Molson Coors partners with Dwayne Johnson, the Rock, for new energy drink

Professional wrestler, businessman and actor Dwayne Johnson, who often goes by “the Rock”, joins forces with Molson Coors Beverage Company (NYSE: TAP) in its launch of alcohol-free ZOA energy drinks. The partnership, announced in a press release today, will make Molson Coors the exclusive distributor of ZOA, which is currently scheduled for public sale in March.
Said to be designed for people with active lifestyles – the press release calls them “everyday warriors” – ZOA includes vitamins, nutrients, caffeine and “powerful antioxidants from camu camu and l ‘acerola’. The product appears to blur the line between energy drinks and dietary supplements, with its description focusing on natural ingredients and immune system-boosting claims in addition to the expected energy intake.
Image source: Getty Images.
According to Johnson, his team, which includes the founder of private equity firm Juggernaut Capital Partners, John Shulman, researched and developed the drink over a period of a year and a half. Shulman says part of the process was “looking for where the white space is in the industry” or looking to create a product that is different enough from other energy drink offerings to stand out.
As the beer industry grapples with plummeting sales long before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Molson Coors has attempted to branch out into new beverage markets to regain momentum . Focusing on a strong demand for soft drinks, he recently unveiled a plan to increase its hard seltzer manufacturing capacity by 400%.
This decision could help him increase his profits in a beverage industry expected to reach $ 6.5 billion in the next four years. Today’s alliance gives it potential strong entry into the even larger energy drink sector, which is expected to reach $ 19.2 billion by 2024.
This article represents the opinion of the author, who may disagree with the “official” recommendation position of a premium Motley Fool consulting service. We are motley! Challenging an investment thesis – even one of our own – helps us all to think critically about investing and make decisions that help us become smarter, happier, and richer.