marketing premixed alcoholic energy drinks.
Efforts to encourage the mixing of alcohol with energy drinks serve as a stepping stone to building a separate beverage category of premixed alcoholic energy drinks.
Miller Brewing Company and Anheuser-Busch, the two largest U.S. brewers, are the leading producers of this new alcoholic beverage category, with brands that include Sparks, Tilt, and Bud Extra. Their marketing tactics mirror those used for nonalcoholic energy drinks: “grassroots” consumer strategies; images and messages that promote their association with partying and other high energy activities; and containers that have sizes, shapes, and graphics similar to their nonalcoholic cousins. The similarities in containers create the potential for confusion among consumers, retailers, parents, law enforcement officers, and others regarding which products contain alcohol and which do not. Alcoholic energy drinks are also a cheap alternative to purchasing alcoholic
A Dangerous Mix
Targeting Youth
To understand how alcoholic energy drinks are marketed, it is critical to examine the popularity of nonalcoholic energy drinks among youth. Teenagers and young adults are thecore consumer group for these products. Thirty-one percent of 12- to 17-year-olds and 34 percent of 18- to 24-year-olds report regular consumption of energy drinks. Nonalcoholic energy drink producers promote youth consumption using “grassroots” level marketing strategies, as opposed to traditional channels (such as television, radio, magazine, and outdoor advertising). Companies are looking for “one-on-one relationships” gained through events, extreme sports sponsorships, Internet interactions, text messaging, and communication among users on Internet sites such as MySpace and Facebook. Alcoholic energy drink producers have built on the popularity of nonalcoholic energy drinks in two ways:
1) promoting the mixing of energy drink products with alcohol
2)marketing premixed alcoholic energy drinks.
Efforts to encourage the mixing of alcohol with energy drinks serve as a stepping stone to building a separate beverage category of premixed alcoholic energy drinks.
Miller Brewing Company and Anheuser-Busch, the two largest U.S. brewers, are the leading producers of this new alcoholic beverage category, with brands that include Sparks, Tilt, and Bud Extra. Their marketing tactics mirror those used for nonalcoholic energy drinks: “grassroots” consumer strategies; images and messages that promote their association with partying and other high energy activities; and containers that have sizes, shapes, and graphics similar to their nonalcoholic cousins. The similarities in containers create the potential for confusion among consumers, retailers, parents, law enforcement officers, and others regarding which products contain alcohol and which do not. Alcoholic energy drinks are also a cheap alternative to purchasing alcoholic