Industry Insights: Water as the New Soft Drink-Threat or Opportunity?
Summary
Industry Insights: Water as the New Soft Drink-Threat or Opportunity? explores how water can become the new soft drink as it successfully meets the demands for simplicity and health-supporting formulas. The report also explains how social media played an important role in sparking new interest in the hydration trend and water as the new demanded product.
Influenced by health-oriented trends, sugar taxes and growing awareness of the harmful impacts of ultra-processed foods, global consumers may reach for water as a healthier alternative to sugary fizzy drinks.
Scope
Social media might play a crucial part in driving the renewed interest in water, considering the global popularity of the hashtag #WaterTok, which emerged from the need to learn about new methods, tricks, and recipes to increase one's water intake.
As consumers' health awareness grows, they will continuously seek new products to help them stay hydrated and positively affect their wellbeing, thus brands can leverage social media to meet those demand and connect with buyers.
Particularly, enhanced waters can strengthen the position of water as a direct competition to other beverages, such as sports or energy drinks and act as the sweet spot between flavorful yet functional and health-oriented beverages.
Reasons to Buy
Learn how water can become the new it drink considering the constantly growing health-oriented trend.
Explore how brands can position water as an innovative and exciting product option, and tap into the current demands of the modern audience.
GlobalData's TrendSights overview
GlobalData's TrendSights framework overview
Mega-trend global evolution
Trend and market overview
Social media is one of the main drivers of the renewed interest in water
Enhanced water is forecast to present the highest growth in volume
Enhanced water to remain the leader in the future value growth
Energy drinks will lead the ranking in future volume and value growth for soft drinks
Brand challenges
Water's strong association with health and wellness will help position new launches
Brands will need to successfully establish water as a competition for other soft drinks
Clear product positioning will enable water to compete with other categories
Consumer preferences
Low price and high quality will dictate the perception of good value for money
Global audiences reports similar spending on water, juices, and carbonates
Energy drinks remain the most popular option among functional drinks
Fruit-flavored water is the most appealing choice for all generations
Innovation around the packaging will attract sustainability-focused consumers
Water enhancers can drive the innovation in cross-category developments
Product developments
Brands embrace the trend of Novel & Experimental through unusual flavors
Added benefits and new packaging options will stand out to the global audience
Take-aways
Global consumers may reach for water as a healthier alternative to sugary fizzy drinks
Buyers request high quality and low price, which will dictate new drinks positioning