
As 65% of consumers seek functional benefits from their food and drink, PepsiCo is wise to position Major Melon alongside the trends, while maintaining its appeal to the many consumers who remain ardent soda drinkers.

When the flavor launch was leaked on Reddit in September, responses showed positive interest in the product.Īlthough the new Mtn Dew is a soda, the product's marketing invokes the idea of energy with words like "invigorating" and "charged," bringing to mind functional beverages intended to help people power through their day. Launching a permanent brand is a large investment for PepsiCo, and one that indicates that the company is confident in its choice. A report last year by snack giant Mondelez found that more than half of consumers are buying nostalgic childhood brands. Carbonated Water, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Citric Acid, Natural Flavor, Gum Arabic, Sodium Benzoate (Preserves Freshness). Having an inventive flavor that appeals to consumers' nostalgic notions through a familiar legacy brand may prove to be a good bet for the company. PepsiCo's Frito-Lay snack division cut about 21% of its SKUs during the peak of the coronavirus outbreak.Īlthough the pandemic has weighed on PepsiCo and led to a recent stock downgrade, analysts predict consumers will return to pre-pandemic habits, which would mean the reopening of foodservice channels and the subsequent resurgence in demand for PepsiCo soda products. The last permanent flavor was White Out, a citrus-flavored Mtn Dew that appeared in 2010.Ī decade after its last permanent flavor release, PepsiCo is launching Major Melon at a time when many companies have streamlined portfolios to favor more popular flavors and products. The company has also tested temporary flavors for Mtn Dew such as its limited-edition Liberty Brew, which has 50 flavors in one bottle. In the past, PepsiCo has used its Mountain Dew platform to brand its energy drinks such as Kickstart, GameFuel and AMP.

It may have you asking, Has Mountain Dew. Heres what we thought about the new Dew flavor. To improve the positioning of its Mtn Dew brand, the CPG giant has moved aggressively to expand its reach into health-focused and faster-growing segments like energy drinks. So we did what we always do - we gave it a try so you dont have to. Even though the brand remains popular, the carbonated soft drink category has struggled as consumers start to favor functional beverages and startup companies strive to redefine the category with lower-sugar and better-for-you offerings. Despite declining soda sales overall, the category remains big business for PepsiCo, with its Mtn Dew brand commanding more than 6% share of the market in the United States, according to Statista.
