Pouch puts squeeze play on crowded sports drink market

Food & Drug Packaging, Jan, 2001

A squeeze pouch is how the Hydrade Beverage Co. decided to differentiate its product in the already crowded sports beverage category. Company president Bob Quirk says, "This is a different product and this package is the future."

The company is launching a 500 milliliter pouch for its Hydrade beverage in the first quarter of 2001. The foil/film pouch is manufactured and filled in Korea. Hydrade is expected to name a U.S. production facility later this year.

Designated the Cheer Pack, the pouch stands upright on store shelves because of its "flat-bottom bag" configuration. The package structure provides both the physical strength and barrier properties needed to market the Hydrade beverage.

In addition to being squeezable, the Cheer Pack pouch provides another consumer convenience: easy opening, reclosability and comfortable drinking with a spout that's welded into the top seam.

This package is the next-generation Cheer Pack whose dimensions produce a taller container with a slimmer cross section--an important consideration to Hydrade as it tries to attract women consumers. "The narrower profile fits a woman's hand better," says Quirk.

Package graphics are "on-the-edge" to appeal to the consumer who, according to Quirk, looks for products that are "cool," exciting and different. Key outlets for Hydrade include convenience stores. Graphics make use of icons rather than more extensive copy to talk about product benefits, such as using glycerol as an active ingredient.