Candy, Watermelon Flavors Trending in Energy
Whether in the form of licensed partnerships (Ghost) or by creating their own outlandish candy inspired flavors (Bang, Reign), many in the rising sub-set of “performance energy” drink brands have found that their consumers have a serious sweet tooth.
At NACS, one of those players — Nutrabolt’s C4 range — showcased the first products to come out of its licensing partnership with confections giant Mars: a four-SKU line of Starburst flavored drinks, and a single-flavor Skittles beverage. Taking cues from candy isn’t new in itself — C4’s current lineup features flavors like Frozen Bombsicle and Sour Batch Bros — but the licensing deal with Mars gives the brand a high-visibility, nostalgic name that has been having an instant effect on both consumers and retailers, said reps pouring up samples at C4’s NACS booth. The brand has purposefully built out its portfolio to meet varying demands with its core, Smart Energy and 300 mg caffeine lines, but using approachable Starburst flavors provides a fun way for new consumers to find their way into the brand that circumvents a deep knowledge or familiarity with some of the products’ ingredients.
While the relationship with Mars is on course to continue beyond what has come thus far, reps noted that C4 had been on the market for 10 years before the licensing agreement. In other words, the brand continues to develop its own flavors in-house, and is keeping two of the Starburst flavors — Lemon and Orange — as limited time offerings. The line is pushing out to select retail partners like H-E-B and Giant Eagle, while c-store chains like Wawa, Quik Trip and Sheetz are also taking on products.
Bright candy colors and flavors certainly catch the eye, but there’s also something to be said for simplicity as well. Ever since Red Bull helped get the ball rolling with its summer seasonal (now permanent) flavor in 2020, watermelon continues to proliferate within energy drinks, with Monster being the clearest example. Watermelon — which has already been a success as part of the zero-sugar Monster Ultra family — was one of two featured SKUs in its new Monster Reserve line (alongside Pineapple), an offshoot aimed at experienced consumers that plays in between the lines of Monster Juice and the core energy product. The flavor will also be added to Monster’s electrolyte-infused recovery line Rehab next year. Meanwhile, back at C4, the company shared a look at a new Watermelon flavor for its Smart Energy drink.
Java Monster Unleashes Cold Brew
In recent years, Monster Energy has looked outside of its core product family for growth opportunities, coming in the form of innovations like REIGN and, more recently, True North Pure Energy Seltzer. But away from those plays, there’s still plenty of juice in the tank that’s driving the business, as seen from some of the innovations on display at NACS.
Though some of its coffee products have experienced fits and starts, Java Monster has been a consistent strong performer for the brand, positioned as a coffee option for energy drink consumers. That’s in contrast to the nitro-infused, zero-sugar Java Monster Cold Brew, which reps at the booth described as a more premium product aimed at coffee drinkers. “Bold yet subtle sweet, powerful yet refined — the unity of opposites is what Java Monster Cold Brew is all about,” reads the label copy, along with a call out for “great taste, no compromise.” Meanwhile, the front panel notes the coffee’s profile, origin, strength and roast level. The line is set to launch in February in two varieties — Latte, which contains milk, and dairy-free Sweet Black — each with 100 calories per 13.5 oz. can.
On the other side of the booth, Monster also featured another, more straightforward innovation: Java Monster Triple Shot 300, which dials up caffeine to an eye-watering 300 mg per can, in French Vanilla or Mocha varieties.
Pepsi Strategizes Around Energy
For industry watchers, Pepsi’s role within the rapidly changing energy space has produced its fair share of whiplash. The company still lays claim to a category leading RTD partnership with Starbucks, yet has struggled to turn Rockstar, which it acquired in 2020 for over $3 billion, into a player on par with Red Bull and Monster. Meanwhile, though it’s distribution agreement with upstart Bang briefly devolved into lawsuits and recriminations, Pepsi has also found room to play in hybrid-energy categories, like its caffeine infused sparkling water bubly bounce.
Yet at NACS, the company presented a slickly polished digital installation that put the brand’s energy strategy front and center. In inviting consumers to “Choose Your Energy,” the brand is tailoring its products in the category around four specific need states — Positive, Mellow, Bold or Focused. Tapping on “Positive” brought up images of hikers and the outdoors, while callouts like “Feels Like Energy From the Earth” and “Feel Good” flashed across the screen. Taken into product form, the result is Starbucks Baya Energy, a coffee fruit-powered sparkling energy drink (160 mg per can, along with 90 calories) that also ticks the health and wellness box with the inclusion of antioxidants for immune support. The brand didn’t offer details aside from some quickly flashed on the screen, but from the ingredient and flavor profiles — Mango Guava and Pineapple Passionfruit— Starbucks Baya Energy has a similar feel to clean-energy plays like Runa and CLEAN Cause.
While the Starbucks brand is being used to leverage a launch into natural energy, Rockstar is being deployed quite differently. Under the purview of “Mellow” energy, the brand showcased Rockstar Unplugged, a three-SKU line available in Passion Fruit, Raspberry Cucumber and Blueberry that features zero-sugar, 80 mg of caffeine and hemp seed oil (not CBD, mind you) for relaxation (or at least maybe a less edgy experience). The brand is also pushing further into foodservice next year with the launch of Rockstar Energy Fruit Punch in soda fountains and as a frozen drink, making it the “first major energy drink available in a dispensed format,” according to the company.
Vita Coco Keeps Tweaking
A couple weeks ago at Natural Products Expo East 2021 in Philadelphia, we wrote about Vita Coco’s continued efforts to “export” interest in coconut beverages in the natural channel from the grab-and-go cooler to other parts of the store through product innovations.
For c-stores, the brand is taking a slightly different approach with the launch of Vita Coco Coconut Juice Drink, available in both Mango and an unflavored “with pulp” SKU. Citing data showing that canned coconut drinks represent 40% of units sold in c-stores, brand reps described the drink as “going after a different consumer” than the core product or even offshoots like Pressed. Designed to compete with canned products from brands like Goya and C2O, the drinks contain 10 grams of added sugar and natural flavors (around 81% juice) and will carry a slightly lower price point ($2.49 per 16 oz can) when they launch next year, starting on the East Coast and Texas.