Brand Hydration: Communications Strategy

An iconic sports nutrition brand and their agency were building a communications strategy for the 2025 season. Although the brand had helped build and define the category over many years, it was now facing an ever changing set of aggressive competitors including energy, isotonic, and complex adaptogen drinks.

The brand could draw on many equities and a strong heritage. The challenge for the marketing and agency team was how to combine and reflect these elements in a fresh, compelling way among both teen and adult athletes.

The Vital Findings team led a series of high-energy, interactive “Spark Sessions”. These qualitative workshops brought brand and agency teams together alongside teen and adult athletes. Different brand territories and expressions were explored and refined, isolating the elements that were true to the brand yet fresh and relevant.

The work was followed by a program of rapid AI-powered online interviews with a broader national audience. This work provided scale and confidence, validating and fine-tuning earlier insights.

The marketing and agency were teams deeply involved in the Spark Sessions, with no 2-way mirror or Zoom interface to inhibit collaboration. Ideas emerged with less friction, and it became easier to find consensus and direction.

This work provided both the foundation and the inspiration for a new campaign creative brief. Work based on this strategy is currently in development for the brand’s 60 year birthday campaign in 2025.