It’s a running joke in my family that my boyfriend doesn’t eat real food. His diet seems to consist of chocolate milkshakes, chocolate chip cookies and a variety of chocolate candy. However, at 33 years old, he’s recently become concerned with his diet and is making more of an effort to consume products with nutritional benefits.
While at Natural Products Expo West last month, it was clear that he isn’t the only male looking to add some nutrients in his diet with beverages. Although it was easy to see several new trends are driving the natural and organic segment, arguably one of the most important is a movement in packaging to appeal to a broader demographic of consumers.
Just as protein drinks once were marketed most strongly to male weight-lifters, health and wellness previously was a trend associated with women, and packaging designs were geared toward these demographics. However, as more and more of today’s consumers are growing concerned with maintaining their everyday nutrition, it’s become more important for these beverages to appeal to men as well as women.
KeVita, a kombucha brand, unveiled a major rebrand at the expo. The company noted that the rebrand was in an effort to appeal to a broader demographic. The most notable aspect of the rebrand is a new font. The previous font, with more flowing lines, did not appeal to men as much as the brand wanted. But the new font, with straighter edges, is clean-looking and not overly feminine.
With so many natural and organic products launching, the segment is becoming more competitive. Finding ways to draw more consumers to a brand through refreshed packaging and new campaigns might become more important as more consumers enter the market.