Last year Amway launched an energy drink in China, in an effort to diversify its product offerings.
The Amway XS Energy Drink boosts, in addition to coolness, its health benefits: zero sugar.
Well, readers of TLD are all informed, so you know that zero sugar usually means a lot of artificial sweeteners which might be more harmful to your health (exact impact is still contested in the scientific community).
Delayed gratification
That’s not the worst for Amway’s Energy Drinks – Amway’s channel is.
People often buy energy drinks for instant gratification. That’s why brands like Red Bull spends a lot of marketing efforts (and dollars) on places like gas stations and convenience stores. There are also numerous studies on why Red Bull’s channel strategy is so successful.
In Amway’s case, you can only look for a direct seller when you are thirsty – no instant gratification! (and probably a significant loss of coolness as well).
Direct sellers usually buy bulk (in hope that they can sell, also to meet their quota for rewards), and you will see them donating that to their friends’ parties etc.
Not sticky!
However, that is not to say that it is doomed. We have discovered a very interesting benefit of sugar free energy drinks.
Our good friend Mr Lu, who went on a driving expedition to Tibet last month (we have no idea why he would go there in freezing winter), bought two cartons of Amway XS energy drink in his boot.
Here is what he said:
“I have been a fan of energy drinks, especially on long road trips where I have to rely on them to keep myself awake.
The challenge with many drinks is the sugar inside. As you know roads in remote areas are often bumpy, causing drinks to spill.
And you will have sticky hands, dashboard, and even seat – not nice feeling to have.
Now with sugar free drink, no matter how much you spill, it is not sticky at all!”
Mr Lu plans to buy more cartons of the energy drink on his next (and longer) road trip, to the border with Pakistan.
He only wishes that the energy actually taste nice.