Top 100 - Wamda.com

79 BrandZ Top 100 2011: SECTORS/COMMENTARYBrandZ Top 100 2011: SECTORS/COMMENTARY 80in brand value, sponsored Formula 1 racing. Interest inother functional beverages, like vitamin water, also grew,especially among younger consumers.Pepsi unified its logo across all international marketsto add efficiencies and leverage the brand’s power.Gatorade also rebranded, changing the name on itspackaging to G, in an effort to signal brand progressionand to reach a new generation.Food service and vending continued to be important andprofitable channels. Coke accelerated the introduction ofits “Freestyle” vending machines, which use innovativetechnology to offer 104 different varieties of Coca-Cola drinks. The somewhat less-profitable grocerychannel drove tremendous volume aided in part by newpackaging that enabled bold and efficient stacking atfood outlets and other mass merchants.Both Coke and Pespi experienced strong sales in BRICmarkets. Pepsi prepared to acquire a majority stake inRussia’s largest food and beverage business,Wimm-Bill-Dann.SOFT DRINKSHIGHLIGHTSBottle size increased in certain markets,such as the UK.Coke and Pepsi advanced corporatesocial responsibility initiatives as the softdrinkscategory continued to face healthand environmental issues.Soft drink brands experimented withcross merchandising in supermarkets,presenting cola near the frozen pizza, forexample, to emphasize a meal occasion.SOFT DRINKSIN 2011David Seabrook, Client Director,Client Leadership, MindshareFunctional drinks growing“The most interesting thing going on in the categoryat the moment is the growth of drinks that are therefor specific needs or functions, so for example thelaunch of Gatorade products, the launch of thevitamin waters, the launch of more and moreenergy drinks.”SPOTLIGHTTo maintain its connection to an oldergeneration and to reinforce its brand essenceas an energy and fitness drink, Gatoradelaunched its Replay initiative, inviting theveterans of two high school football teamsback for a rematch, 16 years later, thatreunited old rivals for a period of intensetraining followed by the big game.