Dive Brief:
- Gatorade launched a free and personalized membership platform, according to a press release. Gatorade iD provides exclusive benefits and access to personalized equipment, limited-edition drops, discounts and more.
- The sports drink brand teamed with DJ Khaled for a capsule collaboration timed to the launch. The Gatorade x DJ Khaled collection includes a personalized bottle and towel, along with a Jordan Brand hoodie, and will be available for Gatorade iD members to purchase for $140 starting Feb. 8.
- Gatorade iD combines data, athlete insights and digital innovations and represents the next step of the PepsiCo brand's digital transformation.
Dive Insight:
Gatorade is looking to connect with consumers on a more personalized, data-driven level with its free membership program launch. Gatorade iD is the beverage's brands latest step in a digital transformation that has worked to reposition Gatorade as more than just a sports drink, according to Gatorade Chief Brand Officer Anuj Bhasin.
"Since debuting the Gx platform in 2015, innovations have fueled the brand's evolution from a sports drink to a fully connected performance and wellness ecosystem," Bhasin said in a statement. "In the future, Gatorade iD will add rewards and broader personalization to become each athlete's curated corner of the Gatorade universe."
Gatorade iD promises consumers a personalization capability previously only available to pro athletes. Users of the platform can upload logos or use preloaded mascots to create personalized water bottles. The brand promises more personalization options, along with access to additional drops, discounts, rewards and more to come.
To boost the program, Gatorade has teamed with DJ Khaled. The celebrity sits at the intersection of sports, music and entertainment, Bhasin noted, a union spoken to by the way the Gatorade x DJ Khaled capsule combines Gatorade, Jordan Brand and Khaled's own "We The Best" branding.
Gatorade iD is an example of how savvy marketers focused on digital transformation are meeting the need for personalization and first-party data as Google finally begins its long-awaited deprecation of the third-party cookie.
