alright, you have now exposed yourself as someone with an axe to grind!

what happend? Rockstar didn't hire you (or fired you) and now your only recourse is to go on message boards and say things that aren't true like Rockstar sales have faded; when in fact they have tripled since entering the coke system.

Still waiting for Nielsens...and don't lie either because there are plenty of people on this board who will call you out just as I did.

Nope I have never worked for, interviewed for, or would ever want to work for Rockstar. It's ok if you work for them. I feel bad for you.

So since you work for Rockstar you must get your own Nielsen data, why do you need mine?

I think Super Jay is right. I have seen Rockstar dropping like crazy up here in the Northeast and in other areas as well, and as far as Nielson data goes, I also saw No Fear pass by Rockstar to become the #2 16oz.

In the Northwest I hear it still is a Big Boy in town though. Not sure how the numbers are...not my area to keep up on.

As far as Von Dutch Energy Drink goes....my god, that stuff is like sipping on some XS with a shot of Anthrax included. Should be gone by Spring at the latest. Even the name is played out these days as the "trendy" kids have since moved on.

Let me ask both of you this..do you have any idea what kind of access rockstar has received since going into the coke system? This is access other brands (including Red Bull) dream about.

National Chains-traditional and non (CVS (in '06), Family Dollar, Blockbuster, Home Depot, Rite Aid, Subway, Hudson news etc.)

Vending -Coke recently placed 6,000 energy exclusive vendors around the country.

Luxury properties- (Coke contracted ski resorts etc).

Colleges -all coke contracted schools and universities!!

Not to mention slotted into the tens of thousands of coke owned equipment around the country in C+P accounts.

IF you tell me brasky that rockstar has fallen off in NY then I know your a liar..compared to the horroible dist. we had before Coke??

Did No Fear pass ROckstar for maybe one month in Nielsen because they ran a national 2/$3 program with all thier chains to pump up sales before NACS? possibly.. but I doubt it..but lets take a look at some 52 week data..still waiting..SJ you claimed to have it, not me..where is it? Plus, it feels soo much better when you say it.

bottom line is this..Rockstar ACV has doubled and sales have tripled.

fyi- VD is doing just fine thank you. Did we think it would outsell RS? prob not..but the name of the game is space and real estate (thats why Hansens has 15 sku's. you think hansens came out with Deuce because they thought it was going to set the world on fire??.. no it was a protector brand for thier core monster line...LAter haters..

In the Mid-Atlantic, we are getting RS into places that Honickman never could have taken it.

Let's face it - they have little to no cold drink equipment. Vending machines? Forget it! The best they can hope for is half a door in a c-store, with lower per-case prices than the big two just to get in the door.

We are putting RS, along with VD and FT in most of our coolers, giving them plenty of shelf space, pushing the multipacks, and securing incremental racks, including freestanding ones and ones that attach to the sides of coolers.

I remember hearing about all the OOC Rockstar that we pulled out of our stores due to poor sell through and rotation from the old distributors.

It's a lot easier to sell the drink in as part of an established line of drinks, including the #1 and #3 CSDs in the country, than it playing about 100th fiddle to the multitudes of SKUs of Snapple, Arizona, Mistic, and the fairly weak DPSU CSD brands.

And what about exclusive accounts? Is there even such a thing for these 3rd tier guys? Not in this area, from what I have seen.

I agree with Fusion. Like any kind of food and drink industry, it all boils down to catagory market and shelf share. The big players will get there due. They will satisfy the masses and make their profits. The rest of the players even with good products will fight for the scraps.

That's just the facts of this industry.

[ 12-09-2005, 08:34 PM: Message edited by: Mr Zabe ]

Good comments made by Red Sox Fan and Fusion.

I agree that Rockstar's ACV has doubled. It was probably easy to triple sales when sales were horrible in the first place at most distributors. For example, triple 250 cases you have 750. Still not soo good.

You can put the stuff in ever single coke cooler everywhere, but at the end of the day, it still doesn't mean that it's a good product.

My guess is in about 4 months not only will Sobe No Fear (which it already is) be beating Rockstar but Full Throttle will have passed it also.

Good topic going here.

Agree with a lot of things made and some very good observations.

I agree with the last comment made about Full Throttle also. Has more staying power and Coke will not let it die easily.....while a slow death to Rockstar and then taking the space once owned by Rockstar is inevitable. The advertising dollars are obviously all going to Full Throttle.

I see the same thing happening. I notice everyone's hands when walking through doors, and recently I would say out this way it is a 10-1 Throttle-to-Rockstar purchase....no doubt in my mind.

I'd buy rockstar more often if they had it at sam's club... I currently can get monster or red bull at sam's club for pretty good prices. $32 or so for a 24pack of red bull.

$2.29 or $2.50 for rockstar generally speaking, sometimes $1.99 in places..

i also picked up a can of Von Dutch just to try it out.. the name is played out; but i actually really liked the energy drink.. i think its a good variation of the rockstar/red bull type taste.

sobe no fear is good but adrenaline rush is better IMO

i am also a big fan of full throttle but its nowhere near as good as KMX was, i loved that stuff, though I know I'm in the minority ont hat.

Ok, SJ and brasky..Let me get this straight.

Rockstar was the #2 16oz in the country 6 months ago with a third tier distribution network that was average in some areas and sub par at best in others and non-existenst in large gaps.

Then in May the brand enters into an agreement with Coke (the #1 distribution system IN THE WORLD!!)upgrades distribution OVERNIGHT EVERYWHERE (except for the Northwest) and now according to you it will be wiped off the face of the planet within a year. Sounds like sound logic to me.

Lastly, I would not have a problem with your comments if they were fact bassed opinions (i.e. data from respected sources or trends). But pretty much all you have brought to the table so far is purely subjective (I'm sorry, but saying you think Rockstar is on the way out because you saw 10 out of 11 people in an Upstate NY gas station buying another brand is just not the scientific study I'm looking for).

But thats fine, everyone is entitled to thier opinion. Whats more interesting to me however are the comments that show obvious bias. (saying you feel "bad" for me if I work for ROckstar or that Rockstar is not a good product). It is comments like these that lead me to believe you have a personal issue with the company. If that's the case just say it..so we know where your really coming from. What's your beef? cmon, let it all out in the interest of FULL disclosure to be fair at least!

Because if we are going to argue the products merits you will lose.

-Rockstar was the first 16oz Energy drink EVER and essentially created a sub category that is now the fastest growing in the category (Innovative).

-First black can (they said Rockstar was crazy for having a black can, but then EVERY 16oz copied, even your precious No FEAR).

-Rockstar uses ONLY standardized extracts and are one of the only e drinks to include milk thistle (quality).


Go ahead, your turn.