Focus On Energy Products: 10 June

By Rob Brown rob_j_a_brown@hotmail.com 

Publishing: 10 June 2023
Advertising deadline: 26 May 2023
Submissions deadline: 19 May 2023

Unlike Icarus, Red Bull’s wings are showing no sign of melting. The leading energy drink continues to grow its sales, with regular limited editions bolstering the classic line. And it’s the same story in Monster. And plenty of clean brands and celebrity-endorsed challengers are carving out their own niches. So how is this category proving so immune from the effects of gravity? How are the established brands keeping their sales ticking up? What gains are being seen from the recent influx of ‘clean’ challengers? And what impact is recent celebrity-endorsed launches likely to have on the category?

Mainstream: Red Bull and Monster continue to add sales at an impressive rate. Partly that’s the continued growth in on-the-go energy drinking, but what else is behind this sustained growth? And is it a case of more sales from the traditionally young male audience, or broader appeal?

Sports: While value goes up, volumes are in decline. Why are sports drinks not enjoying the same growth as regular energy? And what could be done to change that?

Clean energy: How do this segment’s tactics continue to diverge from the mainstream options? And what are its prospects for growing energy drinks’ appeal with a ‘clean’ profile?

Celebrity endorsements: Following their success with Prime Hydration, YouTubers KSI and Logan Paul have just brought Prime Energy to the UK – this version containing caffeine. It’s one of a clutch of energy drinks backed by celebrities. Can they replicate the success of celebrity-endorsed wines?

Alcoholic energy: Last year WKD mixed alcohol and caffeine in its new X range, joining the likes of Dragon Soop and Buckfast Tonic Wine. Will the growth of caffeinated alcohol be a boon or bust for regular energy?

Innovations x 2: We will profile 4 new products or ranges that have ideally not appeared in The Grocer before. We need launch date, rsp, and a hi-res picture of each