.png)
.webp)
It was a hot summer in 1935. Hubert Hansen and his sons went to the street corner in Corona, California, to sell the family’s homemade fruit juices. This small stand would eventually become Hansen’s Natural Soda.
The history of Monster Energy was built on this humble street-side hustle.
Hubert Hansen and his three sons led the family juice and soda company. During the Great Depression, people were looking for ways to make money.
They built their small juice company in Southern California in 1935.
You might be asking, what does Hansen’s have to do with Monster Energy?
Well, this humble juice business would eventually evolve over eight decades to become the most significant energy drink on the market.
In the 1970s, Hubert Hansen had a grandson named Tim. Being an ambitious kid, Tim took over the family juice business.
Tim had many modern ideas for expanding the business into new product lines, including sodas and bottled drinks.
Tim was able to combine his grandfather’s wisdom with fresh ideas and marketing savvy, modernizing the family company pretty quickly.
However, not all good things last forever.
In 1988, Hansen’s, the 50-year-old family-run company, filed for bankruptcy due to changing consumer trends, marking a dramatic turning point. Those pesky trends!
California CoPackers Corporation purchased the company’s assets, which led to its relaunch as Hansen Natural Company, like a phoenix rising from the ashes.
Now, we turn to the 1990s, and energy drinks are starting to become popular. Think Red Bull and Bolt.
Hansen Natural Company recognized the emerging popularity of energy drinks and pivoted its business to capitalize on this trend.
Let’s say they timed the market just right. They entered the market and focused on developing a high-quality energy drink product that led to tremendous success. This is how Monster Energy was born, and it would turbo-drive their growth throughout the next decade or so—kind of like a rocket ship.
In 2012, Hansen Natural Company rode high (not that high!) on the success of its Monster Energy line.
It was so successful that they put the old Hansen’s name in the shed. The Monster Beverage Corporation rebranded as its energy drinks were dominating all its sales.
No more old-timey names or strategies. This was Monster all the way to the moon.
.webp)
Monster Beverage Corporation became so big on the global beverage landscape that it captured a dominant 39% share by 2020.
It’s too bad that old man Hanson wasn’t around what became of his little juice stand.
Monster became a household name, reshaping the $86 billion energy drink industry.
Now, you might be thinking, what does Coca-Cola have to do with this story? In 2015, Monster Energy and Coca-Cola executed a strategic asset swap, with Coca-Cola acquiring Hansen’s juice brands while Monster gained Coke’s energy drink line.
Monster probably got the better deal. But I guess time will tell.
But it actually made a lot of sense.
This mutually beneficial deal allowed both companies to focus on their core strengths. Monster consolidated its position in the energy drink market, and Coca-Cola expanded its fruit juice empire.
In 2016, Monster Energy took its life to the fast lane. It secured a game-changing partnership as the title sponsor for NASCAR’s premier Cup Series.
This multi-year deal catapulted Monster Energy’s brand visibility to new heights. It aligned its high-octane image with America’s most popular racing circuit. It cemented its position as a cultural icon on and off the track. However, I wonder if those NASCAR drivers are actually drinking the stuff? Do you really want to be jittery behind the wheel?
Monster Beverage Corporation eventually reached $3 billion in annual revenue and now employs over 2,000 folks.
We can only assume how much growth it has left. With aggressive expansion strategies and a strong market presence, I’m sure they’ll continue to grow in the fast lane.
.png){kind=logo}
.webp)
.webp)
.webp)