The kids are catching on to the meaning of “G,” but when it comes to the logo’s overall impact, Gatorade might be better off hoping that lightning strikes twice.
That’s because, even two years after the switch to the “G” logo from the old Gatorade “bolt,” the recognition remains half as high as the original symbol, according to polling conducted by market research firm E-Poll.
In a national survey of more than 1,500 consumers, “we found that even after more than a year of advertising and PR, awareness of the new “G” logo is still very much below the previous version, and in fact is below that of its competitor Powerade,” said E-Poll’s Randy Parker.
The “G” has gained from last year, improving from 34 percent recognition to 43 percent, but the old logo registered with 82 percent of consumers.
Still, as an attempt to appeal to younger consumers, the “G” is starting to gain some symbolic power: 59 percent of the 24-and-under age group knew what it was, and the association with the term “sport” is rising.
Reading E-Poll’s data that way suggests that Gatorade may be convincing younger consumers that the product is more about performance enhancement than before — and that it might be making the transition it needs to make for the long haul.