soft drink sugar

The battle against obesity and the war on sugar are clearly worthwhile, with Tesco leading the charge this week - committing to remove 5% of sugar from its entire soft drinks range. Arguably it has already set to work on this crusade, removing two billion calories from its own-label soft drinks back in 2013. Our work together started in 2012.

While working at Neuro Drinks, Tesco approached More Drinks co-founder Chris Arrigoni and me to help it create a health & wellness category within soft drinks. Category manager David Beardmore sought the perspective of a smaller supplier whose brand essence was one of functional health.

One trial later - showing growth of 35% in sales of the lower sugar drinks when merchandised together - and we were set for a spring 2013 launch.

Neuro’s US parent company decided to withdraw from the UK in late 2012, but the minor inconvenience of not having a brand - or a job - could not deter the momentum. Tesco asked if we would develop our own brand to sit at the heart of the new category. Six months later, More Drinks - a low-calorie, high-vitamin brand - hit shelves.

One of the biggest debates we had was ’all-natural or sugar-free’. Stevia offers natural sweetness without the calories, but we felt using it would compromise taste. Neither did we believe garnishing a daily dose of vitamins with sugar was the right option - so we chose sucralose.

Consumers will look for a drink full of flavour, even though it might be healthy, and a level of sweetness - along with the right flavour and acidity - are integral.

A proactive, positive response to Tesco’s announcement by suppliers is the right approach for sustainable growth in this dynamic, wonderful category. Many have already made progress, though further challenges will arise. Nevertheless, those who prioritise lower or zero-sugar NPD will have the greatest chance of success, not least because there is an appetite among consumers to take action on their own sugar consumption.

More retailers, more varieties, More Drinks are all on the horizon… but so is less sugar.

Steve Norris is director and co-founder of More Drinks