Sarah Robb O’Hagan, Chief Marketing Officer, Gatorade, gave a presentation at the Association of National Advertisers (ANA) Creativity conference in NYC. She focused on the creative process involved in developing, designing, and launching new products, which have successfully helped Gatorade evolve. With their most recent series of product launches, the goal was to continue to create products that are of interest to high school, college and pro athletes, but to also reach consumers beyond the playing field. As she said, Gatorade focuses on “share of throat.”
Gatorade is well known for its iconic creative featuring some of the world’s most famous athletes – Peyton Manning, Serena Williams, Derek Jeter, Michael Jordon, and many more. But the brand cannot simply rest on its past success and is now embarked on the biggest reinvention in its history, transforming Gatorade from a sports drink to a sports performance innovator. Creativity and innovation are foundational building blocks in this transformational journey.
I interviewed Sarah after her presentation. I also sat down with Stanley Hainsworth, Chairman, Chief Creative Officer, Tether. Tether is Gatorade’s creative agency, and Stanley shared the stage with Sarah to tell the story of reinventing a brand.
