PRIME might get STING'd

Welcome to India, Prime Drink!

Hey there!

I hope you had a great week!

If you’re sipping chaai right now, you’re the OG because chaai is the OG functional beverage.

And if you’re not gullible enough to fall for other newbie functional beverages in the market like hydration drinks and energy drinks,

But here’s a question for you- would you swallow perfume for $2.40?
I would NEVER! But maybe you would if you are bitten by the Soft Power bug every time you find some Western cult cool. If you’re sensitive to this bug bite, you would swallow the perfume.

Apparently, 100 million people have already swallowed it. And people are going all gaga over "the perfume"!

Well actually, "the perfume" is nothing but a hydration drink.
Guess the name of the brand
(Hint: You'll see it in ImPAULsive all the time!)

I am talking about Prime Drink.

Note: This article is 5 mins long, but if you want to read this entire thing in a minute, I have something for you-

This brand is a typical example of influencers/YouTubers building a massive audience and selling them their creation (well, not literally).
It's interesting to know that Prime Drinks are created (manufactured) by Congo Brands. It is only marketed by these influencers who have millions of followers!

Looks like 1000 true fans is a concept of the past because Logan Paul and KSI have a community and a cult following which is why people are ready to purchase the Prime Drinks even at a marked-up price!

Anyway..

Prime is all set to enter the Indian market, or, it might have already entered the Indian market (just like alcohol, prime is sold in the black market).

Indian Youtubers are making YouTube Shorts about being the "first person in India" to try Prime.
People in India are LITERALLY in a frenzy! A YouTube Short about the arrival of PRIME in India has 1.4 million views! (Seriously, what are people really watching these days?)

But what’s the reason behind this desperate frenzy? Let’s find out!

Build a cult

Want to sell? Build a cult.

But what is cult following?

It refers to fans who are highly dedicated to an idea or a movement or a company. Artists have a cult following too! Exactly, Taylor Swift.

Gone are those times when we wanted to talk ,dress or eat like celebrities. We are living in an era where influencers influence (or de-influence) most of our purchases and choices. Don’t believe me?

Courtesy: Shane Barker

Logan and KSI, who gained their popularity through YouTube, do not just have a massive fan following- they’ve built a cult. And everyone wants to be a part of that cult! Teens are literally charging each other to pose with empty Prime bottles. Parents, too, were desperate to get a hold of Prime drinks as Christmas gifts.

Told ya, it’s bizarre but people are crazy!

Aim well before hitting

Heard of The Karate Kid and Creed? Do you know what these movies have in common?

Fights and the way fighters train. It was in the year 1928 when the first martial arts movie was released- almost a century of making people fall in love with how these fighters train, the process behind being the greatest and overcoming challenges.

And guess what? Prime is the official drink of UFC.

Both Logan Paul and KSI are fighters (literally and figuratively). They’ve competed against each other in boxing and MMA and were social media rivals before they finally launched Prime.

But, you know what’s cool? Prime is the first creator-led brand to air a commercial during the Super Bowl game. Speaking of which, it’s worth highlighting the fact that Logan Paul and KSI are brilliant when it comes to partnerships. They’ve partnered with WWE, UFC and Arsenal, to name a few.

Don’t be surprised if they partner with IPL in India.

Scarcity

Prime is sold in very limited stores. Because of the huge demand, people- adults and teenagers alike are selling prime drinks in the black market at a marked up price, and people are BUYING IT.

Well, the $2.40 prime drink bottles are being sold at $120 a bottle in the U.S.A.

In UAE, they are selling it at a 412% mark-up.

AND, in the UK, they’re selling it for 100 quid (pound sterling)!

Call it consumer loyalty, a status-driven decision or the desperation of being a part of the cool cult, prime has made millions in revenue!

How silly!

It’s not!

Nothing new in creator-led brands making a fortune. Conor McGregor is a classic example of a creator having million-dollar brands.

Gone are the days when there was a need to invent new products if you wanted to make millions of dollars. But do you need to be innovative? Well, a little. Build a cult and sell games, toys, shoes or even soft drinks- they’re hot commodities now.

Mae Karwowski, CEO and founder of influencer marketing firm Obviously, told WaPo that, in the next decade, she expects “all the biggest brands will be made by creators” because they get what their customers want.

Billboards everywhere!

Our phones are the new billboards.

Logan Paul and KSI surprised their fans by giving them free Prime drinks- they captured this in a video and uploaded it.

ImPAULsive is Logan Paul’s podcast where these people talk about random things. Now when we’re chit-chatting with our friends what do we do? We eat and we drink. Logan Paul and the podcast guest(s) have Prime drink. Not just that, these people give reel-time feedback on the videos. To make it real, they replace “so good” with “it’s not bad“.

The more these reel moments feel real, the better! (Don’t worry. Even I’m confused>.<)

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The Indian beverage market is shifting, and it’s shifting by leaps and bounds. People like having beverages that have some functionality in them. Most importantly, the youth has a higher affinity for something that’s cool and “Instagrammable“. Yes, it is about the status.

But in a price-sensitive market like India, where the cost of Sting (energy drink) is now almost similar to the price of bottled water, I wonder if Prime would die down in a few months or if will it get the largest piece of the functional beverage cake in the country?

Only time will tell.

Okay then!

I’ll see you next week- Toodeloo!