Taco Bell's former boss says McDonald's is making a mistake with its new Red Bull drink
McDonald's has unveiled a new suite of drinks.
Taco Bell's former CEO says they miss the mark.
Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto Greg Creed, the former CEO of Taco Bell, has some harsh words for McDonald's new drink lineup.
In a LinkedIn screed, he said the Red Bull partnership was not distinctly "McDonald's." McDonald's new "Red Bull Dragonberry Energizer" will hit stores on August 17.
The former CEO of Taco Bell says McDonald's new drink menu lacks originality.
Greg Creed, who served as Taco Bell's chief marketing officer when the chain introduced the popular "Baja Blast" drink over 20 years ago, shared some feedback this week on McDonald's new menu of "refresher" drinks.
"Any brand could have come up with these flavors," Creed wrote on LinkedIn.
"If I was McDonald's, I'd be thinking how to make those beverages distinctively McDonald's in design and name." This month, the golden arches announced a new partnership with Red Bull and unveiled the "Dragonberry Energizer," the company's first foray into energy drinks.
McDonald's has expanded its drinks offering and recently revamped the look of its beverage sub-brand, McCafé, as part of a play for a demographic drawn to a more youthful, playful drink experience .
The company told analysts on a February earnings call that it sees a more than $100 billion growth opportunity in beverages globally.
Drinks typically carry higher margins than many food offerings and can help drive customer frequency throughout the day, making them an increasingly important growth engine for chains seeking new revenue streams.
Starbucks has seen major success with its caffeinated refreshers , which it says have grown into a $2 billion business and are now its second-best-selling beverage platform behind espresso.
The latest drink from McDonald's, a partnership with Red Bull, will be available in US restaurants starting August 17.
The company also announced new vanilla flavor alterations to its existing Coke drinks.
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