New Aquafina FlavorSplash line targets teens and families
October 1, 2013
Purchase, N.Y.-based PepsiCo extended its Aquafina brand with Aquafina FlavorSplash sparkling waters and liquid concentrates. These new zero-calorie products were designed to provide great-tasting, better-for-you beverage options for teens and parents, the company says.
As Farmington Hills, Mich.-based Living Essentials LLC’s 5 Hour Energy brand suggests in its advertising, “that 2:30 feeling” can be difficult for many consumers to overcome. In fact, that mid-afternoon slump, or “post-lunch dip,” is a natural part of humans’ internal clock, which creates the urge to sleep approximately seven hours after waking, according to a 2007 New York Times article.
Whether it’s low-calorie varieties, energy-boosting ingredients or popular flavor trends, the drink mix category has seen a wave of innovations that help it remain competitive in the beverage marketplace.
Advancements in soluble fibers have given beverage developers a whole new set of tools for delivering products that help to fill the fiber gap. Although even the savviest of consumers might not know the difference between inulin and oligofructose, they are beginning to explore the growing number of fiber-rich options available outside of the bread and snack bar categories.
Established brands continue to lead the drink mix category, although some varieties did experience contraction in the last year. The overall drink mix category grew 1.6 percent for more than $609.7 million in sales for the 52 weeks ending May 15 in U.S. supermarkets, drug stores, gas and convenience stores and mass merchandise outlets, excluding Wal-Mart, according to SymphonyIRI Group, Chicago. Fruit drink mixes made up a majority of the category with $590 million in sales, which represents a 1.6 percent growth.
