Dive Brief:
- Six of 10 people who consume energy drinks are concerned about the health effects, according to a new study by Mintel.
- The research firm polled 700 users of the controversial beverages and found that effectiveness outweighs safety. Some 56 percent of users say they choose energy drinks because they work better than alternatives to produce alertness.
- Despite health warnings, sales of energy drinks have soared -- rising 17 percent in 2012 and again in 2013.
Dive Insight:
It's no surprise that people will drink things that they know are bad for them. That's what people do. The only question is when does the benefit-to-reward ratio begin to shift? For energy drinks, the answer may be soon. Things seem to be moving beyond the publish-a-scary-study stage to the unleash-the-lawyers stage.