Natural drinks, including water with added flavor or sports drinks with added vitamins, seems to be the newest trend in healthy eating and a simple Google search will let you know just how many companies are jumping into this new money making market.
Tracking of the healthy eating trend and its popularity by two-thirds of all consumers shows how this has created the large, fast-growing market for natural food and drink products. As consumers’ attitudes and beliefs change, market experts examine how this latest market trend will create winners and losers over the next several years.
Consumers’ interest in health is up, with around 80% of US and European consumers reporting that they are concerned about food and health issues and two-thirds have reported taking steps to eat healthier in the past year. Eating fresh food is the key that is most important to approximately 90% of consumers.
Increasing consumer interest in fresh food has not been matched by more new products. Actually while 7% of new products have been marketed as fresh in 2000, this fell to around 4% in 2006. But since “fresh” is important to so many consumers, there are many ways of developing “fresh” products in the future.
The latest member of the fresh food trend is the one that is moving only one way and that is UP. This includes flavor mixes for your own bottled water, bottled water with added carbonation or flavor as well as drinks with vitamins added.
Now even the big cola companies are diving into the natural product market. Pepsi Raw is the latest carbonated soft drink from Pepsi. Pepsi Raw is marketed as a soft drink with no artificial additives. If you prefer cola drinks, you may want to try this new drink will be introduced first in the UK only.
UK pubs and clubs have staff members who are being trained on how to serve the drink as a mixer. If Pepsi Raw is accepted in its test areas, then the drink will make its way further around the world. Reportedly, Coca Cola will be is also working on a non-artificial soda of it own.
The flavor of Pepsi Raw is fruitier and is being marketed as a refreshing drink on its own and also as a mixer for alcohol. So, the release of this drink in the pubs and clubs is important to see if the drink will gain acceptance as an alternative mixer. Unlike the artificial-chemicals of Pepsi, Pepsi Raw does not have the artificial colors, higher sugar content or acidic chemicals that are common in the regular Pepsi cola.
Because of less carbonation, this new natural has a little less fizz as regular Pepsi. And the natural Pepsi Raw contains 9 fewer calories. This is the first new Pepsi product in a decade and if it is successful, then Pepsi will be another major company in this new business market. And it is certain that Coca Cola will be following right behind.