Gatorade Plans To Release Electrolyte-Infused Water In 2024
If you've ever found yourself wanting the extra-hydrating effect of Gatorade without all the extra sweeteners and carbs of the flavored drink, you're in luck. The titan of sports hydration drinks has plans to move into the enhanced water industry in early 2024 with Gatorade Water, a product that's exactly what it sounds like: zero-sugar, zero-flavor water infused with extra electrolytes for extra hydration. The shift to unflavored water arguably dovetails with other changes Gatroade's parent company, PepsiCo has made over the years. The drink juggernaut has increasingly leaned on zero-sugar options, such as Gatorade Zero and Mountain Dew Zero to adapt to consumer attitudes.
Michael Del Pozzo, president of Gatorade, told USA TODAY that the product is alkaline water that's put through a seven-step filtration process before being infused with electrolytes in the form of sodium (which aids in nutrient absorption and achieving a balance of fluids in cells). According to Del Pozzo, the new product will be marketed towards consumers seeking an enhanced kind of water for all-day consumption rather than during or after workouts to recover lost electrolytes. At only 65 to 90 milligrams of sodium per 700-milliliter or 1-liter bottle, Gatorade Water will have far fewer electrolytes than the standard Gatorade — with no other additives to the drink, Gatorade Water seems to be designed as a premium option for those looking to upgrade their daily water intake.
Shaking up the enhanced water industry
Despite being a leader in the sports drink category with its many bright-colored Gatorade flavors and some new products energy drinks, the brand will be stepping into an entirely new scene with electrolyte water. Not to mention, it's a crowded scene as well, already packed with competing brands from Nestle and The Coca-Cola Company. Unlike how Gatorade almost single-handedly launched the enhanced sports drink industry, it won't be breaking any new ground with Gatorade Water and find itself in steep competition from the get-go.
However, Del Pozzo doesn't seem too worried about the risk. While Gatorade Water will be competing with the likes of Coca-Cola's Smartwater and Nestle's Essentia, it's carrying an advantage that the other brands don't have: immediate brand recognizability. The Gatorade president told CNN that the household name status of Gatorade and its bold and unmissable branding on the Gatorade Water packaging will bring much-needed "credibility" to shake up the enhanced water market. Whether Gatorade Water will indeed be the game-changer as intended or just another new brand to clutter up the premium water shelves remains to be seen until the product launches in early 2024.