In 2009 Gatorade changed its logo in an attempt to refresh and reposition its brand. In March of 2010 we used E-Score Brand to compare the old logo against their new G logo.
The research revealed a substantial difference in logo awareness with the new logo scoring 48 points lower than the previous version. A year later we decided to revisit Gatorade to see if a year of marketing and promotions has improved the awareness of the G logo.
Gatorade’s Brand Name vs. Image Awareness
From January 2010 to February 2011, the G logo saw an increased logo awareness of just 9 points (34% vs. 43%), falling well short of the 82% awareness the original logo garnered. Name awareness of Gatorade remained relatively static over that same period with a score of 80% to 79%. Arguably Gatorade’s closest competitor Powerade, which holds a much smaller market share, earns a logo awareness score stronger than Gatorade’s (46% vs. 43%).
According to company officials, Gatorade is now focusing on younger athletes and active adults with a message of functional benefits for serious athletes. Two data points suggest that they may be making headway with this strategy.
In February 2011, 59% of respondents ages 13-24 showed awareness of the G logo compared to just 43% for all respondents. When asked “What is the first thought that comes to mind when you see the name of the brand,” the same age group also showed an 11 point increase in mentions of “sport” when compared to 2010.
The research suggests that Gatorade may have a long road to return to its previous awareness’ score but is on the right track to reposition the product with younger consumers as a performance enhancer and not simply a sugary beverage.
E-Score Brand’s monthly fielding can track changes in a brand’s logo, name and how receptive the public is to a new strategy.