Drinks That Deliver
When it comes to ready-to-drink energy, nutritional and sports drinks, “better-for-you” gets the consumer’s attention. Consumers want healthful refreshments that are going to deliver on what they say they will do, says Gary Hemphill, managing director of research for New York-based Beverage Marketing Corp. It used to be that the consumer would try virtually anything that was new on the shelf, but now the product needs to not only be unique, but also meet consumers’ specific needs for them to try it, he adds.
Trends with traction
Energy drink companies are certainly aware of the consumer preference for healthful refreshments and have begun repositioning their products as a source of healthful energy, states global market researcher Mintel in its October 2012 report, “Food & Drink — Sports and Energy Drinks.” This repositioning is meant to move consumers away from the negative health perceptions that have previously surrounded energy drinks.
Energy drinks are now using ingredients such as ginkgo biloba, green tea, unroasted green coffee bean extracts and ginseng for natural energy sources, Mintel says. Additionally, artificial flavors and colors increasingly are being replaced with all-natural and organic ingredients, and processed sugars are being replaced with natural sweeteners such as agave and cane juice.
This repositioning seems to be working. Chicago-based Information Resources Inc. finds energy drinks to be the fastest-growing category of 2013, with U.S. retail energy drink dollar sales increasing 3.5 percent and unit sales increasing 5.4 percent for the year.
Trends on the horizon
While energy drinks have been popular for quite some time, protein drinks have also become popular in recent years. And the market is still wide open for development. Mintel reports that globally, high-protein claims account for only 3 percent of global sports drink introductions. And in the United States, high-protein claims account for 7 percent of introductions.
As protein drinks become more popular, look for concepts that combine energy with protein in a shot format to appear, reports Mintel. Consumers desire quick and convenient solutions, and protein/energy shots could deliver on both counts.
Additionally, Mintel advises protein drink manufacturers to widen their consumer base to include women. For instance, it reports that 60 percent of women who eat healthful snacks believe that high protein content is an important attribute. However, calorie-conscious female consumers will not be attracted to the high calorie counts found in typical protein drinks. Some manufacturers are already aware of this reality and are developing low-calorie protein drinks for consumers.
“We have a few products in development right now that will be able to make the claim of 0 calories from fat and less than 100 calories per serving,” says Steve Fay, executive vice president of Roscoe, Ill.-based Berner Food & Beverage Inc. “They will provide about 13 grams of protein per 7.5-oz. serving and will contain all-natural gluten-free ingredients.”
Currently, Berner Food & Beverage provides a protein energy shake that contains 25 grams of protein per serving and is available in Chocolate, Coffee and Vanilla flavors.