Comparing 4 Sugar-Free Energy Drinks: A Survey. May 10, 2013 TECM

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3 Comparing 4 Sugar-Free Energy Drinks: A Survey May 10, 2013 TECM

4 Table of Contents Executive Summary... 1 Introduction... 2 Methods... 3 Results... 4 Conclusion & Recommendations... 5

5 Executive Summary College students commonly use energy drinks to stay alert while studying for classes. Increased consumption of energy drinks has created a diverse market, offering several options for the energyseeking student. Our team s goal was to determine how four popular sugar-free energy drink choices (Rockstar, Amp, Monster, and Red Bull) ranked in 3 categories: energy boost, taste, and jitters. 20 college students participated in the survey, ranking each drink individually in the 3 categories based on a scale of 0 to 5; 0 being the least satisfactory and 5 the most satisfactory. Surveyors were also encouraged to leave comments on the drinks. The survey results found that Rockstar was ranked with the best flavor and energy boost, and Amp gave surveyors the least amount of jitters. Also taken into consideration was the cost of each drink per ounce, since money is a primary concern among college students. Monster was found to be the cheapest at 11 cents per ounce, followed by Rockstar at 12 cents per ounce. Both Amp and Red Bull cost 18 cents per ounce. Overall, Rockstar was the most-liked and one of the cheaper options, and the sugar-free energy drink our group would recommend to college studnets. 1

6 Introduction College students have become reliant on energy drinks to get through their university career. With the large population of college students and a well-established university culture of late-night study and work sessions, energy drinks are more popular than ever. Several energy drink options are available to this target demographic, including healthier options, such as sugar-free versions of the original drinks. In this survey, we test the top four sugar-free energy drinks in the market: Mosnter, Rockstar, Red Bull, and Amp (Figure 1). The three main topics we ll be testing are taste, energy boost, and if it gives you a jitter feeling. The test was performed in a classroom surveying 20 college students. The price of each drink will also be taken into consideration. Figure 1: The four sugar-free energy drinks: Monster, Rockstar, Red Bull and Amp. 2

7 Methods Data Collection Method We used a fairly straightforward method for conducting our research. We surveyed exactly 20 people that were inside the UNT Auditorium building. We also made sure that our participants met the following criteria: Healthy enough to consume energy drinks No prior knowledge of the brand of energy drink the samples contained Setup Our setup was simple: 1. We assigned each drink a number 1 through We placed sample cups in rows of four, one for each sample. 3. We poured samples into the cups, only filling them about ¼ of the way. 4. We labeled the cups, signifying which sample number each cup represented. We only placed three rows at a time, to reduce the confusion as to which row they were supposed to drink. Procedure We followed the following procedure with every person that we recruited to take our survey: 1. We would state that the survey and research was for our TECM 2700 class. 2. We gave them the survey and informed them about what each category meant. 3. We explained in what order the samples were to be consumed. 4. We oversaw all of the participants while they tasted each sample, in order to avoid any incorrect results. 5. We put the completed surveys into a bag to prevent similar results of individuals based on others answers. 3

8 Results of Student Survey Average Surveyor Rating of 4 Sugar-Free Energy Drinks Average Score Rockstar Amp Redbull Monster 0 Taste Energy Boost Jitters Can size and Price per Ounce of4 Sugar-Free Energy Drinks Rockstar Amp Redbull Monster Can size (ounces) Price per Ounce (cents) 4

9 Conclusion Overall, the energy drink most highly preferred was Rockstar, earning high rating in taste and energy boost, despite also giving surveyors the most jitters. Additionally, many positive comments were left by surveyors regarding Rockstar s taste. Red Bull and Monster both performed poorly in the taste and energy boost categories. Amp scored moderately well in taste and energy boost, and gave surveyors the least jitters. Based off of purchase price, Monster and Rockstar are both cheaper per ounce than Amp and Red Bull. Recommendations Out of our results we ve gathered from the four energy drinks, Amp, Monster, Red Bull and Rockstar, we would like to consider trying Rockstar s sugar free energy drink. Although it does give you a bit more jitters than the other three drinks, the taste and energy are a great boost. We would like to recommend Rockstar s sugar-free energy drink not solely because of the taste and energy boost, but the positive comments surveyors left about it and the 2 nd cheapest price of the 4 drinks surveyed. 5