The Future of Water, Sports and Energy Drinks 2024
The electrolyte boom peaks, and Celsius ushers in a more mature phase for energy drinks. Prime offers lessons about celebrities, and AI takes our precious water.
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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
- Where we are now
- In the next two years
- In five years and beyond
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where we are now
- Where we are now: bottled water
- Where we are now: subtly flavoured water is demanded by young bottled water users
- Graph 1: agreement with ‘I would like to see more flavoured bottled water with only subtle flavours (eg citrus, herbs),’ by age, 2024
- Where we are now: energy drinks
- Where we are now: sports drinks
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IN THE NEXT TWO YEARS
- Mintel’s perspective
- With electrolytes everywhere, there are signs that enhanced hydration is reaching its peak
- Enhanced hydration is a thriving trend, but the saturation point is in sight
- Sodium intake may hasten the end of the electrolyte boom
- Many Europeans doubt the efficacy of electrolytes
- Graph 2: any agreement ‘Bottled water fortified with electrolytes is a good way to enhance hydration,’ 2024
- Three opportunities that can sustain the enhanced hydration trend
- Energy drinks will continue to diversify to retain their diverse audience
- The expansion of Celsius and Reign Storm will inspire locally made me-too rivals
- New brand ‘characters’ and new flavours help to boost energy drink usage among women
- Graph 3: drinking more energy drinks than the previous year, by select group, 2024
- Less sweet but exotic fruit like kiwi, yuzu and starfruit have potential as energy drink flavours
- Graph 4: agreement with ‘I haven’t tried this NAB flavour/ingredient, but I would like to try it, ‘ by gender, 2024
- Mainstream energy drinks embrace medicinal mushrooms
- Three energy drink brand personalities consumers want to see in the late 2020s
- Faithful brand communities will be built via satirical stances and immersive gaming
- Celebrity brands grab attention but satire can inspire a deeper connection with a fanbase
- Brands take different approaches to building a fanbase
- Not Beer founder Dillon Dandurand tells Mintel why 2024 – not 2004 – is the perfect time to launch Not Beer
- Potion-filled gaming worlds will create brand communities for wellness drinks
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five years and beyond
- Mintel’s perspective
- Sports drinks will diverge between simple hydration and AI-supported rapid rehydration
- The ‘energy+’ boom risks creating choice overload for tired consumers, inspiring a minimalist reset
- Caffeine’s divisive reputation is confirmed by social media
- Infegy Atlas – coverage and full list of search terms used
- The prepper mindset will intensify, driving demand for bottled water and purification tablets
- Hydration and sustainable water sourcing will reach new levels of importance among LATAM consumers
- Developments in water security that should be on the radar of bottled water producers
- Hydration will have a starring role in the lucrative pet industry
Discover the future trends in the global water, sports and energy drinks market with Mintel’s Future Of report. The report identifies the key consumer and industry trends that will impact the global hydration market over the next five years.
The most important upcoming trends in the water and energy drinks market are analysed and succinctly presented alongside relevant insights from Mintel’s consumer data. So you can understand how consumer demands will change and identify future innovation and growth opportunities.
This report also presents Mintel’s analysts’ pick of the most innovative and inspirational launches in the global facial care market. Understanding the future of the drinks industry has never been so easy.
Future of Water, Sports and Energy Drinks – Trends to watch out for
In the next two years: Enhanced hydration is reaching its peak
With electrolytes featuring in a record number of global drinks launches, saturation point is close. Consumer understanding of healthy hydration is set to stay, but brands should explore where it can go next.
Five years and beyond: Embrace the prepper mindset
Bulk-sized bottled water, in long shelf-life packaging, will offer reassurance amidst geopolitical and climate challenges ahead. There is already consumer demand for flavour and functional tablets to offer purification qualities, and this will grow amid concerns about tap water.
To discover more about the global bottled water market, read Mintel’s A Year of Innovation in Bottled Water, for the global energy drinks market, read Mintel’s A Year of Innovation in Sports and Energy Drinks.
Meet The Expert
This report is written by Alex Beckett, Director – Mintel Food & Drink. Alex regularly presents consumer and innovation insights to the world’s biggest soft drink companies. He writes about cutting-edge opportunities within waters, sports & energy drinks and also provides input for the annual food & drink trends.
The electrolyte boom peaks, and Celsius ushers in a more mature phase for energy drinks. Prime offers lessons about celebrities, and AI takes our precious water.
Alex Beckett
Director – Mintel Food & Drink
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