If it feels like everything we drink these days is touted as having some kind of "new and improved" feature, Beverage Industry magazine's recently published 2014 State of the Industry report reveals that the products making the biggest waves are the ones providing novel, often trendy, benefits.
The functional and sensational needs these new products satisfy are delighting consumers, innovators, and marketers alike. Combined with new information from IRI that "15% of consumers will increase usage of premium brands in the next 12 months," innovative beverage products are well-positioned to succeed.
How fulvic is your water? Image source: getblk.com
One factor playing an influential role in their growth and popularity is the attention brands have placed on developing products for specific audiences and unique drinking occasions. Thanks in part to renewed support in research and development by companies like Coca-Cola and PepsiCo, and venture capital-funded startups and entrepreneurs experimenting with obscure or exotic ingredients, consumers are enjoying the freedom they have to control and shape their health, mood, and identity any time of day.
