3 Trend Predictions for Non-Alcoholic Beverages

Consumers’ non-alcoholic beverage choices and preferences are evolving.

2020 was ripe for embracing the low- and no-alcohol trends, and consumers’ thirst for non-alcoholic beverages have continued to increase with attitudes towards moderation and balance becoming salient.

Using our US Non-Alcoholic Beverages dataset, we’ve taken a deep dive into three major shifts that are occurring within the category; Breaking Monotony, Enhance The Natural and Functional Health.

Utilising over 68 million, recent unprompted social and online conversations, we believe these are the trends that should be guiding your marketing and innovation strategy in 2022+.

Trend prediction quickly explained

You’ll see we’ve used our Trend Prediction Value (TPV) to rank the trends below. TPV is a scientific metric that ranks the thousands of conversation trends we’re continuously tracking by their future growth potential. Put simply, the higher the TPV ranking, the higher certainty that this trend will be growing in consumer conversation in 6-18 months. It enables brands to spot future growth opportunities earlier, and use a scientific measure to prioritise which trends to action in their innovation and marketing strategies.  



You can find out more about TPV and our Social Prediction tool, Trendscope here.  

Breaking Monotony

As many of us slowly ease out of covid restrictions, consumers are turning to new flavours and ingredients, hoping to regain some of the excitement and diversity that’s been missed over the past 18 months. Specifically, seasonal and international flavours are stimulating consumer’s interest, as they choose beverages that can break the humdrum of daily life and repetitive routine.  



Where to focus

Crafting an Experience

Customers are no longer consuming beverages as a means to an end. They are searching for products that can boost moods and create new experiences to share and remember. Drinks that can distinguish themselves from traditional formats and flavours, such as THC Drink (TPV #5) or Vietnamese Iced Coffee (TPV #59), will pique customer’s interest.   Flavour and Format Experimentation   With 21% of consumers showing greater interest in international flavours, brands should be prepared to innovate with rich and unique ingredients. New products such as Nimbu Pani (Indian Lemonade) (TPV #918) are gaining traction in the category whilst formats like Sparkling Lemonade (TPV #53) or techniques such as Cold Infusion (TPV #253) become increasingly popular.    

   

Enhance The Natural

Consumers want to know exactly what is in their drink. Increased concerns around artificial additives and general sugar levels are driving this space as consumers become more knowledgeable and aware of a product’s ingredients.  



Where to focus

Sugar and Unwanted Additives

Consumers want to be reassured that their drinks can be implemented as part of a holistic healthy lifestyle, and therefore low in sugar additives. Visible messaging such as Zero Sugar (TPV #1), Low Calorie (TPV #17) and Maintain Sugar Levels (TPV #260) are important to highlight on product labels.   Plant-based and Diet Friendly   Similarly, natural ingredients are a must for today’s consumer. Non-Diary Milk (TPV #900) and Chocolate Oat Milk (TPV #1627) as alternatives are becoming more popular with an emphasis on Vegan Ingredients (TPV #107) that the customer can identify and know where they originate from.

     

Functional Health

More consumers are drinking with purpose. Many are turning to beverages to help manage their weight and improve brain health. In a similar fashion to food and vitamins, consumers are now looking to beverages to aid nourishment and performance management.  



Where to focus

Weight Management and Cognitive Performance

Traditionally set within food and snacking, beverages are seeing a surge in consumers turning to drinks that aid weight management. Slimming Tea (TPV#2), feeling Full For Longer (TPV #110) and Flat Stomach (TPV #193) are prevalent micro trends that brands should focus in on when innovating new products.   Nutritional Needs   Consumers are reaching for drinks that easily provide the nutritional value they once would have gained from vitamins and supplements. Added Minerals (TPV #233) and High Nutritional Value (TPV #12) are key for product messaging.  



To dive even deeper into our predictions, you can download our Non-Alcoholic Beverages Prediction Report 2021 where you will find each micro trends mapped onto our maturity curve and specific competitor brand case studies.   Alternatively, if you have specific questions, one of our team would be happy to arrange a call.

How can our data help you?

Developing robust business strategies and ensuring a continuous stream of meaningful innovation within the pipeline is easy, right? Well, not quite. Marketing and Innovation teams are constantly challenged with predicting what trends are here to stay, and which are mere fads, now more than ever.   At Black Swan Data every trend we surface is organised into our proprietary Innovation Lens framework. Innovation Lenses allow us to identify and analyse all the trends within a particular area (e.g. benefit claims, products, ingredients, occasions, etc.) to understand how they compare and interrelate. We can then analyse them using techniques like network clustering to understand how similar trends ladder-up into macro growth drivers. Find out more about our solutions here.