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Are you still drinking plain coffee when there’s a growing market valued at $78B awaiting?
[2024]



Are you still drinking plain coffee when there’s a growing market valued at $78B awaiting? 

The energy beverage market has been primarily dominated by big players like Redbull, Monster Energy, and Gatorade. However, over the past two years, there has been an explosion of new brands, teaching us a thing or two about the market, its effect on our health and our work culture.

We’re not only addressing energy drinks; We’re seeing natural-ingredients soda, productivity-inducing coffee, and even emotionally altering beverages. So, what does it all mean?

The growing interest in coffee substitutes and healthier alternatives for energy drinks has led to the rise of new soft drink brands with several focus points: productivity enhancement, healthier drink choices, sustainability through packaging, and mood alteration drinks. Let’s break those down.

It may sound a bit outdated to say that sugar alternatives and preservatives-free products are on the rise, but the truth of the matter is that sweet beverages’ effects on people’s health have become more present in mainstream perception for multiple reasons (Who said ‘WaterTok’?). This understanding blends with the lean towards organic materials and natural ingredients.
In regards to productivity enhancement and mood alterations, it becomes clear that the fast-paced environment which is the modern workplace leads more people to search for acceptable substances. They do so to assist themselves in maximising efficiency, bettering performances, and controlling their emotional shift from work time to leisure. The growing acceptance of safe mind-altering substances in daily usage allows the new brands to appear experimental and innovative, just like the cookie and drink in Alice in Wonderland. 

When it comes to the choice of soft, non-alcoholic beverages, it is worth mentioning that studies show that GenZ consumers consume 20% less alcohol than millennials, and 80% of them believe in the connection between alcohol consumption and its effects on their mental health. Alcohol abstinence is a trend in itself, I’d like to mention Zendaya, Tom Holland, and Miley Cyrus as prominent figures leading it.

To conclude, the rise in available income of the middle class has merged several trends, binding them into an alternative market with new potential and opportunities that are reframing leisure drinking and diversifying our drink options for any occasion.