Just saw this article on Jones Soda and their struggle to stay afloat after their disastrous decision to over extend themselves in the canned CSD market. Although most of their stuff is pretty forgettable (except for the cane cola) IMO, I'd hate to see them go.

Cult brand Jones Soda fights for survival - Oct. 10, 2008

Originally Posted by treetoptom

Just saw this article on Jones Soda and their struggle to stay afloat after their disastrous decision to over extend themselves in the canned CSD market. Although most of their stuff is pretty forgettable (except for the cane cola) IMO, I'd hate to see them go.

Cult brand Jones Soda fights for survival - Oct. 10, 2008

That sucks, Jones Soda is a part of a bunch of huge moments in my life(It's how I met my wife. Ask me how!)and you would figure that putting it in Target and Wal Mart would have been successful for them. I don't see how it couldn't be. The title of the article I think is more "oh my god the sky is falling" then anything else. It sounds like they are going to lay some people off and get back on their feet.

Lower margins in the 8pk/12pk business.

Works well for novelty. Cherry was alright, but the other flavors taste too artificial. The root beer went down my drain quicker than the two sips that went down my throat before it. (blah)

I guess you could call it karma, they screwed over distributors that help build the brand.

I would hate to say its been a long time comming for Jones, but it has. It is unfortunatly the way they ran their business. Burned bridges with distributors. Left them with no great options in many markets. Always focused on how to make that big quick sale, with a big bang behind it. Even though there was not much money with it.
When you are selling to Target and Wal-Mart and making almost nothing on your investment, it doest really help to cover the costs of the rest of your busines mistakes.
I love Jones Soda, as the brand. I would hate to see if they went under. I would love for a Pepsi to buy them, refocus the brand, and get it out there. (Although 7-up did not do anything great for the brand when they only sold 6 core flavors). I hope the brand does not leave. I have history with the company. It is the soda that got me into sales over 10 years ago. I have worked for Jones in the past. I like their brand. But I guess only time will tell what will happen.
By the way, I feel a lot less guilty selling my stocks long ago when they were only .27 cents each. When the stock was $32, I almost craped my pants. .70 something cents makes me fell better for my bad investment. Or bad investment skills, depending on how you look at it.

jones = toast.

and look at my screenname!

Jones has tried to play the mass market game. but volume in chain stores doesn't always equal profit. 12pk cans, 1L PET doesn't work. Mass displays of glass don't turn like they used to and always look like **** from people mixing and matching. jones needs to get back to basics, but if that means killing sweetheart deals at target and meijer and wally, they don't have the balls to do it.

they also need to develop something other than the soda and make it stick. energy...juice...24c isn't a bad product really, maybe a bit syrupy but it seems to turn okay.

then you get back to your wholesalers. the beer guys. the snapple guys. the ones that made you. you hire back your salespeople that built the brand by sampling at skate parks and college campuses. you put it back in tattoo shops and maybe sell off the truck like redbull does for smaller accounts, instead of running it like cce and having delivery minimums...

get the uniqueness back in p.o.p. and p.o.s. and quit worrying about price. the day you saw four pack glass at 3.00 pallet drops at meijer and wally was the day that the single bottle sales and rainbow shelf effects died.

finally, bring back vintage flavors. cut the diet ****. get your stupid customers to take better pictures and bring back pineapple upside down soda.

just my twenty cents. glad to be back posting on the board.