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Would you trust a skin cream from Pepsi? PepsiCo and Aquafina brand licensee Added
Extras are betting you will with their Aquafina Advanced Hydration RX.
PepsiCo’s
decision to extend the Aquafina
brand into cosmetics could be brilliant.
I give Pepsi credit for a forward-thinking brand portfolio
strategy. In the long run, the “health
and beauty” equity the licensed extension could bring to the water division
would help the parity product compete in a – pardon the terrible pun – flooded
market.
However, there’s the obvious catch. The Aquafina Advnaced Hydration RX brand
extension has to succeed first. Will
consumers buy in to the notion that the makers of countless colas, Funyuns,
Fritos, Cheetos and Doritos can also deliver
quality skincare products?
I know. The average
consumer isn’t likely to make the connection to these other brands. But given the ubiquity of Aquafina as a water
brand, sold at trashy truck stops and big-box discount stores everywhere, why
would we trust Aquafina Advanced Hydration RX over anyone else? After all, it will be going head-to-head with
established players like Oil of Olay,
Neutrogena,
L’Oreal
and countless other brands spanning the spectrum from low-end to luxury.
I’m sure your focus groups told it would work, Pepsi. I’m just skeptical. I don’t doubt the tremendous equity Aquafina
has in the “hydration” category. And
given the risk, the license deal rather than a wholly owned venture was the
smarter move. On paper, this looks like
a sound portfolio management strategy.
But once consumers have to make the decision within the
context of the shopping experience, will they be more likely to choose Aquafina,
or a non-watered-down skincare product? What do you think, Unbound readers?
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