More Energy Thank Ever 

Four Factors to Contemplate When Tackling Energy Drink Sales

It is faddish. No question about it,” Jeff DeLucia, owner of 10 West Bar & Lounge in Galloway, N.J., says.  “I think it is like music in a way. It is in cycles, like fashion. People are always looking for something new, something better. New is not always better.” He is talking about energy drinks — those all-pervasive, in-your-face cans of all sizes that have taken the market by storm. 
    Although many would rather not admit to it, there is no place a trend is served with more style than in a bar. It may indeed be a saturated market, but there still is a huge margin for profit.
    The here and now of what’s hot is crucial to attracting the younger market, but in the same sense, what you serve makes the difference. Do you know what energy drink is behind your bar? There are four basic factors to consider when over-hauling your energy drink line-up.

Taste and Mixing
    Have you tasted the energy drink you are serving? More importantly, have you tasted it against the others on the market? With so many options available today, there is homework to be done. With the outrageous names and packaging comes the serious taste, and the intensity of the taste of energy drinks can mean a love or hate relationship on the tongue.
    Have a tasting session with your staff. Sit down and find your top two choices. If you can budget it, having two energy drinks behind the bar will give patrons a choice on what they are drinking. You wouldn’t offer one kind of vodka, would you? Why shackle your customers to one brand of energy drink, especially when the flavors and tastes are endless?
    Another key component is how well your energy drink gets along with your liquor selection. Make sure you are stocking something that tastes good when combined with liquor, and make sure you can combine it successfully with different types of liquor too. This will increase your selling options immensely.

Promoting and Advertising
    Look to the distributors first and foremost. Stocking the most popular or well known may seem easiest, but often the smaller companies are eager to get in on the action and, thus, will promote harder. If your distributor doesn’t provide you with the materials and promotional backup you desire, then promote in-house.
    At Backstage in Culver City, Calif., Owner Ben Myron gets creative with his on-premise advertising by putting posters up in the bathrooms. Bathrooms are a good location due to the high traffic and the fact that the poster is not competing with all of the club’s sound and lighting.
    Making a “night” of it is another option. Design a new Martini with a splash of energy drink in it, or set up a satellite bar specifically pushing the can of choice.
    Sports are also a great avenue for energy drink promotion. Many of the companies already are promoting to athletes, so aligning them with the big game or a tournament you sponsor is easy.

Pricing and Storage
    One common complaint of energy drinks is the waste and storage space of the cans. Many companies today are offering their drinks on  guns to cut back on storage problems.
    Also, consider your patrons’ price threshold. Charging $4 for the splash of energy drink and an additional $2 for the shot of vodka is unappealing, regardless of market.
    “We sell it per can,” says DeLucia. “We are about quality. Our customer gets the whole can with the drink.”
This method ensures customer satisfaction as well as true taste. Energy drinks go flat quickly, and the attempt to hold on to half a can until someone else places another order for on may mean you are sending out a bad drink.

Education
    Finally, the most important, often overlooked aspect is education on your products.
    As an owner, you should know what ingredients make up the energy drink you are selling. You should know what the benefits and drawbacks of these ingredients are, and you should know the effect the particular drink may have on patrons. Staff members should be educated about the product as well. They should know how to describe accurately the taste and how to promote the drink to new patrons as well as regulars.
    Challenge your staff to sell as many energy drinks in one night as they can and award the winner with a free meal, or challenge your bartenders to make the best cocktail featuring an energy drink and name it after him or her on your menu.
    Energy drinks are all about competition, increased stamina and a youthful, fun attitude. They can and will increase your bar sales if treated properly. Rather than sitting idly by, make sure you are getting all that you can out of each little can. NCB