Odwalla - Failure Case Study

Summary

This report is part of the publisher's Successes and Failures case study series, which explores the reasons underpinning success or failure, and key learnings. The brand Odwalla was a subsidiary of the Coca-Cola Company. The California-based company were manufacturers for juices, juice drinks, smoothies, protein drinks and quenchers. Odwalla offered its products in different flavors such as banana, berry, blueberry, chocolate, cinnamon, citrus, mango, nutty, pomegranate, strawberry, vanilla, greens, and pumpkins.

However, its performance did not measure up to Coca-Cola's expectations. In the Coca-Cola curation process during 2020 Q2, the company identified Odwalla's underperformance in the North American market. In its discontinuation announcement, Coca-Cola CEO James Quincy explained that the company would be prioritizing regional brands with more scalable opportunities.

Scope

• Use brand familiarity and heritage as a core strategy, especially for brands within categories that are declining in value.
• Align closely to people's concerns regarding health (e.g. worries about consuming too much sugar).
• Execute a clearly labeled packaging strategy to boost product distinctiveness and brand trust

Reasons to Buy

• Understand the relevant consumer trends and attitudes that drive and support innovation success so you can tap into what is really impacting the industry.
• Gain a broader appreciation of the fast-moving consumer goods industry by gaining insights from both within and outside of your sector.
• Access valuable strategic take-outs to help direct future decision-making and inform new product development.