Dive Summary:
- PepsiCo's Mountain Dew Brand is looking to expand into the 'natural energy' market with a series of fruit and coffee based energy drinks for the morning.
- Labeled "Kickstart," the drinks are just 80 calories for 16oz and will ship in orange and fruit punch varieties on February 25.
- Industry analysts from New Nutrition Business have market 'natural energy' as a legitimate trend in 2013 and expect to see many more companies follow suit.
From the article:
Global nutrition analysis and insight firm New Nutrition Business identified fruit and vegetable-based brands as its third key food, nutrition and health trend for 2013, in a recent 10 Key Trends report.
Analyst Julian Mellentin explained that consumers understood the value of fruit and vegetables in drinks, where could thus command a price premium, while a ‘naturally healthy’ image dispensed with the necessity for making health claims.
More pertinently in relation to the Mountain Dew launch, Mellentin said that an growing number of companies
were launching ‘natural’ energy drinks into a gap left by the segment’s artificial heart.
Such new offerings used fruit and sometimes vegetable juice as a carrier, he said, and a means of providing
better flavor than existing energy products.
