Despite the fact that many small startup premium fruit drink companies stayed small or even disappeared during the period from 1972 to 1993, Snapple was able to flourish. A large part of Snapple avoiding the fate of these other companies can be attributed to how successful it was in utilizing the four Ps of marketing, especially product and promotion.
Of the four Ps, the marketing mix typically starts with the product, which is one area where Snapple separated itself from competitors. The product not only entails the physical unit but also, among other factors, its package, warranty, after-sale service, brand name, company image, and value. Snapple prides itself on being 100% natural. Although the original product was a bottled apple drink, the company eventually added carbonated drinks; fruit-flavored iced teas; diet juices; seltzers; an isotonic sports drink; and even a Vitamin Supreme to keep distributors occupied. Snapple is also well known for the noise the bottle caps make when one presses them.
Place, or distribution, strategies are concerned with making products available when and where customers want them. Snapple has succeeded exceptionally well with small, predominantly family owned distributors servicing convenience chains; pizza stores; food service vendors; gasoline stations; and so-called mom-and-pop stores. As a result of new management, Snapple has expanded to supermarkets where they’ve sold their products in bulk and in larger sizes; however, the company has not seen the success in sales it had expected.
Promotion includes advertising, public relations, sales promotion, and personal selling. In the promotional arena, Snapple really separated itself from the rest of the competing companies. Snapple’s promotion was an offbeat blend of public relations and advertising. For the brand the company hired a spokes model, Wendy Kaufman, who had a brash New York attitude and eccentric personality. Wendy embodied the essential