Last spring, PLEZi introduced itself to the world with better-for-you juice beverages for kids and at Natural Products Expo West 2024, the public benefit company announced its latest innovation, PLEZi FiZZ. These new carbonated fruit drinks are launching in three flavors—Cherry Limeade, Strawberry Lemonade and Lemon Lime Squeeze—that aim to entice tweens and teens while offering a satisfying alternative to sugary sodas.
PLEZi Nutrition, co-founded by former First Lady Michelle Obama, is not only on a mission to lower the sugar content in beverages, it also aims to adjust kids palates' to less sweet drinks. "In beverages specifically, there are a lot of no- and low-calorie drinks, but many tend to rely on being incredibly sweet as their core strategy, and that is shaping kids' palates," says PLEZi Nutrition co-chair Sam Kass.
Kid-Friendly Carbonated Fruit Drinks
PLEZi FiZZ is a Healthier Bubbly Beverage for Tweens & Teens
Trend Themes
1. Healthier Carbonated Beverages - Opportunity to cater to health-conscious tweens and teens with lower sugar carbonated fruit drinks.
2. Kid-focused Flavored Drinks - Creating unique flavors targeted at tweens and teens to provide satisfying alternatives to sugary sodas.
3. Palate Adjusting Products - Developing beverages that help shift preferences towards less sweet drinks for kids.
Industry Implications
1. Beverage Manufacturing - Innovate within the beverage industry by creating healthier carbonated drink options for younger consumers.
2. Health Food Industry - Tap into the health food sector by offering kid-friendly flavored drinks with reduced sugar content.
3. Nutritional Product Development - Explore opportunities in developing products that help adjust children's palates towards less sweetness in beverages.