Vá Energy

Product Type:Functional: Energy Drink: Regular; Container:
BevNET Review: Billed as “natural guarana energy”, this product derives all of its energy from the caffeine that naturally occurs in guarana. Using guarana seed extract (and ginseng extract), the product’s flavor has a taste that’s similar in style to a South American guarana soda (bubble gum and berry flavor is the best way to describe it). The use of HFCS adds some body to the product and there’s a mild energy bite to the finish. The product also has added B vitamins, which, when paired with the ginseng and guarana, should add some marketability. On the other hand, they’ve added caramel color, which seems to be at odds with the product’s “natural” theme. Va’s packaging is a 16 oz. tall can that’s a staple of the energy drink category. The name “Va” (which means “go”) has an energy sound to it, but manages to do it in a slightly less direct and aggressive manner than what’s out there. However, poor choice of color makes the text on the label almost unreadable, so we’re not sure that consumers will even see the “natural guarana energy” tag line. Regardless, this product seems to be straddling the middle of the mainstream energy market and the natural end, both in packaging and flavor. We’re just not convinced that this product’s positioning is credible enough in this current market, especially when it looks and feels very much like an energy drink. Natural energy is nothing new – and we’re not sure that Va’s point of differentiation will resonate with consumers. Reviewed on: 6/2/2009

Product Type:Functional: Energy Drink: Regular; Container:
BevNET Review: The “Lite” variety of Va Natural Energy weighs in at 10 calories per can – and the flavor is much better than expected. Sweetened with sucralose, the product’s has a milder flavor than the original, but it’s pretty much . Oddly enough, the combination of the artificial sweetener and the guarana flavor actually give the product a flavor that tastes more functional than the original variety. The guarana flavor does a good job of masking the sweetener aftertaste, which is much better than what we’ve seen in other drinks that use sucralose as their exclusive sweetener. Packaging looks better than the original, with the subtext easy to read and the accent graphics (with filled red circles in place of red outlines) that stand out. Our main issue is the use of the word “natural,” which might lead the consumer to believe that this product is naturally flavored (as opposed to it referring to the use of natural caffeine). Otherwise, we have the same concerns for this flavor that we do for the original. Reviewed on: 6/2/2009