Live Case – Project

Whitespace Opportunity for Super Brands in the Energy Drink Space

A Collaboration Between

Project Synopsis

What is the opportunity for Super Brands in the energy drink space? What type of product should we be creating? Who should we partner with (property or celebrity) to market it?
Landscape research – who is big in the space right now? what flavors, brands, varieties, sizes and vessels are winning? Which sub categories are most relevant to Super Brands (Gym, Gaming, Work, Late-Night)
Consumer Interviews – talk to 18-29 year olds and get a better understanding of how Energy Drinks fit into their lives. How do they make them feel?
-What’s Cool?- Which brands and celebs are garnering the attention of the Energy Drinking crowd.
-Overall Strategy- Based on the above research – what should the direction of a potential Super Brands energy drink take? Who should Super Brands partner with?
Well researched landscape mapping and consumer interviews that help give us a strong understanding of the potential whitespaces in the category for Super Brands

Project Topics

Company Information

CompanySuper Coffee (Super Brands)
HQAustin, TX & New York, NY
RevenueN/A
Employees100-500
StageHigh-Growth Startup
Hiring PotentialFormal Internship, Entry Level Full-Time
Websitehttp://drinksupercoffee.com

Company Overview

Positivity is the human's spirit's most powerful source of energy. We make delicious, indulgent, healthy coffee products that remove negatives and add positives. And we are here to ignite and inspire the world with Positive Energy.

Experiential Learning Program Details

SchoolMontclair State University
Engagement FormatLive Case - Think "Hackathon" or Case Competition with a whole class of students! This learning format allows educators to deliver experiential learning to students at scale. Students are often split into groups to work on a live case (or a series of cases) from a real host company that directly relates to key learning objectives.
CourseMBA Business Consulting (Spring 2022)
Level
  • All Graduate
Students Enrolled16-20 (4 groups of 4-5 students)
Meeting Day & TimeTBD
Student Time Commitment4-7 Hours Per Week
Company Time Commitment1 Hour
Duration13.29 Weeks

Program Timeline

Key Project Milestones

  • February 28, 2022 - Milestone One:

    Learning Objective:

    • (Manveer Mann will create)

     

    Guiding Questions:

    • What is the Super Brand/Kitu Life’s business model?
    • What products and services do they offer their customers? What value can they provide their customers?
    • How would you define the Super Brand/Kitu Life brand? What about the brand differentiates it from its competitors?
    • What are the key and relevant demographic, psychographic, geographic and behavioral factors that can help the Super Brand/Kitu Life understand its ideal customer profile(s) in the 22-30 year old demographic space?
    • What are the key and relevant demographic, psychographic, geographic and behavioral factors that can help the Super Brand/Kitu Life understand its ideal customer profile(s) in the non-fitness, non-gamer space. I.e., ‘every day’ worker space.
    • How is Super Brand/Kitu Life looking to influence brand perception as the result of this project?

    Suggested Deliverable:

    Deliverable #1:

     

     

    Super Brands/Kitu Life ‘Asks’:

  • March 21, 2022 - Milestone Two: Landscape Research, Competitor Analysis and Product Survey

    Learning Objective:

    • (Manveer Mann will create)

     

    Guiding Questions: 

    • Who are Super Brands/Kitu Life’s key competitors in the energy drink space?
    • How might you analyze key competitor’s in the market and in relation to the Super Brands/Kitu Life? On what criteria will you draw comparisons?
    • What energy drink products are trending (sizes, flavors, vessels, packaging)?
    • Where is the white space in the energy drink market?  What research supports your conclusions?
    • What recommendations do you have for Super Brands/Kitu Life to differentiate itself from two of its top competitors in messaging and visuals?
    • What opportunities and challenges are presented for Super Brands/Kitu Life as they look to expand into this area (energy drink) of the marketspace?
    • Who are the key influencers in the energy drink space?
    • What recommendations do you have for Super Brands/Kitu Life to select and approach influencers aligned with their target demographic? What research supports your recommendations?

     


    Suggested Deliverable:

    Deliverable #2: 

     

     

    Super Brand/Kitu Life ‘Asks’: comprehensive landscape mapping

  • April 11, 2022 - Milestone Three

    Learning Objective:

    • (Manveer Mann will create)

     

    Guiding Questions:

    • Who are the ideal customers for a Super Brands/Kitu Life energy drink in the target demographic (22-30 year olds in the non-fitness, non-gaming sectors)? How would you describe their background? Roles/statuses?
    • What are their wants/needs, and how will Super Brands/Kitu Life energy drink meet their needs/wants?
    • Where do they get their information? Where does the target market frequent online? What social media outlets/channels do they use? Who are their influencers?
    • What are their purchasing behaviors?
    • What benefits do they perceive about being a consumer of a Super Brands/Kitu Life energy drink?

     


    Suggested Deliverable:

    Deliverable #3:

    3-5 distinct customer personas; storyboards of each personas consumer journey

     

     

    Super Brands/Kitu Life ‘Asks’:

    safari with brand manager, qualitative interviews with influencers, shop alongs, tik-toks of interviews/shop alongs

  • May 2, 2022 - Milestone Four: Go-to-Market Strategy for Super Brands Kitu Life Energy Drink

    Learning Objective: 

    • (Manveer Mann will create)

     

    Guiding Questions: 

    • Who should the Company target in their campaign?
    •  For each customer segment/persona you created in Milestone #3:
      1. What specific strategy/ies do you recommend for creating market share in the energy drink space?
      2. What messages or content would be most effective? How can these educate/reach consumers and emphasize the value proposition that the Super Brands/Kitu Life Energy Drink offers customers, particularly in relation to other companies in the market space?
      3. What messages and content would be likely to motivate consumers in this segment to establish a connection with Super Brands/Kitu Life Energy Drink, by purchasing the product? 
      4. What partners do you recommend forSuper Brands/Kitu Life Energy Drink for each customer persona/target audience segment? What is your rationale and supporting esearch for those recommendations?
      5. What communication channels would be most effective for each customer persona?

    Suggested Deliverable:

    Deliverable #4: 

     

     

    Super Brand/Kitu Life ‘Asks’: landscape map for each customer persona; comprehensive go-to-market playbook for bringing energy drink product to market

Academic Mentors

Instructor

 

zhangy@montclair.edu

Instructor

Manveer Mann

mannm@montclair.edu

Instructor

 

frascaj@montclair.edu

Instructor

 

shecaucus@gmail.com

Instructor

Rashmi Jain

jainra@montclair.edu

Instructor

 

malagar@montclair.edu

Instructor

Nicole Koppel 

koppeln@montclair.edu

Instructor

Jonida Dervishi 

dervishij@montclair.edu

Instructor

Geoff Chellis

gchellis@expediaconsulting.com

Assigned Students

There are currently no students assigned.