Any thoughts on what will be the big hits/misses of 2006? Anything around today that you are sure won't see 2007?

Gone will be MDX, at least one if not all of diet cokes variations from the original, I do not know if trop twister soda will cling to life or not, dr pepper berries and cream, blak, sparkling/ carbonated flavored aquafina/ dasani.
Big hits will be Grape aquafina, dasani still water flavors, still wondering about bcv coke, vault I am sure will do well for the first year,I think that both Pepsi and coke distributed energy drinks will continue to climb and red bull will continue to fall ( rb will remain at the top of the heap but will lose share) Well that about sums up my thoughts, my brain hurts now.

I saw something when I was at Food Lion the other day.. They had some sort of push on MDX, and it only sold 1/3 of what they had expected it to.

If people don't know what something is, most of them won't try it.

As long as the energy drink market share keeps growing as fast as it is, Red Bull can afford to lose market share and still make a ton of money and increase their sales.

I'm surprised you didn't mention Tab Energy or 7up Plus.

Technically I did mention Tab energy in the Pepsi and coke distributed energy drinks but specifically no I did not. 7up plus is well I do not know more than likely it will go the way of the dodo bird but if this year or not I don't know.
Agreed with your statement if people do not know what it is they won't try it. Most people seen the name mountain dew, the $1.50 price tag and 14 oz bottle and said I can get a 2 liter cheaper.
What are your thought on this subject sir?

[ 01-11-2006, 11:34 PM: Message edited by: the saint ]

On MDX? I see it going away. Powerade Advance, too.

The Cherry Vanilla segment will probably do well, with the intro of Pepsi's version and the continuation of the Dr Pepper version. I don't think Fresca Black Cherry will make it, though.

Once it gets a nationwide push, I think Vault will actually do quite well.

Tab Energy and probably at least one other Coke e-drink won't be around for 2007.

The water category is expanding at leaps and bounds. Carbonated water sounds like seltzer to me. Time will tell if Pepsi and Coke can make a real go of this segment. I do see the flavored offerings from Coke and Pepsi continuing to do well. Though I would have expected to see them available in a smaller bottle package (CCBCC does flavored Dasani in a 12oz 8pk).

8.4oz e-drinks are dead for the most part. I can see Pepsi killing off Amp and A-rush 8.4s.

I also expect to see a lot more multipacks of energy drinks. I am seeing 12 packs of Red Bull now, for around $22 at Wally. The 4pk seems to be the norm, though.


I don't usually have a good handle on the Pepsi world, because we compete with an indie in the area I work in. They don't carry a lot of products, and their pricing is usually much higher than PBG on what they do carry.

They only carry Orange Twister, and their 24pk line is maybe eight brands (including Pepper). They buy them from PBG-Johnstown PA, who produces every flavor under the sun in 24pks.

My predictions.

MDX will get past 2006 and die a slow death in 2007 fist quarter. It will be given one last big marketing push and then it will be sold for $.99 a 14oz bottle. RIP in 2007.

Like has been said, all Coca Cola flavors except Cherry, and the new BCVC will be dropped.

Pepsi will launch a hardcore Raspberry Cola soda pop that will be the talk of the industry. (Prediction only, no facts to support this.)

Coke Zero will continue have strong sales growth.
Coke will launch a new sales campaign, "You Don't Have to Be A Hero To Drink Coke Zero."

7up will launch a prune juice (10% juice) 7up soda pop targeted to the aging baby boomers and the geriatric demographic. The slogan will be,"Nip It At The Bud With Prune Juice Fortified 7up Soda Pop."

[ 01-12-2006, 04:36 AM: Message edited by: Mr Zabe ]

I heard about the Red Bull 12 packs almost a year ago. Are they in just a half case shrink wrap, or more like a fridge pack?

I do agree on the 8oz energy drink market dieing off, but mainly because at the 8oz size you cant compete with Red Bull, and the other drinks twice their size are stealing the rest of the business for the same price. The big question will be, if Red Bull, even with great increasing sales, gets tiered of loosing overall market share and goes for the bigger can. They have bigger sizes in other countries. But at the same time, look at the overall sales of Red Bull to the other drinks, you cant touch them. So is there a need to switch, no. But just cause you are leading the race by miles, do you start to jog and let the gap narrow, or do you give it all you got and just continue to dominate?

Ahh, the tortise and the hare! I think eventually RB will bring out a 16oz can once they lose a very significant portion of the market share. But I can still see them carrying the 8.4 for on-premise accounts.

The 12 packs look like fridge packs. Not sure if there is an actual fridge pack opening - I haven't examined the box closely.

coke zero will crack the "top ten" by the end of 2006... surpassing caffeine-free diet coke.

[ 01-12-2006, 12:17 PM: Message edited by: popologist ]

Originally posted by the saint:
Technically I did mention Tab energy in the Pepsi and coke distributed energy drinks but specifically no I did not. 7up plus is well I do not know more than likely it will go the way of the dodo bird but if this year or not I don't know.
Agreed with your statement if people do not know what it is they won't try it. Most people seen the name mountain dew, the $1.50 price tag and 14 oz bottle and said I can get a 2 liter cheaper.
What are your thought on this subject sir?

Price matters but explain why people have no problem buying a 20oz PET bottle for $1.29 when the 2 liter on the shelf is on sale at $1.19.
Convenience, instant gratification, impulse buy,
???????