The Gatorade Company, also known as Gatorade, is PepsiCo’s product, headquartered in the United States. It is an American beverage brand dedicated to sports drinks in the segment of food and beverage. The sports drink Gatorade was founded in 1965 by Robert Cade along with four other members. The Gatorade Company has covered majorly 80 countries, including the biggest of the markets in sports drinks. Here, let’s know about Gatorade Competitors.
Gatorade is a Sports Drink, which is also known as an electrolytic drink. The primary purpose of electrolytic drinks is to replace water for the athletes and sportspeople and rejuvenate them in the competition or any sports. The company primarily targets young sportspeople, which prefer sports drinks before, during, and after any competition. For a drink to be categorized as a sports drink, it should have electrolytes, calories, and sugar. The sports drink has become so popular these days, as many more organizations are trying to make their space in the market, currently ruled by Gatorade. As the market is flooded with sports and energy drinks, the few companies which compete with Gatorade in this field are Pocari Sweat, Sqwincher, Powerade, Lucozade, and Bodyarmor. The brand name and the strategies of Gatorade helped them make their place in the market and the customers.
Competitors of Gatorade
Sports drink more than an electrolytic drink, became a trend amongst people, especially younger sports audiences. This trend helped many companies to take the opportunity and work on sports drinks. Gatorade is one of the most favored and liked drinks but had to face a lot of competition in this segment. Various competitors of Gatorade are:
- Pocari Sweat
Pocari Sweat is a Japanese sports drink that is a product of Otsuka Pharmaceuticals, founded in 1980. The drink gives a solid competition to Gatorade in the Asian region. Pocari Sweat contains a balance of electrolytes that matches the human body’s human fluid and maintains the concentration of the ions in the fluids. The drink compensates for the fluids and the ions which anyone loses while sweating. The drink quickly absorbs the body; overall, it is a perfect hydrating drink in the morning, playing any sport, or tired by working. The company headquartered in Vietnam has an operating revenue of around 5 million dollars. The company was so successful as it became the brand ambassador of the summer Olympics held in 2020. The freedom from all chemical concepts made it one of the strongest competitors of Gatorade.
- Sqwincher
Sqwincher is an electrolytic sports beverage by Sqwincher corporation, founded in 1975 and owned by Kent precision foods group. The drink is used the same as Gatorade, which is used to compensate for lost sugars and electrolytes in the human body. Their products include Squeeze Pops, Ready to drink hydration drink, single-serve, powder pack, Sqwincher Lite, Sqwincher zero, and liquid concentrate. With the tremendous rehydrating property of the drink, it comes along with great taste. The drink, along with all this, is also termed to maintain the focus. Though the brand has less advertised than Gatorade but has a solid customer base, the main customer base, marketing, and research area of Sqwincher is government, military, and many other industrial users. Even the company has much more flavors than Gatorade has, available in various sizes and packs, which Gatorade overlooks. The company founded in 1975 is still running successfully and giving a tough competition to Gatorade.
- Powerade
Powerade is a popular sports drink manufactured by The Coca-Cola Company and was introduced in 1988 to give tough competition to its biggest rival PepsiCo, who had created and ruled the sports drink market with their product “Gatorade.” As the product was from Coca-Cola, it gained immense popularity in no time and became the official sports drink for many Olympics. They introduced many variants and added nutritional value by adding B3, B6, and B12. The company tried and introduced Powerade in various states, including the U.S., to compete with Gatorade Propel. Compared to Powerade, Gatorade still holds a current market share of 70%, whereas Powerade holds a market share of around 28%, which is far behind Gatorade.
- Lucozade
Lucozade is a sport drink brand, which is a British brand manufactured and marketed by Suntory, a well-known Japanese multinational brewing and distilling company. The drink was first introduced ass Glucozade by Newcastle Pharmacist in 1927 in the United Kingdom. Later in 1938, it was acquired by Beecham’s and introduced Lucozade as an energy drink for sick people. In 1980 Lucozade was ready and available as a sports drink. U.K.’s customers supported the drink and became the number one best-selling drink, also exported in the Asian market. Despite how much market share Lucozade has, Gatorade remains far ahead of it, as per sales and revenue.
- Bodyarmor
Bodyarmor is a famous American sports drink, which the Coca-Cola Company also owns. The super sports drink was founded in 2011 in the United States. The company got so much attention as the famous basketball legend Kobe Bryant bought the stakes in the company and became a member of the Board of Directors committee. The drink became so popular as it came with a good amount of flavors. Coca-Cola, although having its sports drink Powerade, made its position by purchasing a share of Bodyarmor. As a great competition of Gatorade, the company made their drink have less sugar than Gatorade, which attracted many customers, making Bodyarmor a more natural and safe sports drink than Gatorade.
Gatorade’s Strength Analysis
Being a leading brand in a sports drink, Gatorade always has to recheck its strategy. The market leader for many years is because of the strength that the company has.
- Gatorade has an extensive distribution network and can take over most significant markets, including the United States and Asian markets.
- The brand manufactures drinks and deals with products like bars, nutritious food, and many more.
- The sole purpose of Gatorade was to get in the field of sports drinks.
- Gatorade never leaves any opportunity to boost up their business by good advertising.
Conclusion
Gatorade is one of the favorite products of PepsiCo, which has made a solid customer base among people who prefer sports drinks. Sports drinks are different from energy drinks, as drinks like Redbull, Monster, HELL, and many more fall under that category. Gatorade falls under the segment of sports drink, which excels from all the other competitors. Gatorade holds around 72.1% market share in the segment of sports drinks, leaving all its competitors behind.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Who owns Gatorade?
PepsiCo holds complete ownership of Gatorade.
- Who is the primary competition for Gatorade?
Gatorade is a product of PepsiCo, whose major competition is The Coca-Cola Company’s Powerade.
- Is drinking too many sports drinks harmful?
Yes, Sports drink contains electrolyte and contains a high quantity of sugar, whose regular consumption is dangerous for health.
