Smoothies may be the quintessential Millennial category — and Jamba Juice may be the quintessential Millennial brand. Forty percent of all 18-24 year olds, had a smoothie made fresh for them in the past month. That figure is more than 2X total adults (18%), and rivals past month penetration of Starbucks (44%, Mintel). Mention Jamba Juice in one of my Notre Dame marketing classes and you get immediate smiles and conversation. Jamba Juice is a brand that is loved, not just respected.

Little wonder then made to order smoothies are big business — $591 million in 2007. The average smoothie price is over $5.00. Jamba Juice is far and away the leader with a whopping 56% share, despite its generally higher price (a strong indicator of brand strength by any measure). In September, Jamba Juice was included in Inc. magazine’s list of the 500 fastest growing companies.

How did Jamba Juice become an iconic youth brand?

1. Authenticity: I met with a rep from Jamba Juice last spring. She told me JJ is uncompromising in its use of fresh fruit and quality ingredients, despite cost and competitive pressures.

2. Effective use of PR: Until recently, Jamba Juice had never made a TV commercial. Instead, it relies on great placement on shows like Dave Letterman. Click here to see his effort to see how many Spiderman can fit into a Jamba Juice store.

3. Innovative menu items: The addition of breakfast items gives customers another reason to visit.

4. Consistently fun personality: Whether you encounter JJ on the web, on YouTube, or in the store, the attitude is fun and a little quirky. I especially like the ‘chalk’ feature on JJ’s web site. Purpose? Who cares?!

5. Simplicity: Jamba Juice isn’t trying to be all things to all people. Research on top brands among trendsetting youth by Outlaw Consulting emphasizes simplicity of design and execution as a trademark of an iconic trendsetter brand.