With an estimated 75% hold of the $8 billion U.S. sports drink market, Gatorade is the undisputed leader. Now, new data from YouGov BrandIndex shows that the brand has potential to gain even more ground largely due to an unlikely consumer group: US adults aged 50 and older.
YouGov figures show that Gatorade’s Purchase Consideration score has recently grown to an all-time high of 33% — meaning that a third of all American adults are open to buying a bottle of Gatorade when next in the market for something to drink.
YouGov’s Index score — which measures a brand’s overall public image by calculating the average of its Impression, Value, Quality, Reputation, Satisfaction, and Recommend scores — also indicates that American consumers have had an increasingly positive view of Gatorade in recent years. Since January 2013, the sports drink’s Index score has increased from 25 to 32, marking a record-breaking high for the brand.
So, why the recent boost in both potential sales and public image?
One likely factor is that this past June the brand launched Gatorade Zero, a no-sugar, no-carbohydrate alternative that comes in orange, lemon-lime, and glacier cherry flavors.
Data from YouGov Profiles shows that the majority of current Gatorade customers (people who bought a Gatorade in the past 30 days) skew younger: Nearly two-thirds (65%) fall within the 18-49-year-old age range. That said, additional data reveals that older consumers are more wary about their level of sugar intake: 52% of Americans aged 50+ say they’re concerned about the amount of sugar in their food and drink, compared to 36% of those aged 18-49.
As such, the launch of Gatorade Zero seems to correspond with an increased openness to buying the brand among older consumers. Since June 1, Gatorade’s Purchase Consideration score among the 50+ set has increased five percentage points, from 21% to 26%. Purchase Consideration also increased among younger adult consumers during this time period, but at a noticeably smaller rate, from 37% to 39%.
Changes in Gatorade’s Index score show a similar discrepancy in gains among the two age groups. Since June 1, the brand’s Index score has increased from 25 to 28 among consumers aged 50+, and from 36 to 37 among those in the 18-49 demographic.
