Green Retailing Memo: Arizona-Based Supermarket Chain Basha's Launches 'The Ultimate Green Bag' Earth Day Reusable Shopping Bag Giveaway and Promotion

Arizona-based Basha's supermarkets and one of its suppliers, Shamrock Farms dairy, have teamed-up to offer Basha's customers what the grocery chain says is "a new kind of reusable shopping bag" for Earth Day 2008.

We're calling it the 'Ultimate Green Bag' because it's good for the environment and good for your wallet," Johnny Basha, the vice chairman of the family-owned, multi-format chain told Natural~Specialty Foods Memo.

The Basha's-Shamrock Farms dairy reusable bag promotion kicks-off tomorrow on Earth Day in all of the grocer's Arizona supermarkets and will run for the rest of this year.

Store customers can get a free (one per-person), reusable 'Ultimate Green Bag' by bringing in and exchanging five or more single-use plastic carrier bags for the reusable bag. Bashas' will recycle all of the plastic grocery bags brought in to the stores by shoppers.

Customers also can get a free 'Ultimate Green Bag' by purchasing one gallon of Shamrock Farms' milk at any Bashas' supermarket.

Additionally, the reusable shopping bags are currently on sale and will be for the foreseeable future for 99 cents each in all Bashas' stores, according to Johnny Basha.

The grocery chain also is using the 'Ultimate Green Bag' as part of a value-oriented promotion for shoppers. The chain will have numerous in-store and advertised weekly promotions which will allow customers to earn more free reusable bags when they purchase certain products, similar to the current promotion which gives shoppers one free bag when they buy a gallon of the Shamrock Farms milk. A variety of Bashas' suppliers and vendors are participating in the promotional program.

Johnny Basha says the retailer's goal is to get as many of its customers as possible multiple, free 'Ultimate Green Bags' so they can bring the reuseable bags with them when coming to shop the stores, thereby reducing both the number of single-use plastic carrier bags the chain uses, as well as decreasing the overall amount of plastic grocery bags that enter the waste stream in Arizona.

The reusable bag giveaway and ongoing promotion is one of the grocery chain's numerous environmental initiatives. Those initiatives include energy, water and fuel conservation programs, packaging source-reduction and recycling programs and other "green" measures for all of its 160 stores.

Johnny Basha says the retailer currently is recycling about 25,000 tons of cardboard and plastic materials each year, is at present conserving enough energy annually to power 7,500 homes in Arizona, and is launching a fuel-efficiency program for its distribution center truck fleet, with the initial goal of eliminating 1,775 tons of carbon emissions annually. Bashas' said it arrived at this initial goal because it represents the equivalent of removing about 1/3 of its current trucking fleet from the road.

Green Retailing Memo: Stop & Shop Supermarket Co. and General Mills Launch Free Reusable Shopping Bag Cross-Promotional Program Today

Massachusetts-based Stop & Shop Supermarket Co., which is a division of Dutch retailer Royal Ahold, NV, and food industry manufacturer and marketer General Mills, Inc. today announced an innovative Earth Day-themed reuseable shopping bag cross-promotional campaign in all of the grocery retailer's 389 stores.

Starting today and running through Thursday, April 24, Stop & Shop customers who purchase at least $15 worth of General Mills' brand products in a single store visit such as Pillsbury baked goods, Green Giant frozen vegetables (that jolly 'Green' Giant), General Mills' ready-to-eat cereals, Yoplait Yogurt, Haagen-Dazs ice cream, Betty Crocker branded products, Cascadian Farm and Muir Glen brand natural and organic products, and many other Big G. brands, will receive five free reusable shopping bags.

Stop & Shop also is launching a second initiative beginning on May 9 as part of what it is calling its "Think Green" green retailing campaign.

For each single-use plastic carrier bag, paper grocery sack or reusable shopping bag a customer brings into the store, the food retailer will deduct 5 cents for each bag used to bag their grocery order from the shoppers total purchase cost. For example, if a shopper brings in ten bags and all ten are used to bag their grocery order, Stop & Shop will deduct 50 cents from the total.

Numerous U.S. grocery chains are already doing this; giving shoppers a 5 cent (and in a few cases a 10 cent) per brought-in grocery bag credit off their total grocery order amount. Some chains are even giving customers 5 cents off per bag for each paper grocery bag they bring in beyond the number used to packaged their purchases.

For example, if a shopper brings in 20 paper grocery sacks but only five are needed to bag their purchases, the retailer will keep the remaining 15 and give the customer a total of $1.00 off their total grocery order purchase amount at the register.

Stop & Shop and General Mills have a number of point-of-purchase product displays, featuring GM products, promoting the four-day buy by $15 worth of General Mills' brand products and get five free reusable shopping bags from Stop & Shop campaign.

Green Retailing Memo: City of Los Angeles, CGA, Grocers Team-Up For Big Reusable Bag Giveaway Program Today and Tomorrow

The California Grocers Association (CGA), the trade group for the state's chain and independent grocers, is spearheading a major, multi-grocery retailer Earth Day 2008 reusable shopping bag giveaway in Southern California in partnership with the City of Los Angeles.

Beginning today and through tomorrow (Earth Day) a group of retail grocery companies which includes: Albertsons, Inc. (a division of SuperValu, Inc.); Ralphs Grocery Company (a division of Kroger Co.); Vons and Vons Pavilions (owned by Safeway Stores, Inc.) ; Food 4 Less; Smart & Final, Inc.; Henry's Farmers Markets (owned by Smart & Final); K.V. Mart supermarkets; El Super supermarkets; and Superior Grocers; is giving out about 50,000 free reusable shopping at more than 40 stores throughout Los Angeles.

Each district of Los Angeles has at least one store participating in the reusable bag giveaway, which is designed to encourage shoppers to bring their own bag to the supermarket, according to Ronald Fong CGA's new president.

"Reuseable shopping bags are a readily available, viable, and cost effective alternative to traditional (single-use) shopping bags," Fong told Natural~Specialty Foods Memo. "We commend the city of Los Angeles for taking the lead in reuseable bag awareness and education and hope this event sets the stage for partnerships with other municipalities throughout the state," Fong added.

The two-day Los Angeles Earth Day 2008 free reusable bag giveaway promotion began this morning at 6am. Each store customer will get one free bag per-transaction today and tomorrow or until the available 50,000 reusable shopping bags run out.

The reusable shopping bags being distributed to shoppers for free by the Southern California grocers are constructed of a polyester-like fiber material and are made from 100% post-consumer recycled material which includes recycled water and soda bottles. The bags have a message on them touting the fact they are made from 100% post-consumer recycled plastic. That message is: "Great Taste and Zero Waste."

CGA and its member-grocery chains and independents are trying to increase consumer use of reusable shopping bags in California, along with decreasing the amount of single-use plastic (and paper) carrier bags used in the state's supermarkets and grocery stores.

The grocers' association and its members supported AB 2449, the law which was enacted last year requiring California grocers with larger stores to place plastic grocery bag recycling bins in those stores, as well as to sell reuseable shopping bags in all those stores.

As we reported yesterday a new bill AB 2058 passed the California State Assembly Natural Resource Committee last week.

That bill, written by Assemblyman Lloyd Levine, the same Southern California Assembly Member who authored AB 2449 (the in-store bag recycling bill), would require the state's grocers with larger stores to meet two single-use plastic carrier bag use reduction goals, one by 2011 and another by 2013. If either of those goals aren't met, the law would then require the grocers to charge a 15 cent per-bag fee to any customer who requested plastic.

AB 2058 now goes to the California State Assembly Appropriations Committee for debate and an eventual vote.

The city and county of Los Angeles also is considering a proposed single-use plastic carrier bag law which would either levy a fee on each plastic grocery bag shoppers request in the city's supermarkets and drug stores or perhaps ban the bags completely.

The California Grocers' Association represents about 500 retail members, who collectively operate about 6,000 food and grocery stores in California. The association also has over 200 supplier members who do business with these retailers.

Grocery Retailing & Legislation Memo: AB 2058, the Plastic Bag-Reduction and Potential 15 Cent Bag-Fee Bill Passes California Assembly Committee Vote

One of the two single-use plastic carrier bag bills, AB 2058 debated and voted on by the California State Assembly Natural Resource Committee last Tuesday, passed in the committee with five -to- three member-vote and now will go to the Assembly Appropriations Committee for debate and possible markup as a bill in which the full Assembly would then vote on.

If eventually passed, AB 2058 would require all supermarket and drug retailers in California to charge consumers 15 cents per single-use plastic carrier bag requested unless the state's retailers meet a series of plastic bag reduction benchmarks or goals. These benchmarks require the retailers to meet a 35% reduction rate in plastic bag use by July 2011, followed by a 70% reduction by July 2013. If either goal isn't met within those time frames, the 15 cent per single-use plastic carrier bag customer fee would go into effect.

The legislation's author is Assemblyman Lloyd Levine from Southern California. Levine was the author of legislation which was enacted last July in California requiring supermarket and drug retailers operating larger stores to place single-use plastic carrier bag recycling bins in those stores. The legislation also made mandatory the offering for sale of reusable shopping bags in the stores.

A second bill, which the Natural Resource Committee debated but didn't put to a vote on Tuesday would levy a 25 cent per single-use plastic carrier bag fee on shoppers who request it at larger supermarkets and drug stores in California. There are no reduction goals in that bill. Rather the 25 cent bag-fee would be mandatory.

That bill remains in the committee where it either will be further debated soon or left sitting while AB 2058 goes through discussion, debate and an eventual vote in the Assembly Appropriations Committee. [Read more about that bill and related issues here.]

All proposed legislative bills in California, and most other states in the U.S. as well as at the federal government level, go to the Appropriations Committee after being passed by a respective committee like Natural Resources. It's the Appropriations Committee that's charged with appropriating any and all monies for legislation. Without the committee doing so, a bill will die in committee.

The next step for the plastic bag reduction/15 cent bag-fee bill, AB 2058, is for it to get what's called its first policy committee hearing in the Appropriations Committee. That's expected to happen soon.

A number of groups are supporting AB 2058 and are launching a public relations and grass roots campaign designed to get the Appropriation's Committee to support and vote the bill out to the full California State Assembly for a vote.

Leading the charge is a non-profit environmental group called Californian's Against Waste. Other signed-on supporters include the City and County of San Francisco, The Easy Bay Area Municipal Utilities District, the Marin County Board of Supervisors, the Northern California Recycling Association, and the Sonoma County Waste Management Agency.

Since the bill just passed the Natural Resource Committee, the California Grocers Association which represents California's chain and independent food and grocery retailers, hasn't taken a position on AB 2058 as of yet.

Additionally, because the bill just passed in the committee, it's still a bit early for the Golden State's supermarket retailers to start voicing either opposition or support for AB 2058.

However, as we reported in this piece last week, it's far from a sure thing that all or even the majority of the state's grocery chains and independents will oppose the law. One reason this is the case is that the grocers' would likely prefer AB 2058 to the 25 cent per plastic bag legislation which remains in the Natural Resource Committee and can be voted on any time the chairman of the committee puts the legislation up for a committee vote.

Another reason is that the grocers are well aware of the numerous proposed outright single-use plastic carrier bag-bans being debated by local governments throughout the state. Their are currently at least 30 California cities proposing such bans. San Francisco already has a plastic bag ban as law and Oakland has passed a similar law which is currently in court being fought by a plastic carrier bag trade association.

The Bay Area city of Palo Alto is set to enact a single-use plastic carrier bag fee law for that city later this week. Other California cities not considering bag-bans are considering bag-fee laws like Palo Alto's.

Therefore, the California Grocers Association (CGA) may decide to support AB 2058. The group's decision as to whether to support or oppose the bill will be based on what the majority of its chain and independent grocer-members decide.

CGA supported the previous legislation by Lloyd Levine, AB 2058's author, which requires the grocers in the state to place the plastic grocery bag recycling bins in their stores and sell the reusable shopping bags, the latter which most of the grocers already did before the law was passed and enacted last year.

However, the benchmarks--35% by 2011 and 70% by 2013--might be a little steep in the CGA's--and grocers'--opinion. Therefore, we believe the grocers might support AB 2058 if they can get two things changed: a reduction in the percentages the grocers' would be required to achieve, along with an extension of the 2011 and 2013 dates perhaps.

If some sort of compromise can be achieved in these two areas--for example, hypothetically speaking, say a 25% reduction by 2011 and a 60% reduction by 2013--we believe the grocer's association and the majority of the states supermarket chains and independents might support an amended AB 2058 bill. That's just our analysis though, and we will have to wait and see the result as the bill progresses through the Appropriations Committee.

There remains a long road for AB 2058 to become law. First, it has to pass the Appropriations Committee. From there it would then go to the full California State Assembly for an up or down vote by the members.

Should AB 2058 pass the full assembly, it then has to go to the California State Senate and begin the committee debate and vote process in that body. If the bill--which gets another name and number in the state senate (SB #) passes the senate committees' and then the full body, it still must be signed by the Governor in order to become law. The Governor has the power to kill the bill with a mere veto.

AB 2058 also can be amended during this entire journey through first the California State Assembly and then the state senate. Depending on the severity and economic backing of the opposition to the plastic bag-reduction and fee bill, AB 2058 could end up very much different than the original bill. On the other hand, if the opposition isn't stiff and well-funded, the bill could eventually emerge with only minor changes.

These compromises go all the way to the end, which includes any changes the Governor might want to make in order to sign a bill such as AB 2058.

Like the old saying goes: Laws are like sausages, it's better not seeing them being made. However, just like in sausage-making, the end result of any legislation that passes can either leave a fairly good taste in the majority of citizens' mouths, or just taste plain old horrible to everybody. Such is the art and process of lawmaking.

Green Marketing Memo: SF Chronicle: The Proliferation of Green Certification Schemes and Logos Have Many Grocers, Consumers Confused

As pro-environmental marketing, retailing and consumerism has grown over the last decade in the United States, there's also been a growth in and proliferation of certification seals and logos ranging from those claiming "100-percent natural," "eco-friendly," "biodegradable," "earth-friendly," "green" and more.

The U.S. federal government doesn't certify "natural" or "green" products like it does organic ingredients in foods and other consumer products. The Department of Agriculture's USDA Organic logo means a user of that logo on its products has met a series of certification tests and measures set out in law, thus earning it the right to use the organic logo.

On the other hand, the dozens of seals and logos touting products as "green," sustainable," or natural, belong to either independent for-profit or non-profit certification organizations, non-profit environmental groups who allow the companies to use the certification seals or logos for a fee, or to companies themselves who have created their own "green seals" for their products.

Food, grocery and other consumer products retailers also have began to use terms such as "100% natural," "sustainable," "eco-friendly" and the like in their stores and on their own-brand products.

Since there currently is no national governmental scheme for certifying "green" or "sustainable" products in the U.S., these groups and companies are allowed to do as they wish basically.

For example, when it comes to the claim "all natural," the only category the U.S. government regulates in terms of putting the words on a product package is fresh poultry. And even in that case, poultry marketers are allowed to call birds which are injected with water or seaweed for example "all natural," in addition to the fact these fresh poultry marketers also can use the term "all natural" on birds that have had antibiotics and hormones used in their raising.

The proliferation of independent companies creating "green" seals or logos along with various companies using their own, poses difficulties for food and grocery retailers who are the agent for consumers by virtue of the business such retailers are in.

Further, the proliferation of these environmental seals and logos is causing lots of consumer confusion. Many wish there was a single certification seal or logo either administered by the U.S. Federal Government like the USDA organic certification program and logo, or by a government recognized independent organization, say on the order of the Good Housekeeping Seal for approved products.

Yesterday's San Francisco Chronicle has a good piece on this issue. The story looks at the various independent organizations in the U.S. who are certifying food, grocery and other products as "green," as well as the logos they've created.

The piece also discusses various consumer packaged goods and other consumer products companies that have created their own "green" logos and are using them on their brands.

Additionally, the piece speaks to the retailer issue--both from the perspective of what we refer to as being the consumers' agent--and also about retailer's that have created "green" sections in their stores and their own green certification programs and seals and logos.

Lastly, but far from least, the Chronicle story looks at how this proliferation of "green" and "eco-friendly product logos and certification schemes are affecting consumers.

As we approach Earth Day 2008 (Tuesday, April 22), issues of green marketing are taking center stage. Food and grocery retailers are at the very center of the environmental issue, from sustainability and energy conservation to green marketing. And, the issue and opportunities are only going to grow "greener."

Read the San Francisco Chronicle piece, "Green product seals are gray area," by staff writer Illana Debare here.

Note: The cleaning bottle graphic above is courtesy of the San Francisco Chronicle. The illustration is by Tracy Cox. The Earth Day 2008 logo at the top was created by Ms. Adrienne Lay.

Marketing Memo: Mega-Food Marketer Kellogg Co. is Launching a Line of Hip, Urban Streetwear as a Way To Earn Some 'Street Cred' From Younger Consumers

Mega-food company and breakfast cereal brand king Kellogg Co. isn't historically known as a hip and edgy brand marketer.

In fact, for decades since it's founding as the conservative food company from Battle Creek, Michigan which specializes in iconic breakfast cereal brands like Kellogg's Corn Flakes, Frosty Flakes, Fruit Loops and Rice Krispies, along with 22 other varieties, it has been a generally conservative and mainstream food product marketer.

However, Kellogg Co. did start moving into the natural foods segment a few years ago. First it acquired the natural foods brands Worthington and Loma Linda, which it still owns. Both are all natural brands of canned and frozen all-natural, vegetarian healthy foods products. Kellogg's has expanded both brands to include additional varieties of both canned vegetarian items and healthy frozen entrees.

A little later Kellogg's acquired the Morningstar Farms brand of healthy and vegetarian frozen and refrigerated entrees, side dishes and breakfast items, which it has grown considerably in the last few years.

The mega-food marketer then followed these acquisitions up by buying the Kashi natural foods brand, which at the time was primarily a line of all-natural and organic cereals with a couple other items like cereal bars under the Kashi brand name.

Kellogg's currently markets six different varieties of Kashi brand cereal, ranging from the original Golean variety to the newer Heart-to-Heart heart-healthy line. There also are energy and breakfast bars and snacks under the Kashi brand, as well as frozen foods items.

Most recently, the $11 billion a year food company acquired two strong natural foods brands: natural and organic Bare Naked Granola, a line of granola-based cereals and Garden Burger, the healthy soy-based line of burgers and related items. Both acquisitions fit perfectly with Kellogg's core natural and organic foods business, which is breakfast cereals and related items and healthy and vegetarian-based meals and breakfast foods.

In many ways the Battle Creek food and cereal maker and marketers' move into the natural foods sector shouldn't be a surprise. Not only is it a smart marketer that has spotted the huge potential of the natural and organic categories, but Kellogg's actually has its roots in making and selling healthy cereal such as All Bran and the original Kellogg's Corn Flakes, which contained no sugar or other artificial sweeteners.

Of course, it then got into sugar-sweet cereals like all of the other major cereal marketers because frankly that was--and to a large degree still is--hot. The company's best-selling cereal brands remain its sugar-filled cereals such as Frost Flakes, Fruit Loops, Frosted Mini Wheats, Apple Jacks and others.

However, even with its key brands the company has been coming out with reduced sugar varieties, as well as bulking up the cereals with more whole grains and fiber in recognition of the healthy eating trend.

Kellogg Co. also is a major maker and marketer of crackers and cookies, including mainstream brands like Keebler, Sunshine and Austin, specialty brands like Carrs and Famous Amos, and natural brands under the Kashi label.

The company also markets high sugar content snack items like Kellogg's Pop Tarts and Kellogg's Rice Krispy Treats, but also offers health snack items like Kashi granola and cereal bars and Stretch Island Fruit Leathers, which is another natural foods company it acquired.

Lastly, Kellogg's has extended its brands into a mainstream line of products it calls its specialty channel offerings. These items include Kellogg's Graham Cracker Pie Crust, Keebler Ice Cream Cones and a handful of other items.

Kellogg's gets hip with new line of urban streetwear

The purpose of the brief history above of Kellogg Co., from conservative mainstream food product and breakfast cereal marketer to a more diversified food company which is increasingly looking to the natural and organic foods categories for new growth and sales, is simply to show an evolution in the development of the mega food company, including growth in the natural channel via acquisitions.

With that diversification, as well as general changes in the culture and spirit of the times over the years, Kellogg's has decided it needs to create a bit more edgy and hip image for its brands.

As a way to do this, the company has launched a line of Kellogg-branded "urban design" apparel in partnership with the popular urban clothing design company Under the Hood. "Under the Hood" is one of the hottest new lines of clothing to hit the market, and has an urban streetwear, hip-hop style to its designs.

The Kellogg's-branded items in the line include: Kellogg's Corn Flakes-logo hip T-Shirts and pants; Fruit Loops-branded pants with the famous Fruit Loops' parrot logo on the pants' pockets, along with Fruit Loop T-shirts; Tony the Tiger Kellogg's Frosted Flakes emblazoned T-shirts, jackets and sweat pants; Honey Smacks cereal Jeans and Shirts; Jackets, pants and shirts featuring the famous Keebler Elves and other branded clothing items. Items also include shoes and "hoodies," the trendy and popular light jackets worn by young men and woman.

The Kellogg's-branded urban wear apparel line created and produced by Under the Hood is designed to appeal to young, hip kids and young adults. And, since that is the super-popular "Under the Hood" clothing companies target market--the line should do very well.

The hip street wear also is designed to strengthen sales of Kellogg's cereal and other food products among the younger demographic, as well as to help create a more hip and edgy image withing this target market for the brands.

Since the urban-style and hip hop scene which goes with it appeals to young people of all races, along with the fact that suburban youth love it as much as urban residents, the Kellogg's-branded apparel should reach a wide target audience.

The idea is to mesh a person's lifestyle with what one eats. It's sociographics mixed with psychographics, along with identity marketing.

We expect the hip streetwear line to do well because of the association with Under the Hood, which is such a hot clothing company and line right now many of its items are back ordered by consumers.

We also expect to see lots of cross-marketing by Kellogg's of its cereals and the branded urban streetwear clothing items. For example, offers on the back of cereal and snack foods item packages, in-store point-of-sale displays, giveaways and media advertising in hip publications targeted to the same demographic as Under the Hood's clothes are.

In terms of the quality of the Kellogg's-branded streetwear from Under the Hood, we recently talked to a 16 year old who bought a Tony the Tiger T-shirt, Jacket and pair of black sweat pants with Tony embossed on all three items of clothing. His comment when we asked how he liked the three items of Kellogg's-branded streetwear? He said, mimicking Tony the Tiger..."There Grrreat!

Beverage Marketing Memo: High-Energy Jolt Soda is Back and Hitting the Streets of Southern California With A 'High-Energy' Gorilla Marketing Campaign

Carbonated energy-drink brand Jolt Soda wants to rev-up its brand power and product sales, and it's developed a high-energy, creative way to do so.

The energy-drink category brand is hitting the streets of Southern California with a multi-elemental gorilla marketing or street campaign designed to create fun and excitement around the Jolt Soda brand and line of high-energy beverages.

Using a vehicle that looks like it belongs to an urban police department's Swat tactical team, accept that it has the words ABSURD ENERGY in bold letters on the sides along with colorful pictures of Jolt Soda, the Jolt street team is visiting 125 high-traffic areas in the Southern California counties of Orange, Los Angeles, Ventura and San Bernardino, between now through May.

The gorilla marketing street team (pictured at left in Hollywood) will give away more than 150,000 full-sized samples of Jolt Soda during the eight week campaign. Additionally, the street team is handing out thousands of retro-style Jolt branded free T-shirts and decals to people who come in contact with the Jolt Patrol roaming brand builders in their Swat Team-inspired vehicle.

The Jolt Patrol has numerous fun games and activities going on as part of its traveling marketing campaign, all designed to reintroduce the Jolt beverages to consumers using humor and irreverence. The result: Jolt hopes to start building an image as the irreverent or humorous energy drink brand.

One activity that's capturing the hearts--and hands--of consumers who encounter the Jolt patrol is called Grocery Cart Bowling. The Jolt Patrol marketers and funsters set up inflatable Jolt Soda cans and then let the consumers use shopping carts to bowl the makeshift bowling pins down.

The gorilla street marketing campaign is part of a more comprehensive relaunching of the Jolt brand by its owners, Wet Planet Beverages.

Another aspect of the brand relaunch and gorilla marketing campaign in Southern California is that Wet Planet has signed Jolt Soda up to be a sponsor of the Los Angeles division of the 11-team league World Adult Kickball Association. Yes, professional kickball.

Among the gorilla marketing activities Jolt will conduct, will be to have Jolt-branded coolers available to supply players at all the local kickball games with plenty of free high-energy soda.

Jolt brand ambassadors also will give free samples of the energy beverage to fans watching the kickball games, along with giving them store indicator cards that will list the names and addresses of stores within a two-mile range of where the games are being played, and a coupon for a discount on the drinks.

Jolt Soda has been around since 1985 when it was first launched. However, it's has some difficult times brand-wise, as well as getting a bit lost in all the clutter created by the dozens of new energy drinks introduced in the last decade.

But not anymore if the crative gorilla marketing campaign works. Jolt plans lots more activity like its gorilla marketing street patrol campaign and kickball team tie-in in Southern California.

Jolt also has launched a gorilla marketing campaign at numerous college and university campuses. The campaign hires students as Jolt Ambassadors. The student reps offer samples of the drink at various campus events as well as hold contests and giveaways of free Jolt brand items like the T-shirts and decals.

There currently are seven flavors of Jolt Soda: Power Cola, Cherry Bomb, Orange Blast, Blue Raspberry, Wild Grape, Passion Fruit, and one sugar-free variety called Ultra.

The goal is to re-energize the Jolt brand and do so in a way that grabs consumers' attention, offers them participation with the brand, makes them laugh and smile, and creates an edginess for the brand in the consumer's mind. After all, the drink's name is Jolt.