Rush! Energy® Energizes Brand with Lite Product, New Packaging

The Monarch Beverage Company, an Atlanta-based international beverage corporation, has launched a non-caloric version of its popular Rush! Energy® brand, dubbed Rush! Energy Lite®. The company also is unveiling the original Rush! Energy -- previously available in 8.3-ounce cans only -- in a new 16-ounce can. Both products are now in nationwide distribution to supermarkets, convenience stores and other outlets.

The Monarch Beverage Company, an Atlanta-based international beverage corporation, has launched a non-caloric version of its popular Rush! Energy® brand, dubbed Rush! Energy Lite®. The company also is unveiling the original Rush! Energy -- previously available in 8.3-ounce cans only -- in a new 16-ounce can. Both products are now in nationwide distribution to supermarkets, convenience stores and other outlets. With a refreshing fruit taste and dynamic packaging, Rush! Energy has carved out a niche in the competitive energy drink segment. Monarch developed the new packaging and no-calorie version to further solidify its place in a rapidly growing and diversifying market. The popularity of energy drinks is undeniable, noted Kevin McClanahan, Monarch's chief operating officer. In 2000, worldwide sales of energy drinks were $130 million, and they are expected to be $200 million in 2005. "We saw great opportunity in the low-calorie sub-segment, so we developed Rush! Energy Lite to capitalize on it. Likewise, there is growing demand for larger servings among energy-drink consumers. The 16-ounce serving of Rush! Energy delivers a double-rush to those who want the extra boost." Monarch has firmly positioned Rush! Energy as the price-value leader in the energy drink market. Suggested retail pricing for the new 16-ounce can is $1.99, and is $1.59 for the original Rush! Energy and the new Rush! Energy Lite. The non-alcoholic, carbonated Rush! Energy is a mix of caffeine, taurine and B-complex designed to increase energy and endurance, and improve concentration, stimulate metabolism and boost reaction speed. The beverage also provides 100 percent of the recommended daily requirement of Vitamin C and contains D-Glucuronolactone, a natural substance that helps remove toxins from the body. Rush! Energy Lite provides all the same benefits, but with no sugar, carbohydrates or calories. In a Southeastern regional taste test conducted in June 2002, consumers preferred the taste of the original Rush! Energy to the category leader. Sixty-four percent of participants rated the taste of Rush! Energy in the top two preference choices in a spectrum ranging from "like extremely" to "dislike extremely," while only 18 percent said they enjoyed the category leader to the same degree.