Drinking

Implications - Brands that offer coffee are highlighting the natural antioxidant properties of the beverages, or are actually enhancing them by infusing them with extra antioxidants. Where once coffee was perceived as being unhealthy because of the sugary and calorie-rich additives that consumers became accustomed to, the rise of craft coffee culture has extended to include this deliberate shift in marketing that appeals to consumers' nutrition-related preferences. [More]

Implications - Brands are utilizing robots and artificial intelligence in order to curate automated bartending experiences for consumers. These robots and environments cater to the experimental drinking culture that has become so popular among consumers, and has the added benefit of offering efficient personalization. [More]

Implications - Brands have taken note of the popularity of rosé among Millennials, and are beginning to infuse the beverage into their food products in order to boost their appeal to this age group. The infusion of rosé into desserts elevates their "Instagrammability," enabling brands to authentically expand their online presence. [More]

Implications - Ingestible products that claim to enhance beauty are more frequently coming in liquid "shot" forms that offer quick and simple forms of delivery. Apart from the convenience they offer, the branding and formula of such products offer a medicinal quality that enhances their perceived effectiveness, resulting in more trust between the brand and the consumer. [More]

Implications - Holy Basil, with its roots in Ayurvedic medicine, is increasingly being incorporated into high-end wellness beverages as it is presently being highlighted as a soothing, mood-enhancing adaptogenic. This progression highlights the pattern of ancient ingredients being co-opted as "superfoods," rebranded to fulfill particular contemporary wellness needs with easily adapting herbal extracts that in reality boast quite a wide range of health benefits. [More]

Implications - Ginger has emerged as a mainstay flavor around which brand's are introducing new wave wellness beverages given its familiar taste profile and easily paired nature. This progression speaks to the importance of maintaining an accessibility of flavor in envelope-pushing food and beverage products in order to balance the interest in vanguard health brands that adhere to new age wellness goals with the pursuit of flavor familiarity for comfort. [More]

Implications - With traditional energy drinks now having a somewhat negative perception in the eyes of those concerned with health and wellness, brands are pushing out energy drinks and edible items that are based in tea. The use of tea to rebrand this market allows it to bring in consumers that are just as conscious about their health as they are about boosting their ability to get through the day’s tasks. [More]

Implications - Alcohol brands are teaming up with companies that normally have no immediate association with alcohol, and are collaborating on new food items with them. Whether spicy or sweet, these unlikely products are able to cater to the brands' core consumers, while simultaneously catering to experimental foodies. [More]

Implications - The barrel-aging process is no longer exclusive to the alcohol industry, and is more often being incorporated into a variety of edible or non-alcohol drinkable items to enhance their quality. These products come as the rise of artisanal production, or the perception of such, is increasingly prioritized by consumers. [More]

Implications - Whether related to beauty or health, the incorporation of protein into water-based beverages is on the rise. Offering an alternative to the calorie-rich, denser liquid proteins that are often found on the market, these water-based beverages are able to better cater to consumers looking for fast and simple solutions to the health or cosmetic-related problems they are looking to resolve. [More]