Founded in 2004, CELSIUS energy drinks were initially enjoyed by athletes. Now, like many energy drinks, the beverage is popular amongst everyday consumers.

Kyle Watson, chief marketing officer (CMO) for CELSIUS, Boca Raton, Fla., notes that the energy drink market has continued to experience rapid growth. This upward trend in the popularity of energy drinks can be credited to consumers’ increased demand for better-for-you, refreshing energy drink options.

“With so many big players in the space, the category is consistently competitive and ever-evolving,” Watson notes. “Particularly in an era where consumers are shifting to more health-focused lifestyles and pursuing everyday wellness, functional energy beverage like CELSIUS are driving rapid growth in the category.”

Founded on fitness and committed to providing better-for-you options, Watson states that CELSIUS continues to dominate the space and disrupt the market through best-in-class innovation, bringing variation to the category when consumers need it most.

“Consumers, particularly those in Gen Z, are showing a larger interest in active lifestyles and everyday wellness,” she says. “They are looking for an energy beverage with better-for-you ingredients that are functional and supportive of not only their fitness goals, but their day-to-day lives.”

Such behaviors toward beverages also are translating over to alcohol consumption, Watson adds, where there is an uptick in demand for mocktails and alcohol alternatives.

The CMO explains that CELIUS was created with vitamins B and C and with zero sugar. Athletes, students, working professionals and more can feel good about drinking the beverage, she adds.

“It’s not only our ingredients that set us apart — CELSIUS encourages people to LIVE FIT and incorporate this mindset into their everyday lifestyle,” Watson says.

As for how CELSIUS works to deliver on consumer trends, she says that the brand has worked to leverage the “Gen-Z-ennial”-led wellness trend around less alcohol consumption with refreshing, curated mocktail recipes that consumers can enjoy on any occasion.

“We have an arsenal of refreshing recipes for consumers to try, including our Tropical Vibe CELSI-Rita and Breakaway Berry Blast, which is featured at Breakaway Music Festival concessions,” Watson says, noting the music festival presented by CELSIUS.

With a growing interest in everyday wellness, she notes that the brand has made a continued effort to meet consumers where they live, work and play in order to tap into different consumption occasions.

“Our LIVE FIT ideology goes beyond the gym and is intended to inspire consumers that are motivated to be their best selves in everything they do,” Watson explains. “While CELSIUS was born in fitness, it has evolved into a lifestyle energy drink that fits into every occasion, including studying, nights out, music festivals and more.”

She notes that the brand recognizes the music festival space as one characterized by consumers looking for energized, memorable experiences — and CELSIUS’ products fit perfectly into that segment.

“Activating at festivals enables us to forge emotional connections with our target consumers through the transformative and experiential power of music,” Watson says. “We’ve activated in this space largely through our Essential Vibes Tour, our owned, curated tour of the best festivals and music events across the nation that enables consumers to fully immerse themselves in unforgettable experiences.”

Breakaway Music Festival, with upcoming dates in Concord, N.C. (Sept. 27-28), Nashville, Tenn. (Oct. 11-12) and San Francisco (Oct. 25-26), was featured on CELSIUS’ Essential Vibes Tour.

“There’s great synergy in the partnership between CELSIUS and Breakaway Music Festival, as we both aim to foster a strong sense of community and provide festivalgoers with elevated, memorable experiences at each stop on the tour,” Watson shares. “We are more than energy, and they are more than music, and together, we’ve formed a strong partnership grounded in created unique and unforgettable moments for our consumers.”

On festival grounds, fans can experience an immersive CELSIUS activation with full-can sampling of various flavors, interactive photo moments and CELSIUS mocktails at concessions. At select stops, there is an opportunity for meet-and-greets with performers.

“In a continued effort to activate in the fitness space, CELSIUS launched the ‘Road to Breakaway,’ where select stops on tour are preceded by a sponsored work out class at BARRY’s,” Watson adds. “Attendees can sip on CELSIUS and work out before the festival to live music performed by artists on the tour, showcasing the transformative power of music and fitness.”

Watson notes that, while the brand dominates the music festival space with the Essential Vibes Tour and presenting sponsorship of Breakaway, it also is establishing cultural relevance across various consumer segments through strategic partnerships, whether it be with sports leagues or celebrities.

“CELSIUS continues to dominate and disrupt the energy game while driving the LIVE FIT lifestyle to consumers across the globe,” she concludes.