Is Brisk Iced Tea discontinued?

Brisk Iced Tea is a popular brand of iced tea that has been around since the early 1990s. It is known for its bold, refreshing taste and wide variety of flavors. However, there have been some rumors circulating recently that Brisk could be discontinued soon. In this article, we will examine the evidence to determine if Brisk Iced Tea is being discontinued or not.

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Background on Brisk Iced Tea

Brisk was launched in the United States in 1992 by the Lipton Tea Company. It was one of the first ready-to-drink iced tea brands sold nationally in the US. Brisk was marketed as a bolder, more flavorful alternative to other iced tea brands available at the time.

Some key facts about Brisk Iced Tea:

Owned by PepsiCo since 2000 when Pepsi acquired the Lipton Tea Company.
Sold under the Pepsi Lipton Tea Partnership, a joint venture between PepsiCo and Unilever.
Comes in a variety of flavors including: Regular, Lemon, Peach, Mango Pineapple, Green Tea, Blood Orange, Dragonfruit, Strawberry Acai, Half & Half Lemonade Tea, Southern Sweet Tea, Pink Lemonade Tea, Cranberry Apple, Citrus.

Available in full calorie and lower calorie/diet varieties.
Sold as a bottled drink, as well as in cans and small cartons.
Brisk is credited with making iced tea a popular, mainstream drink in the US.

Brisk has remained a top selling ready-to-drink iced tea brand over the past three decades, despite strong competition from brands like Lipton, Pure Leaf, Arizona, Gold Peak and others. However, there have been recent online reports from consumers that Brisk products are disappearing from store shelves, sparking rumors and speculation that Brisk may be discontinued soon.

Evidence Supporting the Discontinuation Rumors

There are several pieces of evidence that give credence to the rumors that Brisk Iced Tea may be discontinued:

Reduced availability in stores – Many consumers have reported on forums and social media that they are unable to find certain Brisk products in stores lately. This includes major national retail chains like Walmart, Target and convenience store chains where Brisk was previously widely available.

Flavor selections discontinued – Over the past couple years, some unique Brisk flavor varieties like Dragonfruit and Blood Orange have quietly disappeared from store shelves, indicating the brand may be scaling back production.
Brand website offline – The official website for Brisk (Brisk.com) is no longer online and the domain appears to be available for purchase now. Brands don’t typically shut down websites unless there are major changes happening behind the scenes.
Changes in brand marketing – Brisk’s advertising and other brand marketing efforts seem to have declined recently. The brand was known for big marketing campaigns and partnerships in the past, but it has had a much lower profile over the past year or so.

While none of this concrete evidence points definitively to Brisk shutting down, when taken together these factors understandably have consumers concerned about the brand’s future. Many nostalgic Brisk drinkers have taken to the internet to lament the idea of Brisk disappearing from store shelves.

Evidence Refuting the Discontinuation Rumors

However, there are also some indications that the rumors of Brisk’s demise could be overblown or false:

Still available in some regions – While Brisk’s availability may have decreased nationally, there are regional areas where it appears Brisk products are still widely sold. This suggests any changes are likely strategic business decisions rather than a full discontinuation.

Core flavors still in market – Even if some flavors have been dropped, Brisk’s most popular flavors like regular, lemon, and peach green tea still seem to be available in most markets.
Active social media pages – Brisk’s official social media pages on Instagram and Facebook are still actively posting content as of October 2022. The pages regularly interact with followers and share new recipes, suggesting the brand is still supported.
Parent companies still prominently feature it – PepsiCo and Lipton still list Brisk on their websites as an active brand. It seems unlikely they would do this if Brisk was being phased out long-term.

While Brisk seems to be dialing back its availability and marketing efforts, it’s quite possible the brand is simply going through a refresh. Large corporations regularly re-evaluate their brand strategies, which can sometimes lead to quiet changes in distribution and packaging. There are strategic reasons why a large brand might pull back temporarily rather than it being a permanent discontinuation.

Historical Context on Discontinued PepsiCo Brands

To better evaluate the likelihood of Brisk being discontinued, we can look at how PepsiCo has handled axing brands in the past:

Crystal Pepsi – This clear cola drink was heavily marketed in the early 90s but pulled from shelves by 1994 due to low sales. Pepsi later briefly re-released it for limited runs in 2015 and 2018 due to consumer nostalgia, but it has not returned since.

Pepsi Vanilla – Launched in 2003 but discontinued just two years later in 2005. It was brought back for a limited time in 2010.
Pepsi Blue – This bright blue colored cola debuted in 2002 and was discontinued the same year. It has not returned since its very short-lived first release.
Sprite Remix – Introduced caffeinated flavors of Sprite in 2003 before being cancelled in 2005. No revival releases to date.

Sierra Mist Cranberry Splash – Added to the Sierra Mist line briefly in 2012 before being cut again by 2014.

Based on these examples, PepsiCo has generally removed underperforming products entirely rather than scaling back production. The brands they cancelled were off the market for good, with short-lived nostalgia re-releases the only exception in a few cases.

Since Brisk still appears available in at least limited capacity, it suggests the brand may not be headed for permanent discontinuation yet.

Potential Strategic Reasons for Brisk’s Changes

If Brisk is not shutting down completely, what are some potential reasons behind their recent shift in distribution and marketing?

Focus on most profitable flavors –Brisk may be paring down their portfolio to double down on their bestselling flavors like lemon and Fruit Punch.
Shift resources to faster growing products – PepsiCo could be redirecting some of Brisk’s budget to support brands seeing better growth.

Marketing to specific demographics –The brand may be cutting back on mass market advertising to focus marketing only to their core customer segments.
Supply chain cost savings –Discontinuing some flavors/packages could be reducing production costs.
Preparing for a future relaunch – Brisk may be planning to come back in the future with new branding, formulations, or packaging. Short term reductions can sometimes be strategic.

These types of strategic business decisions can allow brands to streamline operations, lower costs, and set themselves up for future growth. While they may result in reduced visibility for consumers in the short term, it does not automatically mean Brisk is gone forever.

Conclusion

In summary, while there are definite signs that Brisk Iced Tea has reduced its availability and marketing support over the past couple years, there is not enough evidence to conclusively say the brand is permanently discontinued at this time. The likely explanation is that parent company PepsiCo is going through a period of re-evaluating Brisk’s business strategy, which may include concentrating on fewer flavors, packages, and retail regions.

However, Brisk still appears to be actively promoted on social media and core flavors remain on shelves in many areas. PepsiCo’s past brand cancellations were typically much more clear and final compared to how Brisk seems to be managed currently. There are logical strategic motivations behind limiting a brand’s focus that do not necessarily mean discontinuation forever.

Brisk fans understandably are nervous about the brand’s future and clamoring for more information from PepsiCo. But at this point, the brand still seems to be active in at least a portion of its previous scope. While its distribution and marketing is apparently being reduced, there is not definitive proof that Brisk Iced Tea has been discontinued outright. Consumers will have to wait and see whether PepsiCo ends up reviving the brand to its previous levels or if Brisk continues to quietly fade from shelves.