Prime Energy Drink has fallen victim to one of the most common fail-tactics of marketing. They relied too heavily on superficial aspects like celebrity endorsements or social media hype without focusing on the actual quality and value proposition of the product. In today's competitive market, consumers are increasingly conscientious and look for products that offer genuine benefits and unique features. If the drink lacks distinctive qualities compared to other products in the energy drink market and doesn't deliver on taste or effectiveness, it's understandable why it might struggle to gain traction with consumers. Going from R500 a bottle, to R40 on launch and now a measly R9 - it's safe to say the brand now holds little value. Building a successful brand requires more than just riding on trends or leveraging the fame of founders; it requires a solid understanding of the market, a differentiated product offering, and effective marketing strategies that resonate with it's potential customers.
Digital Media Strategist | Media Lead Diageo PEM Africa - Freshive/OMG | Meta Blueprint Certified
This is why you need a long term marketing plan for your product. Hyping a market and focusing too much on sensationalism doesn't do a product justice.
When a local product like Steri Stumpie is still more expensive than this hyped up version of Oros, I'll take Oros.
Ché Köhler
6mo
Lol time to pivot, maybe slap AI on it, keep the hype train going
I’d argue that Prime “the drink” had nothing to do with it. This was always ever about Checkers positioning itself as a ground-breaking, pioneering brand that instantly pulled in the youth and the spending power of their parents. Prime was a tool. Not the end game. Look what happened as a result. Pick n Pay and Standard Bank adopted Roblox shortly afterwards, and Makro with Mr. beast Feastables, to varying levels of success. I still say welll played. Checkers understood the brief.
theresa milne
5mo
Product intrinsics are not the answer. This is a lifestyle brand, not a grocery staple or gourmet ingredient. It's not competing at any level of logic or necessity. It takes flair to be a credible influencer and perhaps that's where it started to get a bit of speed wobble. Pricing also needs a bit of sensitivity and a sensible assessment to gauge how far you can push your luck when grocery staples are extorting post pandemic victims with reduced options to choose where and how to shop. Increasing levels of starvation and reduced disposable income demand greater attention to consumer psychology and trend factors.
The losers here are the SA retailers who have all the supply and no demand. A group of you YouTubers are using their fame and popularity to pocket money. The sad reality is the majority of their fans are children. Prime was a side project for founders Logan Paul and KSI. Logan fought KSI in numerous boxing matches and raked millions in the process, which lead to be Prime drink company as a collaboration of two popular YouTubers. The cost to manufacturer a prime drink is a fraction of the hyped retail price. They have already made their profits from all the distribution across the globe. Logan Paul was involved in a blockchain project called ‘Cryptozoo’, which was uncovered by a fellow YouTuber as a huge scam. How much do you think Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson is going to generate through Netflix? Once Jake Paul is tired of boxing or loses, he will move onto another money making opportunity. The same thing will happen with Prime. Another manufacturer, such as Coca-Cola will most likely buy the brand and either leverage or shut it down. Logan Paul is using his fame to get sponsor deals at Arsenal football club and WWE whilst KSI is making music videos all in an effort to build a following and also increase their brand value.
Ben van Wyk
5mo
Logan and KSI are notorious figures. They have such an influence on the youth, and it is concerning. The health implications of PRIME energy drinks have raised concerns due to their high caffeine content and certain ingredients that have sparked skepticism about their safety and benefits. PRIME Energy, a product in the PRIME range, contains 200mg of caffeine per bottle, equivalent to two cups of coffee or a double espresso, which has led to warnings about its consumption by children and adolescents. Experts caution that regular caffeine intake from drinks like PRIME can increase vulnerability to psychiatric disorders, including anxiety-related disorders, and may contribute to substance abuse. Additionally, the inclusion of ingredients like sucralose in PRIME has been flagged as a health concern, with studies linking high doses of sucralose to multi-organ failure and systemic inflammatory disease. While moderate use of hydration drinks like PRIME Hydration may not pose significant risks, the presence of certain components in PRIME Energy raises red flags regarding its suitability for consumption, especially among younger individuals.
Keith Green
5mo
$1.2 billion in annual sales for 2023, I think the brand is doing ok.
Maybe the aim was never to build a successful brand. It would seem that they potentially put very little R&D into a product that has very little intrinsic value, which probably means it was pretty cheap to get to market and pretty cheap to make. The hype may be dead now, but insane amounts of money were made in the process. Maybe it's a case of quitting while you're ahead, rather than creating an asset of enduring value and annuity income. Keep it going as long as revenue outweighs costs, but so what if it dies? Now where did I put my fidget spinner? I think it's in that drawer with my Tamagotchi and my Blackberry...