Coca-Cola Amatil has been busy latley, they are on the hunt for a proven energy drink to replace the “mother” of all failures and the big multi-national is slowly expanding its Goulburn Valley Iced Coffee into the Australian marketplace. The creamy fake has been recently introduced to the South Australian market. 

Farmers Union Iced Coffee

South Australians are having trouble telling the difference between iced coffee milk brands, according to a news.com.au online article. A group of six building site workers took part in a blind test, tasting three samples – Farmers Union, Goulburn Valley and Pura Classic Coffee.   

Most of the samplers could not pick their favourite, which is Farmers Union. Thats right, what does that tell you about the power of marketing. Advertising has the potential to deactivate the sensory function of Australian tastebuds. Makes you wonder how the general population understands what is the difference between instant coffee and freshly grounded coffee beans. Most pre-made iced coffees in cartons are as exciting a Kevin Rudd picking and eating his wax ear.

Food marketing consultant Wayne Lyons predicted it would be more a battle of brands rather than a trial of taste.

South Australia  is the only place where milk is more popular than soft drinks and Farmers Union out-sells a deadly serve of Coca-Cola almost three to one.

National Foods owns Farmers Union. National Foods is owned by Kirin Holdings Company Limited. Kirin is Japan’s leading beer company, and is one of the largest brewers in the world. 

If your Australian and are reading this you might want to consider your profits are supporting a nation that eats the Whales that grace our shores. Ok enough said, back to some serious inspirational music, by a local freo boy!

I used to get high for a living 
Believing everything that i saw on my tv 
I used to get high for a living 
Eating all the bullshit food that they sold me 
I used to get high for a living 
Thinking that my destiny was out of my control 
I used to get high for a living 
There’s lots of different reasons and i’ll tell you so 

Super size, large fries, big mac, coca cola 
Go on man, pick your poison

vitamin waters were an “artificial concoction” containing additives such as fructose, sucrose, flavour, food acid and caffeine.

“It’s not like drinking juice. It’s actually a formulated product from a factory,” she said.

“I don’t think we need these drinks. We can get all our vitamins and minerals from normal, natural food. This is just a sweetened concoction … There’s nothing healthy or natural about it.”

Ms Saxelby

Choice has lodged a formal complaint with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission and the NSW Food Authority about the allegedly misleading labelling and marketing of Coca-Cola Amatil’s Glaceau Vitamin Water.

No kidding!

via watoday.com.au

Australian QF Energy Drink

Wimmer Marketing Pty Ltd have dabbled into the energy drink category with an energy drink named QF Energy, unfortunately I only discovered it on a visit to the local supermarket yesterday, no tip offs received. I wonder why??

QF Energy has a comic book inspired design, I think it is uninspiring and boring. The taste did nothing for my taste buds, in actual fact it was not enjoyable to drink at all.  The cheap grape like flavour will suit the unsophisticated pallet of the average Australian. To be honest I am disappointed, I expected better from one of the most experienced and oldest beverage companies in Australia. The style is seedy looking and has nothing original about it, the only point of difference is the Queensland grape like soft drink flavour. Maybe thats why the can is purple! What happened to the innovation spirit in the product formulation, nothing but a "me too" carbon copy of brands like Red Eye Energy drink.

As for the brand connecting to the consumer, well what can I say read the extract from the website.

How does it come first? Nothing worse than insulting the intelligence of the consumer.

What ingredients in this energy drink will get you over the line in first place? Does it help if I am from Queensland?

Take a look at how Red Bull markets itself, they specifically state they have a unique superior  formulation than the competitors! So does the QF brand want the consumer to second guess themselves to first place?

QF Energy is made in Queensland and I am assuming the Q stands for Queensland and the F stands for Failure.
I am not sure how long this energy drink will last outside of Queensland, but I am betting sales will actually fall off in other states as it has no relation or inspiration for the consumer to emotionally connect, relate to it and make sense of it.

QF Energy is one of those trivial annoying regional brand names that get under your skin. QF Energy needs to get a talented designer to give it a fresh makeover and a unique reformulation is also required from the experienced team at Wimmers..

In conclusion, it is ugly, has no clear brand identity, and lacks innovative or unique ingredients. I give it a F for Fail.

UPDATE:

I listened to the radio ad found on the website and what a shock, it has sexual connotations! One guess what QF stands for!

Research:

Whois Result for qfenergy.com @ whois.tucows.com

Registrant:
 The Trustee for NATIONAL BEVERAGE DISTRIBUTION UNIT TRUST
 2/18 Nevilles Street
 Underwood, QLD 4119
 AU

 Domain name: QFENERGY.COM

 Administrative Contact:
    White, Gary  sales@wimmers.com.au
    2/18 Nevilles Street
    Underwood, QLD 4119
    AU
    +61.732993300    Fax: +61.732993022

Nestle SA Chief Executive Peter Brabeck touched on one of the most sensitive ecological subjects at Davos, the production of biodiesel as an alternative "green" fuel from crops such as maize.

Mr Brabeck said the drive for biofuels and industrial usage could severely deplete water resources. Action should be taken to create a market for water to drive conservation.

"It takes 9000 litres of water to produce one litre of biodiesel. This strategy, which is not the right one, is backed by all major governments," he told a panel at Davos.

The demand for biofuels in Europe and the United States has also contributed to pressures pushing the cost of maize and soya upwards as world food prices have hit record levels.

Via: news.com.au

She has started advertising in Australia for key staff. Although her fine-dining restaurants are not "Australian" as such, they rely heavily on Australian chefs, managers, produce and wine. "All our chefs are from Sydney … and we use a lot of Australian produce,"

Ms Garnaut - Capital M restaurant

What the &$%(&^$( , is an Australian Restaurant, if you look at all the native ingredients that are used in the so called new Australian cuisine, you might want to give credit to the Australian Aborigines and call it an "Aboriginal Restaurant".

I think many "Australians" are not Australian as such when it comes to non-alcoholic beverages. If your in one of these so called "Australian" establishments ask them where the &%$(* are the drinks unique to our culture?

Ms Garnaut is better off hiring Chinese Australian Chefs from Sydney to work in her Restaurant, instead of confusing the Chinese elite with marketing illusions. This restaurant is going to be easily copied in China!!!

What is our Australian national dish by the way?

Is Tap water really safe?

This is one amazing article, if you cannot afford a lab testing your tap drinking water on a regular basis, then I suggest budgeting for an expensive reverse osmosis system or even better, a steam distilled water unit for your drinking water needs.

Am I bullshitting you? You decide read this article.

This happened in 2002 and it just shows this guy is so full of shit, time to remove him from my recommended links.

"Mount Franklin Still Australian Spring Water 600ml $1.61
Minerality on the nose; more mineral flavours in your mouth, but still subtle. Tangy finish. The biggest-selling water in Australia, and easy to see why. 17/20"

This is a spring water that comes from three locations is tampered with in a way that it tastes and feels like Pamela Anderson’s  tits. As for the Australian range he sampled well what can I say, bullshit selection for a bullshit event.

Here is the wankers assesment on reverse osmosis water!

"Nobles Pureau Pure Table Water 600ml $0.89
Neutral nose; medium weight in your mouth, with a refreshing and long finish. 15/20"

Two points shy of the biggest bullshit selling water in Australia, Mount Frankinstein that tastes like Pamela Anderson’s tits, as natural and as modest as an American wanker.