How C4 is positioning itself as ‘an athlete’s drink’ to stand out in the crowded energy drink market

C4 initially started out as a pre-workout mix in locker rooms across the country; this year, it’s set to generate $1 billion in sales. C4 owes much of its growing brand awareness to the various deals it has struck with sports teams and leagues. Back in 2021, C4 struck its first-ever major league sports partnership when it sponsored Austin FC. Its first-ever global marketing campaign that same year featured then-NFL draft picks Justin Fields and Kyle Pitts, Lonzo Ball of the Chicago Bulls, and WNBA star Te’a Cooper. Since then, C4’s momentum has only grown.

In February, C4 announced multi-year sponsorship deals with the Boston Celtics, New York Knicks and Miami Heat. This year, the brand is also continuing its partnership with the WWE by sponsoring this month’s Wrestlemania tournament. C4’s sports marketing playbook continues to evolve as it looks for new white space. After a Supreme Court ruling in 2021 paved the way for college athletes to start profiting off of their name, image and likeness, C4 started focusing more on NIL deals, for example.

“When NIL started in July 2021, everyone was just moving as quickly as they could, and we did the same,” Katie Geyer, vp of talent and partnerships at Nutrabolt, told Modern Retail. “We wanted to be leaders in the space by being in the forefront.” 

Geyer said that, over the years, as the energy drinks category has gotten busy, the company refined its strategy to own the space as an athlete’s drink. “We were born and bred in the locker room in the gym, so coming back with this campaign made for athletes and certified for sports felt like coming home.” 

She also pointed to the growing energy drink interest among young people as a big opportunity. “A lot more Gen Z and younger people are turning to it,” Geyer said. In recent years, she added, energy drinks have become an alternative to a number of beverage categories, including coffee and alcohol.

A substantial portion of this demographic is now in college or just out of college and has a big overlap with sports fan bases. “With C4, we want to bring it back to athletes and sports,” Geyer said. 

Given C4’s sports origins, Geyer said, “We’ll let the other energy drinks have the gamers and nightlife parties.” She added that the drink’s formula has been tested and certified by the National Science Foundation, meaning it was found to not have any of the 290 substances banned by athletic associations. “A lot of drinks do not do that, so players can feel really safe and confident in what they’re putting in their bodies,” she said.

This positioning is also what has helped C4 land a number of sports deals, Geyer said. “We see that most of these incredible performers are obsessed with C4 and actually request it all the time.”

In the last couple of years, NFL players have become a big part of C4’s ambassadorship program. “We have talent like Cam Ward, Quinn Ewers, Bijan Robinson and CJ Stroud,” Geyer said.

This year, the brand will place a big focus on the NBA. “That was our first toe dip in the league,” Geyer said. Moments like March Madness are also important. This year, C4 launched its Bracket Breakers campaign, where it “drafted” one male athlete and one female athlete from every team that made the NCAA tournament. Among them are Auburn basketball star Johni Broome and Madison Booker of the Texas Longhorns at the University of Texas at Austin. Along with paid media advertising, C4 will also be doing sampling events on the campuses involved. 

Beyond sponsorships and sampling events, C4 is also looking for more ways to position itself as an athlete’s drink year-round. Last September, the company opened the C4 Performance Center, a 70,000-square-foot facility that serves as a hub for the brand’s athlete influencers. Geyer said the talent is encouraged to stop by to train in private and stock up on products. The athletes also use the facility to create social content on behalf of C4.

Anjali Bal, associate professor of marketing at Babson College, whose focuses include sports marketing, said there is growing competition in the energy category when it comes to sports marketing. “Because C4 came out of sports, it makes sense they want to stay present within that space,” she said.

At the same time, Bal said many of the better-for-you energy brands are the most interested in reaching Gen Z. “That’s because when we look at the sales of healthy energy drinks, it is Gen Z that’s driving that market, with millennials being a secondary focus,” she said.

Bal added, “The NIL has presented a lot of these companies with access to Gen Z.” Shortly after C4 announced its Bracket Breakers campaign, Celsius unveiled a similar initiative. Brands can also tap specific groups within Gen Z. Bal went on to add, “Women in sports actually have a lot of engagement, whether it’s within the NCAA, women’s volleyball or the WNBA.” 

Through the presence across professional and collegiate sports, Geyer said C4 is trying to drive enough awareness to stay on people’s minds. “We’re trying to drive NPS and drive that association so that we become the choice at point of purchase,” she said.

Online impressions and engagement are also tracked when these campaigns roll out. “We are extremely ROI-focused at Nutribolt, and everything we do ultimately drives down the funnel,” Geyer said. The success of specific market investments is measured by retail sales data. “For example, with the Miami Heat partnership, we’ve seen a 60% lift in C4 sales in the Miami market.”

C4 also likes to partner with specific regional retailers as part of these campaigns. For example, in Boston with the Celtics, C4 is working with local grocery chain Market Basket on a promotional program to help drive sales in the area.

Geyer said C4’s plans for 2025 will revolve around “taking the partners we already have and then doubling down on relevant sports moments.” The next moment will be a sponsorship of WrestleMania in Las Vegas later this month.

“Sure, showing up at a music festival would be cool,” Geyer said. “But if we try to do everything, we’ll end up mixed up in the sea of energy drinks.”