Drnec lashes out at rival energy drinks

Maverick drinks marketer Harry Drnec, managing director of energy drinks company Red Bull, has launched a scathing attack on rival launches by Coca-Cola and Budweiser.

Red Bull has 70 per cent of the UK energy drinks market and sells 1 billion units a year in 30 countries.

Coke’s energy drink Burn was launched in the UK before Christmas and the company says it is “proving to be very popular.”

But Drnec claims Coke has a confused strategy and lacks patience.

He says: “If it knew what this category was about, why is it using different names in different markets?

“It has Lift in New Zealand, Play in South Africa and Burn in Australia and Britain. Which one is it Mr Coke? Have you got a product you are proud of?”

But a Coke spokesman responds: “We have a strategy in each market to provide drinkers with a specific product. It’s horses for courses.”

Drnec has also lambasted Anheuser-Busch, where he was European marketing director during the Eighties, for its launch of 180.

“It is sitting around in bars in the US and no one is touching it,” he says.

“This isn’t rocket science, but everyone wants to do it too fast. Big companies don’t have the patience, they want success tomorrow.”

But an Anheuser-Busch spokeswoman says: “180 launched on January 29, and we haven’t had any sales figures yet. It’s too early to comment.”

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