The Coca-Cola Company has reshaped the lineup at sparkling water brand AHA, adding two new flavors, pulling two others, and making a stronger callout on its lightly caffeinated SKUs.
The company announced today that two new flavors — Raspberry + Acai and Mango + Black Tea, the latter of which features 30mg of caffeine — as permanent additions to AHA’s 8-SKU roster of zero-calorie flavored sparkling waters, sold in 12 oz. and 16 oz. cans.
Natalia Suarez, brand manager at AHA, said on the company’s website that it started with 300 flavors and tested 42 pairings in its search to provide innovation to its consumers, who are “variety seekers constantly looking for new and exciting flavors.”
As interest around caffeinated sparkling water and energy drink alternatives grows, AHA has also redesigned the labels for its pair of caffeinated SKUs to make them more distinctive. A large callout for “Caffeine” has been added to the front panels of both Mango + Black Tea and the existing Citrus + Green Tea.
While adding new flavors, Coke is also dropping two others. Black Cherry + Coffee and Apple + Ginger have both been discontinued “due to ongoing aluminum can shortages.” The company did not offer any further details.
During its first year on the market, AHA has proven to be a lucrative asset within Coke’s evolving and pared-down portfolio of brands, which also includes sparkling water import Topo Chico. According to Nielsen data, AHA generated over $119 million in MULO (plus c-store) dollar sales through January 14, 2021.
Within the unsweetened flavored sparkling water segment, the company finished 2020 with an 8.3% share, based on Nielsen data cited by Coke, with multipack sales in large format channels accounting for the majority of its 2020 volume. In addition to its sales, AHA “outperformed” in key metrics such as “brand love, taste preference and repeat purchases.”
Caffeine has emerged as a rising trend within sparkling water, as evidenced by brands like Phocus, Limitless and Ugly. Last month, PepsiCo announced the launch of Bubly Bounce, a three-SKU line extension featuring
“We’re treating this year as a relaunch,” Suarez said. “New flavors, new caffeine graphics and our first-ever integrated marketing campaign will build on our initial momentum as we pursue leadership in this fast-growing category.”