Introduction
This is a video-based case study for the original launch of Mother Energy drinks into the Australian market around 2006-2007. The Mother Energy is a Coca-Cola brand.
Unfortunately, the initial launch generated many first-time sales but only gained limited repeat purchases, primarily due to the poor taste of the product. As a result, the brand was placed into the inept set by the majority of target market consumers.
As a result, Coca-Cola had to decide what to do with this poor performing brand in the large and growing energy drink product category.
Please review the video below (scan the QR code) and then answer the questions below

Student Discussion Questions

1. Are you surprised that the initial taste of the product was perceived so poorly? What should have Coca-Cola have done in the new product process to avoid this potential situation?
2. The video refers to a “double hurdle” challenge when repositioning a brand from the inept set. What is meant by this?
3. Do you agree with the decision to redesign and relaunch the same brand? Or do you think that withdrawing the brand and introducing another new brand would be more effective? In other words, what would you have done in this situation?
4. Do you think that larger firms should conduct regular market research to identify which “brand set” that their brands primarily sit in, from the viewpoint of consumers – or do you think that this information can be assumed from the sales trend of the brand. That is, increasing sales = the brand sits in the evoked brand set, and decreasing sales = the brand sits in the inert brand set.