Functional beverages like energy drinks stand to gain from targeting supplement consumers. Both groups have similar needs, like mental energy and focus, plus they’re proactive about finding solutions outside general nutrition. Unlike supplements, functional beverages offer benefits in a format that’s enjoyable, like a refreshing citrus drink that can wipe away mid-day bleariness.
Despite the format’s natural appeal and the growing demand for energy, 1 in 3 supplement consumers aren’t satisfied with the energy drinks on the market, according to Kyowa Hakko’s 2023 survey of US supplement shoppers. Keep reading to find out why and discover opportunities to improve your functional beverage offering.
Insights into the Supplement Consumer
This group cares about mental energy, focus, concentration, memory, and cognitive health—all of which are met through a nootropic ingredient like Cognizin® Citicoline. Supplement consumers are taking steps to address these issues: 7 in 10 have done something for their cognitive health in the past two weeks. However, their needs aren’t being met completely since more than half said they struggle to stay alert and focused throughout the day. They still drink coffee, energy drinks, and smoothies for an energy boost.
Opportunity: Speak to consumers’ mental energy and focus needs by incorporating a nootropic into what they’re already drinking. Like two sides of the same coin, they get the jolt of caffeine plus the supporting nootropic benefits from Cognizin®. The added ingredient elevates the value of a beverage to justify a premium product. The water-soluble nootropic also blends well with other in-demand drinks like coconut water, kombucha, probiotic shots, or juices while differentiating these products on the shelf.
Where Traditional Energy Sources Stumble
Energy from dietary supplements or beverages has its downsides: supplement consumers are concerned about loss of sleep, anxiety, restlessness, shakiness, or an energy crash. But the need for energy and focus doesn’t go away even if people want to limit or remove caffeine. Consumer demand might even be increasing in the absence of a solution. Instead of causing jitters, Cognizin® has been shown to increase motor speed and attention in healthy adolescent males. Activities requiring hand-eye coordination would benefit from caffeine alternatives.
Opportunity: Appeal to the caffeine-sensitive with a nootropic drink for mental energy and focus without the caffeine crash. Depending on your target audience, you could cut caffeine entirely or only include a small amount to lessen its effects.
How To Gain the Supplement Consumer’s Trust
Consumers are researched and proactive. They want clinical studies that show efficacy, which is why Cognizin® has been the subject of several human clinical trials for healthy adults and adolescents. After six weeks, Cognizin® increased brain energy by 13.6% and increased the formation of brain cell membranes by 26% among middle-aged adults.
Consumers gravitate toward options they see as safe and natural. Nutrients already found in the body, like citicoline, reassure consumers. Cognizin® is a branded, stable form of citicoline that the body needs for healthy brain function.
Opportunity: Look for credible, tested ingredients that consumers can trust. Cognizin® has an entire site dedicated to its ingredient claims and brand, including published clinical studies, recent media coverage, social media, and memory games.
Why Supplements Have It Easy Compared To Functional Beverages
Capsules can ignore taste, but when the supplement consumer looks for a boost of energy or focus in a beverage, taste is the third most important factor. Since active ingredients often carry bitter or unwanted flavors, achieving a great taste is a big challenge and opportunity for functional beverages.
Opportunity: Appeal to consumers by choosing a flavor-friendly nootropic, so you can focus on making the product taste good instead of covering something up. Cognizin® is flavorless and odorless, so you can gain an edge when competing for consumers’ taste buds.
Scorecard: How Cognizin® Rates Across Deciding Factors
Tasteless and Odorless ✔️
Clinically Studied ✔️
Safe ✔️
Mental Energy ✔️
Focus ✔️
Self-affirmed GRAS ✔️
Natural ✔️
Vegetarian ✔️
Water-soluble ✔️
Heat-stable ✔️
Free of food additives ✔️
Free of allergens ✔️
Free of artificial flavors ✔️
Free of preservatives ✔️
Always Keep This In Mind
Functional beverages are more than label claims. They can help people stay present throughout the day to pursue their goals. Four-out-of-five supplement consumers said mental focus, mental energy, and the ability to concentrate are important to their quality of life, which is the real benefit of functional beverages. Keeping that at the forefront of any project will help align your product with a consumer need.