Brand analysis of Monster Energy and The Proposal of a Copycat Brand

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Estimated Reading Time: 15 minutes

1. Introduction

A copycat brand mimics the visual elements of a leading brand, like its name or packaging design, to leverage the established reputation and marketing efforts of the original brand (Horen and Pieters, 2012). This report aims to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the energy drink brand Monster Energy and use it as the source brand to create a new copycat brand.

2. Background/History & Industry of the Source Brand

Monster Energy is an energy drink brand introduced by Hansen Natural Corporation, starting off by manufacturing fruit juices. After the launch of Monster energy drinks in 2002, the company’s revenue from drink products skyrocketed to $1.7 billion in 2011 (Dubois, 2012). In 2006, Coca-Cola Company entered into an agreement with Hansen Natural Corporation to distribute Monster Energy drinks and select international markets, significantly expanding its reach and distribution network. It gained popularity among young adults and extreme sports enthusiasts due to its aggressive marketing campaigns (MonsterArmy, 2024), which makes them the second best-selling brand in the UK retail energy drinks market (Figure 1).

Figure 1 : Leading brands’ sales and shares in the UK retail energy drinks market (Finnegan, 2023).

3. The Four Building Blocks

This part of report will be using Riezebos’ (2003) four building blocks framework (Appendix 1) to analyze Monster Energy original as a branded article.

3.1. Intrinsic Attributes

The inherent characteristics of a product are the fundamental features that directly contribute to its core function and value proposition (Riezebos, 2003). For Monster Energy original, these include its primary ingredients and nutritional content.

3.1.1. Non-distinguishing Intrinsic Attributes

Non-distinguishing intrinsic attributes are features that are shared among products within the same product class, as defined by Riezebos (2003). These are attributes that are essential but not unique to the product, meaning they are commonly found in similar products within the same category. Common ingredients found across the product class for energy drinks include:

  • Caffeine, providing consumers with a quick energy boost and enhanced alertness.
  • Taurine, supporting various physiological functions, including cardiovascular health and cognitive performance. (Monster Energy, 2024).
  • Glucuronolactone, increasing attention and improve athletic performance. (Higgins et al., 2010).
  • Sodium, nutrient for maintenance of plasma volume, acid-base balance, transmission of nerve impulses and normal cell function. (World Health Organization, 2023)
  • B-Vitamins, essential role in energy metabolism. (Monster Energy, 2024).
  • Carbonation, providing a fizzy and refreshing experience similar to other carbonated beverages.

3.1.2. Distinguishing Intrinsic Attributes

Larger can size, wide range of flavours, and a more potent energy blend are attributes that differentiate Monster Energy drink from its main competitors within the same category:

  • Guarana, used for weight loss, to enhance athletic performance, as a stimulant, and to reduce mental and physical fatigue (Baghkhani and Jafari, 2002).
  • ginseng root, benefits for immune function and blood sugar control (Semeco, 2023).
  • L-carnitine, which can increase energy levels (Shoemaker, 2023)
  • larger can size (16 ounces) appeals consumers with bigger portion.
  • 34 flavours in total.

3.2. Extrinsic Attributes

A simple yet effective definition of a brand is as follows: “It’s a name, term, sign, symbol, or design, or a mix of these elements, meant to distinguish the goods and services of one seller or group of sellers from those of others in the market” (Keller and Swaminathan, 2019). These are external attributes that influence consumers’ perception of the branded article (Riezebos, 2003).

3.2.1. Brand Name

Monster Energy’s brand name strategy uses the expressive character and Joyce principle (Tsimonis, 2024) to satisfy consumers’ consumption goals within their psychosocial context. The brand’s positioning statement indicates that Monster is “aggressive, cool, sinister, dark, mysterious, and fun (Zegler, 2007).” The brand name ‘Monster Energy’ carries associations with energy, power, and excitement, which contribute to its appeal among consumers seeking an energy boost.

3.2.2. Packaging and Logo

  • Colours: The primary color is a neon green, which is utilized for the symbol, while white and black are used for the text. Experts consider the neon green to be the brightest shade of green (LogoMyWay, 2024), effectively illuminating the logo, aligns perfectly with the brand’s traits and commitment.
  • Font: The lettering is distinctive, twisted and unique characters. The font mirrors the style of the ‘M’ symbol to the left of the company name. Handwritten text resembles claw scratches has become so recognizable that customers can easily identify the brand even without the symbol (See figure 2).

Monster’s distinctive logo is bold and edgy, featuring eye-catching graphics. The design of active role for packaging (Southgate, 1994) distinguishes it from traditional energy drink brands on store shelves and reinforcing its brand identity.

Figure 2 : Monster Energy Logo 2002-now (Worldvectorlogo,2024).

3.2.3. Price

Monster’s pricing strategy serves as a competitive advantage, positioning them in a lower price segment compared to its main competitor Red Bull (Panchal, 2023). Monster provides greater quantity in its cans, offering 16 oz compared to Red Bull’s 8 oz for the same price. Their target demographic is people aged 18 to 35 (Monster Energy, 2024), the added value of ‘One Can fit for Two’ drink proposition further enhances their appeal to this demographic that seeks affordability along with perceived value and quality.

4. The Consumer-Based Brand Equity Model

Customer-based brand equity refers to the distinctive impact of brand knowledge on consumer responses to the brand’s marketing efforts (Keller, 1993). Next section of this report will be using the brand resonance model (Keller, 2001) which presents brand building as six building blocks (Appendix 1), to further discuss Monster Energy’s CBBE.

4.1. Brand Salience

Brand salience refers to a brand’s likelihood to be noticed or recalled in purchasing scenarios (Tsimonis, 2024). It indicates the extent and depth of the network of memory associations that buyers hold about the brand (Romaniuk and Sharp, 2004). Monster Energy is the second most well-known energy drink brand with 90 percent of brand awareness in the UK in 2023 (Figure 3). With the word ‘Energy’ in its name, it is easily recognized and comes to mind when consumers think about energy drinks. Its bold logo, extreme sports’ sponsorship, distinctive packaging, and widespread availability contribute to its strong brand awareness.

Figure 3 : Leading energy drinks ranked by brand awareness in the United Kingdom in 2023 (Kunst, 2023).

4.2. Brand Performance

Brand performance pertains to how effectively a product or service addresses customers’ functional requirements (Tsimonis, 2024). Not only Monster Energy offers generally bigger can than its competitor at a lower price, but it also offers a wide range of products with 34 different flavours which address different needs for wider customers. Additionally, they are known for having a higher ratio in caffeine, delivers on its promise of providing a quick energy boost and enhanced alertness (Fernet et al., 2012). Consumers perceive it as effective in delivering the desired performance benefits, such as increased energy levels and improved focus.

4.3. Brand Imagery

The company positions itself as a lifestyle brand, sponsoring high-profile motor sports, action sports, and musicians (Soininen, 2017). As Zegler (2007) notes, “It is about action sports, punk rock music, partying, girls and living life on the edge.” Its branding often features bold graphics, vibrant colors, and sponsorship of events and athletes in extreme sports, reinforcing its adventurous and edgy image. While Red Bull and Rockstar also known for supporting extreme activities, Monster Energy differentiates itself by being mostly recognized for supporting BMX, Supercross, and Motocross events (Palmetto, F. 2023).

4.4. Brand Judgements

According to Mintel (2023), 28% of the users who have drunk the brand said that they had excellent experience, which holds the highest satisfaction rate among other competitors like Lucozade and Red Bull. Additionally, 73% of the respondents stated that they would recommend Monster Energy to others, which holds the second highest percentage (Figure 4). In the brand perception matrix (Figure 5), Monster is perceived as brand worth paying more for and is a brand that consumers are proud to be associated with. These statistics show that consumers might judge Monster Energy positively based on factors such as taste, reputation and value for money, leading to favorable evaluations and purchase intentions.

Figure 4 : Key metrics for selected brands, 2023. (Finnegan, 2023).

Figure 5 : Attitudes, by brand, 2023. (Finnegan, 2023).

4.5. Brand Feelings

According to Mintel (2023), Among the 1,706 respondents who have heard of Monster Energy, 31% of them stated that they find Monster Energy to be ‘fun’. 21% of respondents mentioned that they perceive it as a ‘cool’ brand (Figure 6), higher compared to 17% for Lucozade and 19% for Red Bull. Additionally, among the 2,000 surveyed respondents who drink Monster Energy regularly, male consumers make up 31%, while female consumers comprise only 21%. Although in recent years, Monster Energy has launched many new products with colorful packaging and juice-flavored varieties which might seem appealing to female consumers (Appendix 2), its brand image associated with motor sports and the feature of ‘Monster girls’ shows their tendency of targeting male customers. This might be the reason behind its perception as more masculine than other energy drink brands (Figure 7).

Figure 6 : Brand personality – Micro image. (Finnegan, 2023).

Figure 7 : Perceptual map of monster energy — brand personality. (Rooble, 2020)

4.6. Brand Resonance

Monster Energy indicates their brand’s philosophy with “Unleash the Beast!” as its slogan (Monster Energy, 2024) ­– to live life to fullest, to enjoy parties, to live deeply the present moment, to bring a fun-loving way of life. They promote the brand with ‘Monster girls’ at major events. This approach may be negatively perceived by many; however, this positioning seems to resonate with its users, particularly popular among their target customer ­– men aged 18 to 35 with disposable income (Soininen, 2017). They exhibit behaviors such as brand advocacy and engagement with Monster-sponsored events and content. Based on the data provided (Figure 8), around 37% of energy drink consumers in the UK express an intention to use Monster Energy again. When compared to the brand’s 44% usage share, this suggests that 84% of Monster Energy’s consumers demonstrate loyalty to the brand (Kunst, 2023).

Figure 8 : Monster brand awareness, usage, popularity, loyalty, and buzz among energy drink consumers in the UK in 2023. (Kunst, 2023).

5. Brand Image Analysis & Brand Image Transfer Model

5.1. The Source Brand – Monster Energy

Brand Added Value

The brand image transfer model involves the transfer of ‘valuable’ associations from one brand to another (Riezebos, 2003).

5.1.1. – Perceived Performance

Perceived performance refers to the effectiveness of the perceived quality and material differentiation of the branded product (Riezebos, 2003). Monster Energy achieves a customer recommend rate of 73% (Finnegan, 2023). It is considered a cool and unconventional brand that provide instant high energy boost, which aligns with its target customers.

5.1.2. – Psychosocial Meaning

In Aaker’s five dimensions of psychosocial meaning (1997), Monster Energy shows three personality dimensions (Figure 9) and lacks dimensions of sincerity and sophistication.

Figure 9 : Three personality dimensions presented by Monster Energy

5.1.3. – Brand Name Awareness

When it comes to energy drink consumers in the UK, brand awareness of Monster Energy stands at an impressive 92% (Figure 8); However, it was with the aid of showing its logo and brand name (Kunst, 2023). The top-of-mind awareness (TOMA) is the status that elevates a specific brand within a particular product category to be the first one that consumers recall (Shimp, 2010). A survey conducted by students from SKEMA Business School showed that Red Bull emerges as the clear leader in terms of “top of mind” awareness, with 67% of respondents mentioning Red Bull as the first brand, followed by Monster at 10%. It is still a huge challenge for Monster to surpass its main competitor Red Bull. Despite so, Monster still achieves a mention rate of over 60% (Figure 10).

Figure 10 : TOMA of energy drink brands. (Theresa, 2024).

Source Brand Image Analysis

A copycat brand replicates the visual identity of a prominent brand with the intention of leveraging the positive associations linked to the established brand (Miceli and Pieters, 2010). See Figure 11 for details of image transfer analysis between the two brands.

5.2. The Target Brand – Beaster Battery

5.2.1. Product Relatedness

Our copycat brand ‘Beaster Battery’ will use similar ingredients to Ariel’s Original Washing Liquid to replicate its successful intrinsic qualities. These ingredients have been well-received by customers which reflected in their satisfaction rate by taste and effective energy boost. We will also put pricing strategy similar to Monster regarding affordability.

5.2.2. Target-group similarities

Targeting the branded product towards a similar target audience enhances the possibility of success in image transfer (Riezebos, 2003). ‘Beaster Battery targets a similar audience to Monster Energy – males in Millennials and Gen Z cohort aged 18 to 35 who are looking for affordability and an effective instant energy boost. Men exhibit a higher likelihood than women to consume sports and energy drinks (Finnegan, 2023), which Reduce the risk of failure in image transfer. Monster’s lower brand awareness and loyalty compared to Red Bull might seem like a disadvantage, but it might benefit copycat brands from a different perspective. Loyal consumers might be better at distinguishing the original from the copycat, causing them more resistant to purchasing or negatively perceiving the copycat brand.

5.2.3. Family Resemblance

Beast Battery uses similar can as Monster’s, featuring black, green, and white colours. LED-like green circles at the top and bottom symbolize extra power. The logo is cleaner, simpler claw scratches with white outlines for a powerful, three-dimensional effect, same with the letters that have similar font to Monster’s, creating a positive brand association. There are mainly three ways to create a copycat brand name (Horen and Pieters, 2012): imitating the letters of the source brand (feature imitation with no meaning), imitating its semantic meaning (theme imitation), or feature imitation with meaning. I will be using both theme imitation and feature imitation with meaning for our copycat brand name – ‘Beaster Battery’, which not only has the similar semantic meaning as ‘Monster’ but also shows the feature similarity with letters ‘ster’. It even rhymes with ‘Monster Energy’ in tone and sound. Moreover, it stimulates association with Monster’s slogan – ‘Release the beast!’

5.2.4. Target Brand Image Analysis

Figure 11 : Image transfer model.

6. Conclusions

This report shows a comprehensive analysis on a source brand Monster Energy. The image and attributes transferred from the original brand to the imitating brand have been clarified and validated to ensure a successful replication of the brand image. Hence, the new copycat brand ‘Beaster Battery’ should be a suitable brand for Cheap Price Store.

7. Image of the Brand Concept Broad

8. References

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