In an attempt to combat sluggish sales and declining growth, PepsiCo, the maker of Gatorade, announced that it will roll out a low-cal version of the drink later this year, aimed at “athletes who are not breaking a sweat.” (Also: people who are sitting on the couch, people who are too lazy to mix one part water with one part Gatorade, and so on and so forth). According to a recent survey of 2,500 adults by Goldman Sachs, 43% of those who dialed down their Gatorade consumption did so because of a calorie-count concern, which seems to suggest that people will go for this Not Water, Not Gatorade but Somewhere in Between hogwash. A lower-calorie version of Coca-Cola’s Powerade, released several years ago and called (The) Powerade Option (to swill sewer water) did not sell well. PepsiCo’s chairman and chief executive, Indra K. Nooyi rebuffed comparisons and said she’s confident that the “Gatorade name” will be enough to do the trick.
Full-fat Powerade, Gator’s main competitor, enjoyed double-digit volume growth in this year’s second quarter, and helped Coca-Cola to beat profit expectations. PepsiCo’s Q2 rose 13% but saw its stock fall due to declines for Gatorade.
PepsiCo closed at $66.26 yesterday, down 33 cents.
For Less-Active Athletes, a Low-Calorie Gatorade [NYT]
Bob Diamond's Daughter Releases Statement Re: Father's Firing
While most offspring are typically not available for comment following the resignations, voluntary or otherwise, of their banker dads (lookin' at you, Jimmy Cayne, Jr.), earlier today prolific Tweeter Nell Diamond had this to say to the Brits who have been cheering her father's departure: "George Osborne and Ed Miliband you can go ahead and #HMD." Unfortunately the note has since been deleted (and replaced with "No one in the world I admire more than my dad. 16yrs building Barclays. Shame to see the mistakes of few tarnish the hard work of so many") but the vigorous defense was appreciated nonetheless. Previously Nell, a 2011 Princeton graduate, has had words for Ben Bernanke ("you know what bernanke? maybe tomorrow I will make lots of "projections" and YOU will miss the dumpling truck. how ya like them apples B?"), the slag heaps at Coachella ("every girl at coachella looks like pocahontas went to burning man. ugh. you probably can't even pronounce rodarte"), and the amateur hour fucks who think her name is Neil and who she should stab with a trident ("number of people who have called me neil today: 4 via email, 1 via phone. number of people to add to my billy madison lipstick kill list: 5."). Bob Diamond's Daughter Defends Her Dad [NS via DI]