Gatorade's Influence On Athletes

As star NBA player Paul George tries a three-pointer to win the game, time slows down around him. As the ball slowly soars through the air, he walks over to his team's bench. He says “ballgame” as he takes a sip of Gatorade, and the ball swishes through the net behind him. Obviously, this never happened in a real game, but in a televised Gatorade advertisement. Gatorade has been working with sports players and organizations for decades. This has allowed them to implement a sense of hard work in their branding that inspires athletes all around the world. They have also showcased the technological aspects of their products in their branding, which makes the company appear as high-level and advanced. Via these branding strategies, Gatorade has

In order to attract athletes to their product, Gatorades brand puts an emphasis on fueling during exercise and improving athletic performance. On their about us web page, Gatorade describes themselves as a company that “Provides sports performance innovations designed to meet the needs of athletes at all competitive levels” (Stokely-Van Camp Inc.). Along with the slogan “Win from Within”, Gatorade is portrayed as a company that is solely focused on athletics. By only pushing their product out into the sports territory, Gatorade has developed a strong audience that believes in grit and determination. These athletes and many other people feel that Gatorade has become a massive factor in the sports community. While there are many other sports drinks, Gatorade has been widely perceived as the top athletic beverage. One of the reasons behind this is their work in mainstream sports media. Gatorade is the official sports drink of the NFL, NBA, MLB, MLS, NHL and more (US Youth Soccer). If the Gatorade beverage wasn’t already seen in an athletes daily life, it is most likely seen when watching their favorite sport. This association with popular sports leagues has not only put Gatorade in the minds of hard-working athletes, but also just average sports fans. An example of the drink's presence in sports is the dumping of Gatorade onto a coach after they win an important game. Gatorade has become such a large part of the sports lifestyle

Gatorade increases devotion to the company through their inclusion of customization in their products. The Gx Bottle is a large part of Gatorades brand, and the ability for athletes to customize it is the result of that. The website has a whole section dedicated to the bottle, with the different options you can choose to make it your own. You can include your name on the cap, a NBA or NFL team logo, or pick your favorite pattern and color (Gatorade). This use of personalization in their packaging allows Gatorade to have an even more loyal fanbase. The company uses athletes' interests in order to sell even more products. Athletes can now sip their energy drinks from a bottle with their favorite sports team on it. If the company didn’t already seem technologically advanced, Gatorades addition of the Smart Gx Bottle will change that. It connects to a smartphone app, tracking the user's consumption of liquid throughout the day. The product is meant to help athletes make sure they’re getting enough fuel. The Gatorade website provides details on how it functions, explaining that “The cap of the bottle has a sensor that calculates how much liquid is in the bottle.” (Gatorade). This implementation of tech into their products has elevated Gatorade from a sports drink to an innovative sports company.