Yello a bit too Mello? (1 Viewer)

[Baron]

Others have raised this concern in the past; but I have recently wondered at the lack of retail tie-in marketing for Mello Yello.
I appreciate the efforts of the NHRA and the support of the Coca Cola company for our sport. So, I have looked for the Mello Yello beverages at retail stores here in Colorado. Frankly, it's tough to find. In my case, I would like to try the sugar free option and have not found it anywhere. Perhaps, your experience is different.
If this is the case across the country, it is hard to see the return on investment for Coca Cola. I began drinking PowerAde from time to time after Coca Cola signed up. I'm fairly certain that I'd like to have an occasional Mello Yello Zero, as well. As it is, I haven't tried it because I can't find it!
What I'd like to see is a Mello Yello display near the store entrance as I walk in. A full sized cardboard cutout of one of our photogenic young stars would help sell the soda and increase
exposure of our sport to fans and prospective fans alike.
What thoughts have you on this subject?
Ed

 

[mick]

couldn't agree more and have commented recently on this subject in other threads; in fact i did not know there
was a sugar-free version 'zero' until i just read your post. am lifelong diet mt. dew drinker and so far
have no reason to change, but will try to keep and eye out for the 'zero' product and will try it if i can find it.
standard mello yello is prevalent here in northern mn......also started purchasing powerade
after their involvment w/nhra and still do.
see they are still offering a 20oz. specially marked can = $8 off GA @ nat. event.

agree with you ed, the nhra sponsorship is only worth so much at a set dollar amount; probably not a lot of room
for multiple advertising activations, but it sure would be nice to at least see your suggestion of the cardboard cut-outs
next to a stack of product @ the local c-store or supermarket; what harm is there in letting the public know who
your associated with?.....i suppose using actual drivers for cut-outs would then tie the driver/s to the product which
would be a 'sponsorship' that mello-yello may not have in it's nhra budget.

 

[PJ]

I can't find the zero version anywhere. In the past year the regular version has increased in availability around here (Michigan). Although I don't drink pop (or soda, soft drink or whatever wrong way you people say it )much anymore I do like to grab one once in a while for support.

The can versions often have a discount ticket offer on them for NHRA events.

 

[mike]

I'm also a Dt. Dew drinker that has been looking unsuccessfully for Mello Yellow Zero...

 

[DrRocket]

So is Mello Yello supposed to be the competition for Mt Dew?

I ask because I'd been thinking about trying Mello Yello. Now, the thing is I think Mt Dew tastes terrible. I simply cannot understand why anybody drinks that cra&. So if it is supposed to be a coutnerpart, I'll avoid it.

 

[James]

What I'd like to see is a Mello Yello display near the store entrance as I walk in. A full sized cardboard cutout of one of our photogenic young stars would help sell the soda and increase
exposure of our sport to fans and prospective fans alike.

There are some photos of Courtney that a full sized cutout at a store entrance would be guaranteed to increase the sports exposure. Great idea!

 

[stitcherbob]

The NHRA is lucky enough I drink a Coke every time my favorite Pepsi isn't available.....the deli I frequent has a tall case of PowerAde that always seems to be full.......

 

[DixonFan]

Others have raised this concern in the past; but I have recently wondered at the lack of retail tie-in marketing for Mello Yello.
I appreciate the efforts of the NHRA and the support of the Coca Cola company for our sport. So, I have looked for the Mello Yello beverages at retail stores here in Colorado. Frankly, it's tough to find. In my case, I would like to try the sugar free option and have not found it anywhere. Perhaps, your experience is different.
If this is the case across the country, it is hard to see the return on investment for Coca Cola. I began drinking PowerAde from time to time after Coca Cola signed up. I'm fairly certain that I'd like to have an occasional Mello Yello Zero, as well. As it is, I haven't tried it because I can't find it!
What I'd like to see is a Mello Yello display near the store entrance as I walk in. A full sized cardboard cutout of one of our photogenic young stars would help sell the soda and increase
exposure of our sport to fans and prospective fans alike.
What thoughts have you on this subject?
Ed

http://www.melloyello.com

scroll down to find a location where they distribute the product.

 

[mick]

So is Mello Yello supposed to be the competition for Mt Dew?.........

yes

 

[rckymtn3]

Not finding it is one thing, but finding it prominently displayed is asking a bit much. I would understand if the stores in the city the races are at that week setting up a special display, but the soda and chips aisles in the grocery stores are the MOST fought over real estate in the store, period. Ever wonder why Coca-Cola is waaaaaay down at the end of the aisle stuck on the bottom? Ever wonder why the cheaper brands are easier to get to? It's all about profit margins. Coca-Cola doesn't really have to sell their brand of cola to anyone. You're either a coke or pepsi person, or an "other" person. They know that you will go find the coke no matter where they stuff it, so they accept the worst shelf positions. To get better shelf positions, a brand must give-up the unit price to entice the store to place it in better areas. The more a store makes off a certain brand, the easier (eye-level) they place it for selling. So for sure, look for race tie-in displays that are temporary, as Coke will give up some money to have a special deal in the store that week. If it's a hot seller, they'll bring other versions of the brand (diet, zero etc) but until then, they place it where it sells. No, I'm not in the grocery business, it's just a byproduct of having to hunt down special beverages before. Mexican Coca-Cola is still the holy grail, as it's one of the few countries that still use cane sugar versus corn syrup to sweeten the stuff. (If you're a Cola person, you'll understand there's a BIG difference in taste) And that Mexican Coca-Cola cost a mint when you DO find it.

I paid special attention to not say Mexican Coke, for fear of triggering the NSA to visit this page, but now that I've blown that....oops....I said blown....Hello CIA NSA geeks GFYs

 

[cantdrive55]

I'd suggest trying a gas station mini mart. As far as Coca-Cola doing in-store promotions, I haven't seen squat since 2002, and I'm not holding my breath on seeing anything anytime soon.

 

[StockersRock]

I'll quote myself from the "...strong NHRA" thread:

"Mello Yello is an inferiorly marketed and distributed product to be a title sponsor of any series that is nationwide. From the Powerade years to the current Mello Yello campaign, Coca-Cola, in my opinion, has done very little to promote the NHRA or the tour. If they are meeting their contractual obligations, regarding advertising and promotion, then someone sitting in Glendora has wildly (and repeatedly!!) dropped the ball on what is expected of a title sponsor and there's a rep at Coca-Cola getting a bonus for the bargain they scored. "

Not finding it is one thing, but finding it prominently displayed is asking a bit much.

Agreed. But, for being the title sponsor of a national series, having an "Official (sponsor/soft drink/etc.) of the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series" printed on the can, bottle, or at the very least 12 pack box, nationally, is not. I said the same thing about the Powerade sponsorship. I will say I was pleasantly surprised to see the level activiation on the Mello Yello website, but that is not a substantial enough outlet of promotion on Mello Yello's part, IMO. I've NEVER seen a Powerade or Mello Yello product here in Connecticut with a mention of the NHRA whatsoever, and we even have a race in our "region" now.

 

[Butch]

Bring back. Grace or Winston.
I've always bought Coke products when I'm in need of anything.

 

[PJ]

So is Mello Yello supposed to be the competition for Mt Dew?

I ask because I'd been thinking about trying Mello Yello. Now, the thing is I think Mt Dew tastes terrible. I simply cannot understand why anybody drinks that cra&. So if it is supposed to be a coutnerpart, I'll avoid it.

While I guess it would be a rival off, the taste are nowhere near alike. Liking or not liking one, would have no bearing on your taste for the other.

 

[mick]

here's a SBD article from 2012 announcing the switch from full throttle to mello yello.
http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/...27/Marketing-and-Sponsorship/Mello-Yello.aspx
i wouldn't look for M-Y to be around much past next year
we may have been introduced to powerade and helped it's sales in some small way while the brand trails pepsi co.'s gatorade by miles.
i don't think anyone bought full throttle
i'm sure M-Y mite see a small surge in sales with it's new marketing, but not even beginning to chip away @ mt.dew.

the article suggests 3-4 mill/year at about the same amount as previous full throttle and powerade.
let's just say the M-Y sponsorship pays out $150k per race x24 races = 3.6mil..........there's your sponsorship rite there; done, gone, no more money; and figure nitro winners gross $50k each?, plus PS plus PSB plus RU's plus 3rd, 2nd & 1st rnd. losers plus NQ'rs.

another article from last summer discussing the new M-Y marketing
http://www.csnews.com/product-categories/beverages/coca-cola-investing-comeback-mello-yello
if a case on average costs $6, then coke is grossing roughly $260mil/year from M-Y while pepsi is grossing
$3.77bil/year from mt. dew.
$4mil (reported maximum amount of nhra series sponsorship) is .015% of 260
$56mil is .015% of 3.77bil.....just for comparison

 

[StockersRock]

* I meant to add Full Throttle to my statements as well...

 

[stitcherbob]

Mexican Coca-Cola is still the holy grail, as it's one of the few countries that still use cane sugar versus corn syrup to sweeten the stuff. (If you're a Cola person, you'll understand there's a BIG difference in taste) And that Mexican Coca-Cola cost a mint when you DO find it.

they may use real sugar, but if it contains Mexican water, FORGET IT !!!

 

[paoldtimer]

Ill admit I had never tasted Mello Yello until I stopped by their display in Vegas handing out samples. Pretty good stuff. Much better than Mtn. Dew.

 

[rckymtn3]

they may use real sugar, but if it contains Mexican water, FORGET IT !!!

Well, yes, it does, but then those bottles of Aquafina (Pepsi) and Dasani (Coke) that people drink in foreign countries are bottled using the local water supply. Monitored and tested, as well as filtered. No problem there. You didn't really think Coke and Pepsi shipped water around the world, did you? Voss, yes, Fuji, yes, but then that's why those bottled waters cost $8+ I'm okay with drinking it

 

[yoda]

Bob- you have obviously been a victim of Montezuma's Revenge before! LOL!