Whats your guys opinion on the age group that these beverages are marketed too, as well as for reasons why?

Energy Drinks are for consumers ages 18+, but marketed towards 18 - 35. These are people looking for quick energy with expendable income. Marketing is directed mostly towards opinion leaders in the areas of collegiate organizations and athletics (extreme sports), these people will be future leaders with great influence over their peers. They also try to place themselves as a trendy product.

Actually a lot of ( but not all) ED's are marketed to 14 and up. Furthermore, they are not marketed to "influencers". Influencers are used as a conduit to the demographics. Influencers are usually paid as endorsers or are someone that is given free product in return for their so called "approval". The marketing message usually confirms to the demographics by way of influencers that this product is "cool" or "special" or whatever the definition the company is trying to send.

To answer your question I believe that ED's should be marketed to 21 and over. When marketing their is always bleed over to other demos and ages therefore marketing to 18 year olds bleeds over into younger demos. A healthy kid should not need any supplemental energy. Their bodies are peaking in Growth Hormone and their natural testosterone is climbing providing the catalyst for effecient energy production at the cellular level.
ED's are for adults whose bodies are not as effective at metabolism and ATP production for energy anymore.
By providing kids under 18 ED's your are depriving them of the ability to create a state of healthy growing. Anything you introduce into the body to supplement/foster the production of a function allows the body to decrease its responsibility to continue that function because it recognizes the foreign substance as a false substitute of its own endogenous process or source.

It's Christmas Season and In the Spirit of Selfishness and NON-Forgiving. What is he spewinhg now? Who's he fleecing now?

My middle child is 16 and my youngest is 12. I have talked to them about energy drinks. While there are some teens who drink these a lot according to them there are not that many. Sure some of their friends drink energy drinks occasionally but there are very few who drink them daily and hardly any they know who drink more than one a day. As for the 12 yr old pretty much none of her friend or schoolmates drink them at all. Considering I have energy drinks and related stuff all over my house, garage ect my 12 yr old is not interested(and would not be allowed) and my 16 yr old probably drinks maybe 1 a month if that. If she does it is usually at a sleepover where the kids stay up all night. I actually say more teens are into Starbucks than energy drinks at least where I live. Really in the end it is up to the parents though to keep an eye on their kids and what they consume.

[QUOTE=scum1;375288]I actually say more teens are into Starbucks than energy drinks at least where I live. QUOTE]

Respectively.......A Grande Latte at 350mg of caffeine is considered an energy drink.

[QUOTE=greg;375291]

Originally Posted by scum1

I actually say more teens are into Starbucks than energy drinks at least where I live. QUOTE]

Respectively.......A Grande Latte at 350mg of caffeine is considered an energy drink.

To us yes but to your average parent they don't see it that way. They don't realize the creamy sugar filled coffee drink packs more caffeine and calories that an Monster or Red Bull. People will rail against energy drinks then take their kids to Starbucks

[QUOTE=scum1;375293]

Originally Posted by greg

To us yes but to your average parent they don't see it that way. They don't realize the creamy sugar filled coffee drink packs more caffeine and calories that an Monster or Red Bull. People will rail against energy drinks then take their kids to Starbucks

You are correct. We did an interview with ESPN about energy drinks and the interviewer completely dismissed the idea that Starbucks was selling energy drinks to kids. He said "its just coffee". Udderly rediculous.

Don't be a hate'n on Juan Valdez now...