Slow Cow is a Canadian relaxation drink company that produces beverages with active ingredients such as L-theanine, valerian, and chamomile. The goal of relaxation drinks is to reduce stress, improve focus, and promote better sleep. Although the market for relaxation drinks in the US is not as large as the market for energy drinks, the growth rate of relaxation drinks in 2018 accounted for +13.0% (Amir, 2018) compared to the -2.4% decline of energy drinks (O’Connor, 2018). The expected annual growth rate of relaxation drinks in the US over the next five years is expected to be +10.5% (Amir, 2018). This is much greater than the +1.2% rate for energy drinks (O’Connor, 2018).
So what is so intriguing about Slow Cow? Besides being one of the first producers of relaxation drinks in Canada, Slow Cow is also the company that got tremendous success by positioning itself as an anti-Red Bull brand.
In 2008, no one knew about relaxation drinks. Instead of educating people about the new type of products and building a brand image from scratch, Slow Cow decided to position itself as the opposite of the biggest energy drink producer — Red Bull. Although Slow Cow did not make direct statements regarding Red Bull, every element in Slow Cow’s products and marketing campaigns implied it. These elements included the logotype, the price, the packaging, the can’s design, the overlapping markets, and the channels that Slow Cow used to promote its products, including sponsorship of sports events and festivals. As a result, there were more similarities between the two brands than there were differences. At the same time, while the companies resembled each other a lot, there was one ingredient that sharply distinguished Red Bull from Slow Cow– caffeine. The lack of caffeine in Slow Cow’s products has allowed the company to target people who were forever abandoned by Red Bull — people with high blood pressure, elderly individuals, and children.
Using similar marketing approaches while identifying itself as precisely the opposite of the famous drink, Slow Cow was able to catch the public’s attention quickly. By 2008, Red Bull was also well recognized abroad. For Slow Cow, it implied an excellent opportunity for international expansion.
Since the initial market entry in 2008, Slow Cow, however, has changed its marketing approach. Today, Slow Cow attempts to genuinely differentiate its brand instead of opposing it to energy drink brands, and it makes sense in the long term. Using the initial anti-Red Bull approach has limited Slow Cow’s audience, mostly to the existing Red Bull customers. Such an approach has also transferred negative elements associated with Red Bull to Slow Cow as customers were given an opportunity to compare and oppose Slow Cow and Red Bull frequently. Finally, while the marketing approach itself was creative and unique, it did not make the new brand genuinely unique in the long term.
By analyzing Slow Cow’s social media accounts, it can be seen that Slow Cow now increasingly targets women and male teenagers — the two groups of people which are not fully targeted by energy drink companies due to age restrictions, medical restrictions, and preferences. The company now also officially states that Slow Cow’s drinks are not the opposite of energy drinks and that Slow Cow itself is “the leader of a completely new category of relaxation drinks”. In contrast, the Slow Cow’s advertising campaign of 2009 clearly positioned the brand as an anti-energy brand through its slogan: “Embracing slowness: the anti-energy drink”.
The marketing approach chosen by Slow Cow appeared to be a creative way of introducing a new type of product and gaining the public’s immediate attention. In order to remain competitive, however, Slow Cow cannot be the same or the opposite anymore — it must be unique. Slow Cow should also be aware that while the relaxation drink industry grew +13% last year, the trend appears to occur at a decreasing rate. This fact may indicate, for example, that merely introducing a new flavor may not be the best option for Slow Cow. Instead, the company may consider introducing a new format of product, such as relaxation yogurt or relaxation shots, or to experiment with brand-new ingredients that depict an increasing demand, such as cannabidiol ingredients. Slow Cow has already taken the first steps to ensure its further expansion both locally and globally, and it will be exciting to see the company’s next steps.
References
Amir, A. (2018). IBISWorld Industry Report OD4204. Relaxation Drink Production in the US. Retrieved May 28, 2019 from IBISWorld database.
Arca, C., Courrias, M., Fleming, M., Popowich, S., & Zafarnejad, H. (n.d.). Slow Cow: The New Red Bull? Retrieved May 28, 2019, from https://studylib.net/doc/8832751/slow-cow--the-new-red-bull?
FBWorld Team. Slow Cow: The Anti-Energy Drink? [The Original Logo of Slow Cow]. Retrieved May 28, 2019, from https://fbworld.com/2010/08/11/slow-cow-the-anti-energy-drink/
Lyle, J. (n.d.). Embracing slowness: The anti-energy drink [Digital image]. Retrieved from https://johnnylyle.co.uk/2009/07/31/slow-cow-v-red-bull-–-a-brand-perspective/
O’Connor, C. (2018). IBISWorld Industry Report OD4205. Energy Drink Production in the US. Retrieved May 28, 2019 from IBISWorld database.
The Corporate Website of Slow Cow. (2019, March 15). Retrieved May 28, 2019, from https://slowcow.com/
Wahlgren, E. (2016, July 15). Adios, Red Bull? Anti-energy drinks seek to soothe frazzled Americans. Retrieved May 28, 2019, from https://www.aol.com/2009/10/07/anti-energy-drinks/
