To cope with the FDA uproar, Cocaine was forced to add a "humorous slogan…explaining that the beverage did not contain the illegal drug cocaine" (Thompson 2012: 1).
But although government regulations have occasionally thwarted Cocaine, other developing conditions have enhanced its appeal. It has a vibrant social media presence. Its ability to engage with users, posting pictures of people getting Cocaine under a Christmas tree or making edgy status updates that play upon the company name, has been a boon to the company. Also, given that availability has been challenging in some areas, given that Cocaine has been pulled from the shelves by retailers who have had customer complaints about the name, social media enables loyal patrons to more easily find where Cocaine is being sold.
Conclusion: Positioning
The driving tangible reason that consumers buy Cocaine is primarily its caffeine content. Taste is hardly an issue, given that many loyalists prefer shots rather than actual drinks. The main reason people consume energy drinks is for the caffeine 'buzz' and Cocaine offers more 'bang' for the 'buck' consumers shell out to buy such drinks. Cocaine is priced relatively similarly to other...
In terms of the intangibles of marketing its main value besides additional milligrams of caffeine is its playfully anarchic image. Consumers who want to transcend the legal limits of what is considered healthy and acceptable to purchase are likely to reach for Cocaine. The FDA's stern rebukes to the company only add to its outsider appeal.
Works Cited
"Cocaine Energy Drink." Amazon.com reviews. [2 Apr 2013]
http://www.amazon.com/Cocaine-Energy-Drink-Strong-Bulls/dp/B000RI8GI8
"FDA finds Cocaine energy drink illegal." CADCA. 2007. [2 Apr 2013]
http://www.cadca.org/resources/detail/fda-finds-%E2%80%98cocaine%E2%80%99-energy-drink-illegal
New 'Cocaine' energy drink causing controversy. ABC. 24 Oct 2006.
[2 Apr 2013] http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/local&id=4690059
Redux Beverages. Official Website. [2 Apr 2013]
http://www.drinkcocaine.com/
Thompson, Rick. "Controversial Cocaine energy drink back on shelves." Country Times.
12 Jun 2012. [2 Apr 2013]
http://www.countytimes.com/articles/2012/06/12/news/doc4fd7be70aec09753187147.txt?viewmode=2
