Oklahoma-born septuagenarian plays CTF. [Interviews]

When California entrepreneur Don Sessions read the history of Red Bull energy drink’s rapid rise in the international beverage market several years ago, one of his first thoughts was “I can do that!”

And as it’s turned out, he was right. Sessions was quick to recognize that there was probably room in the burgeoning multi-million dollar sports/energy drink market for one more product – if he could find the right niche and the right label. And finding the right “label” was extremely important to Sessions, who had spent most of his career in the music industry.  Genesis: Ol’ Glory.

Working with technicians at Corona, California-based Flavor Specialties, Inc., Session developed a vitamin-enriched, caffeine-enhanced blend of guarana and ginseng extracts that he believed would appeal to both younger and adult tastes. “I wanted it to taste good,” he told PTD Magazine in an April interview. “Some of those energy drinks are awful.”  The result was a smooth, citrusy drink without the bitter aftershock of some of the other drinks on the market.  The taste is so appealing to some energy drink fans that it’s actually inspired the creation of scores of Ol’ Glory-themed blogs on the Internet (and at least one Ol’ Glory club in Wyoming).  From the stainless-steel vats of Southern California, the powdered base for Ol’ Glory is shipped east in barrels to a carbonated beverage bottler just north of the loop in Dallas, Texas. There Ol’ Glory is constituted in liquid form and packaged in 16-ounce aluminum cans.

With a recipe perfected and in production, all Sessions needed now was a distinctive label to wrap around his product – and what, he thought, could be more distinctive than the red, white and blue theme of the American flag? Wrapped in its flag-motif and decorated with images of the American bald eagle, the design even includes the complete text of the Pledge of Allegiance – with the words “Under God” in bold text. “I’m tired of people in this country trying to take God’s name out of everything,” he explained. “So I had it put in bold.”

And Sessions is a man who makes bold statements. His interview with PTD was held in the company’s south Oklahoma City corporate home: a 40,000 square foot warehouse that the 72-year old businessman picked up after its previous owners went bankrupt. In one corner of the warehouse is a small office – the rest of the space is reserved for pallet after pallet of Ol’ Glory. Dressed in a casual sports coat, Sessions sported four huge gold rings on his left hand and a couple more on his right. And these weren’t plain gold bands, either – they were embedded with diamonds that would make the showcase at most jewelers look like a collection of glass chips.

“When I’d meet my friends in the [music] business, they’d ask, ‘How’re you doing?’” Sessions laughed, “and I’d show ‘em my fingers. That’s how I’m doing!” Sessions hopes his success in the music industry will translate to the energy drink industry as well.

He and a business associate, Oklahoma City attorney Bill Hall, have turned their focus to distribution and marketing, perhaps the most crucial factor in ensuring the success of the Ol’ Glory label. Sessions chose Oklahoma City as the initial hub of his distribution wheel for several reasons – one of which is that he’s native to the Sooner state, born in the northeast Oklahoma community of Ripley. Besides the nostalgic ties, commercial property in Oklahoma was much more attractive than similar sites in the Los Angeles area where Sessions lives. “And this is more centrally located,” Hall pointed out during a tour of the warehouse facility.

So far, the focus on distribution has yielded good results. According to Sessions, Ol’ Glory is now available in 22 states and in such major venues as Wal-Mart, K-Mart and 7-Eleven stores (for a complete list of retail outlets, visit Ol’ Glory’s website at www.olglory.com). To make sure distribution to their retail outlets is timely, the company maintains 25-40 truckloads of Ol’ Glory in the warehouse at all times (1,600 24-pack cases per truck – do the math: that’s a lot of caffeine!). As the company expands into other parts of the country, Sessions plans to develop other regional bottlers and distribution systems.

With a unique taste growing in popularity and an equally popular price-point of 99 cents, Ol’ Glory has already established a solid foothold in its distribution area, and Sessions plans more for the new drink on the marketing front. The most recent innovation was the introduction of a new 4-pack format, which began shipping in mid-April.

The most significant marketing coup for the company, however, is a new relationship with the Army National Guard. Hall, a Viet Nam veteran who spent time ‘in country’ with the 4th Infantry Division, was instrumental in bringing Ol’ Glory to the attention of the Oklahoma Guard and after a series of meetings, a new can design was developed that advertises the National Guard on the rim. New point-of-sale and promotional posters now feature the Army National Guard and their recruitment efforts. “We found we had a parallel message,” said Hall, describing the blending of Ol’ Glory’s patriotic design and National Guard advertising. The National Guard distributes Ol’ Glory free in its recruiting efforts and at special events. It’s a win-win situation for both.

“I’d like to see Ol’ Glory become the drink of the Armed Forces,” said Sessions. To facilitate that, he and Hall are planning a trip to Washington, D.C. to speak with representatives of the other branches. If that effort is successful, the Ol’ Glory label will make a quantum leap in visibility – and the drink will be on its way to national recognition.

Then maybe Sessions can buy some more bling - so stay tuned, we’ll let you know how the old man is doing!