V8 targets seniors with healthy energy shot

Energy shots have delivered a jolt to pharmacy sales to the tune of an incremental $50 million in the past year. That business was borne out of targeting the typical all-nighters: college kids cramming for exams, truck drivers and third-shift workers. But seniors?


That’s what a Wall Street Journal report published earlier this month picked up on after finding that such marketers as Living Essentials and NVE Pharmaceuticals have been tweaking their advertising targets — Living Essentials directly with the AARP and NVE with cable placements on the older-skewing Learning Channel and Discovery Channel. 


Now Living Essentials and NVE will be joined by the likes of Campbell Soup following the announcement last month that the company plans to expand its V8 franchise into the energy shot space. Campbell will be positioning its V8 brands — which resonate well among seniors — as healthier alternatives to most energy drinks on the market today. “We are branching into the energy drink market with the kinds of nutritious beverages that V8 is known to deliver,” stated Dale Clemiss, VP of V8 Beverages. “People can now feel good about drinking an energy drink or shot with a combined serving of vegetables and fruit, and powered naturally by green tea.” 


V8 energy shots already are available at select locations in Colorado, Florida and Minnesota. 


In addition to attracting older buyers, energy shot manufacturers are busy trading their consumers up from the one-shot purchases at the check-stand and two-shot packs in the over-the-counter section. “[We’re] trading up existing consumers to larger purchases — from singles to multipacks,” said Elaine Lutz, Living Essentials’ spokeswoman. To that end, Living Essentials has folded four-pack offerings into the drug, food and C-store channels and has added a 10-pack 
for mass retailers. 


The article above is part of the DSN Category Review Series. For the complete Energy Shots Mid-Year Report, including extensive charts, data and more analysis, click here.