There are many views as to what constitutes a new product. One of such views is an imitative product. Imitative products are products that are new to a particular company but not new to the market. During July 2002, Dr Pepper/Seven Up, Inc., the largest non-cola enterprise in North America, introduced Red Fusion to the market. In addition to Red Fusion, Dr Pepper/Seven Up, Inc. soft drink brands consist of Dr Pepper, 7 Up, A&W Root Beer, Sunkist, Canada Dry, Hawaiian Punch, Schweppes, and Squirt.
Red Fusion is a new translucent, dark red, caffeineated soft drink that is part of the Dr Pepper family. The package graphics feature Red Fusion logo. The background color is red, with black graphics and the word "red" in red and the word "fusion" in white. Below the word "red" is a small circle displaying Dr Pepper brand logo. The new beverage contains a variety of fruit flavors and the basic flavor of Dr Pepper. It is available in 12-packs of 12-ounce aluminum cans, 2-liter plastic bottles, and 20-ounce single serve plastic bottles. Red Fusion can be found in convenience stores, grocery stores, drug stores, vending machines, and mass merchandise retail stores.
Red Fusion's unique personality and originality is emphasized in its advertising. One of the radio ads states, "You put that X factor in a bottle and that's Red Fusion. It's the lone wolf, the loose cannon, the Under boss, the rogue cop." This radio ad is stating that Red Fusion is the best of the best. Red Fusion also has four commercials. Two of the television advertisements are from the perspective of young male adults who are savoring every last drop of Red Fusion in their bottles. A young male is sitting in his car waiting for the last drop of Red Fusion and the voice over compares discovering the great taste of the new drink with discovering oxygen on Mars; "You don't waste this stuff." The second commercial basically points out that Red Fusion is better than other flavored drinks.
