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What started as the Fresh Juice company in 1930, Hansen Beverage Co has thrived on energy drinks and is pumped with success in the US through its Monster energy brand.

Outsourcing manufacturing and distribution keeps Hansen lean – it markets through extreme sporting events and in store promotions, a bold player in an $18.7 billion industry with double digit annual growth. In 2006, 79% of purchases were through the convenience sector, with just 16% through the grocery channel.

Now a US Fortune 100 company selling 16oz cans of Monster, plus L Carb variants, Energy Juice Khaos and coffee based Java Monster, more recent launches include M80 with 80% juice.

It is now planning to launch in the UK market in February 2008 – going head to head with Red Bull, Relentless, Boost and a host of others including Irn-Bru 32 and Rockstar through AG Barr.

Founder Rodney Sacks spoke at our Global Congress in Madrid last year. “Monster is a brand with attitude - aggressive, sinister, mysterious, cool and fun. Monster is about action sports, rock music, partying, chicks, living life on the edge and going big.”

In the US, Monster sponsors the entire <1> race team, SCORE Baja 1000, X games - a multi action sport event, Dakar Rally, NHRA drag racing and Moto GP, to name a few.

As Sacks went on to explain: “Monster is a grass roots brand that can’t be built from a headquarters. It had a massive sampling of 1.5 million cans delivered peer to peer in 2006. This youth cult integration is key to Monster’s success.

CAT teams are collegiate ambassador teams who give away samples at large colleges and universities with 10,000 plus students. The CATs ensure Monster is at all the right parties and study halls are stocked with Monster during finals week. Established marketing partners such as <2>, <3>, <1> lend credibility to the brand.

The image focused website is kept fresh with daily news and events. Monster tries to reach out to consumers in new ways. For instance, the Las Vegas mono rail has 35,000 visitors and has Monster in-car video screens featuring action sports. Apparently, Monster vending machines are outselling water vending machines in Vegas.

Recent promotions include tickets to <4>, an across the states <5>, <6> and even one week at Cape Woodward with mountain bike maestro Dave Mirra.

So where next for the Monster invasion - Ireland, Germany, Scandinavia, Russia - the Netherlands? We’ll be hiding under the covers but watching intently.

<1>: http://www.kawasaki.com <2>: http://www.billabong.com <3>: http://www.makita.com <4>: http://www.supercross.com <5>: www.warpedtour.net <6>: http://www.ozzfest.com