Table of Contents
Executive Summary
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- Impact of COVID-19 on the drinks category
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- Figure 1: Impact of COVID-19 on alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks markets, in short, medium and long term, 2021
- Brand leaders
- Brands that are drunk at home benefit from lockdowns
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- Figure 2: Top brands in the drinks category, by usage in the last 12 months, 2018-21
- Costa benefits from its strong coffee shop presence
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- Figure 3: Top brands in the drinks category, by commitment (net of “I prefer this over others” and “It’s a favourite brand”), 2018-21
- Iconic brands are instantly recognisable
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- Figure 4: Top brands in the drinks category, by differentiation (net of “It somewhat stands out” and “It’s a unique brand”), 2018-21
- Positive experiences will play a role in uplifting on-trade sales
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- Figure 5: Top brands in the drinks category, by positive experiences (net of “Excellent” and “Good” responses), 2018-21
- Brand personality
- Longevity helps to promote trust in drinks brands
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- Figure 6: Top brands in the drinks category, by agreement with “A brand that I trust”, 2018-21
- Consumers shifting to premium teas
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- Figure 7: Top brands in the drinks category, by agreement with “A brand that is worth paying more for”, 2018-21
- Innovative brands can make an immediate impact
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- Figure 8: Top brands in the drinks category, by agreement with “A brand that is innovative”, 2018-21
- Innocent stands out for ethicality
- Brands focus on packaging changes
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- Figure 9: Top brands in the drinks category, by agreement with “Ethical”, 2018-21
- Reiterate the taste experience to consumers
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- Figure 10: Top brands in the drinks category, by agreement with “Delicious”, 2018-21
- Brands tap into refreshment trends with hard seltzers
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- Figure 11: Top brands in the drinks category, by agreement with “Refreshing”, 2018-21
- Purity can be used to drive healthy connotations
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- Figure 12: Top brands in the drinks category, by agreement with “Pure”, 2018-21
The Impact of COVID-19 on Drinks Brands
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- Impact of COVID-19 on the drinks category
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- Figure 13: Impact of COVID-19 on alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks markets, in short, medium and long term, 2021
- Brands under pressure to reiterate their value over alternatives
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- Figure 14: Proportion of consumers cutting back on non-essential spend, 2020-21
- Continue to support health
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- Figure 15: Concerns around exposure to COVID-19, 2020-21
- Promote sport and fitness associations
- Aid mood and drive productivity for homeworkershomeworkers
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- Figure 16: Xite Peach + Passion Fruit Flavour Energy Drink, 2021
- Focus on the low-alcohol and moderation trend
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- Figure 17: Examples of new no-alcohol product launches, 2020-21
- Consumers and businesses still require support
- Production methods will become a stronger aspect of sustainability
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- Figure 18: Inch’s Cider from Heineken, 2021
Brand Leaders – What You Need to Know
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- Leading drinks brands are in a strong position
- Significant potential for alcohol alternatives to grow
Brand Usage
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- Coca-Cola leads on usage in the last 12 months
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- Figure 19: Top brands in the drinks category, by usage in the last 12 months, 2018-21
- Costa benefits from at-home drinking
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- Figure 20: Examples of Costa launches, 2020-21
- Coca-Cola leverages position to celebrate and drive change
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- Figure 21: Top brands in the drinks category, by overall usage, 2018-21
- Fanta launches mystery variant to drive engagement
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- Figure 22: Fanta’s Mystery Blue Flavour, 2021
Brand Preference
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- Costa’s coffee shop performance will translate into retail products
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- Figure 23: Top brands in the drinks category, by commitment (net of “I prefer this over others” and “It’s a favourite brand”), 2018-21
Brand Differentiation
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- Iconic drinks brands are instantly recognisable
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- Figure 24: Top brands in the drinks category, by differentiation (net of “It somewhat stands out” and “It’s a unique brand”), 2018-21
- Fever-Tree and Fentimans are carving out a standout position
Satisfaction and Recommendation
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- Alcohol brands generate excellent reviews
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- Figure 25: Top brands in the drinks category, by excellent experiences, 2018-21
- Positive experiences will play a role in uplifting on-trade sales
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- Figure 26: Top brands in the drinks category, by positive experiences (net of “Excellent” and “Good” responses), 2018-21
- Premium brands come highly recommended
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- Figure 27: Top brands in the drinks category, by likely recommendation, 2018-21
Brand Personality – What You Need to Know
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- Reiterate the taste experience to consumers
- Brands tap into refreshing trends with hard seltzer launches
- Ethics will be about behaviours, not just products
- Responsible production methods will be key in the next normal
- Continue the health focus beyond immunity
Trust and Quality
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- Longevity helps to promote trust in drinks brands
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- Figure 28: Top brands in the drinks category, by agreement with “A brand that I trust”, 2018-21
- Quality is closely aligned with trust
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- Figure 29: Top brands in the drinks category, by agreement with “A brand that has consistently high quality”, 2018-21
- Premium soft drinks can jump to the next level
Value
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- Trust and quality help to promote an image of value
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- Figure 30: Top brands in the drinks category, by agreement with “A brand that offers good value”, 2018-21
- Robinsons’ launches promote value
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- Figure 31: Examples of Robinsons’ product launches, 2020-21
- Highland Spring adds value to water through carbonation and flavour
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- Figure 32: Highland Spring Pear & Elderflower Flavoured Sparkling Spring Water, 2021
- Consumers shifting to premium teas
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- Figure 33: Top brands in the drinks category, by agreement with “A brand that is worth paying more for”, 2018-21
- Adult-focused brands generate a sophisticated image
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- Figure 34: Top brands in the drinks category, by agreement with “SophisticatedSophisticated”, 2018-21
Innovation
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- Innovative brands can make an immediate impact
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- Figure 35: Top brands in the drinks category, by agreement with “A brand that is innovative”, 2018-21
- Innocent focuses on functionality to drive innovationinnovation
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- Figure 36: Examples of Innocent launches, 2020-21
Ethics
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- Innocent stands out for ethicality
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- Figure 37: Top brands in the drinks category, by agreement with “Ethical”, 2018-21
- Tea brands can go further to promote ethics
- Responsible packaging is now an expectation
- Brands experiment with alternative materials
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- Figure 38: Examples of drink launches in alternative material packaging, 2020-21
- A mixed year for BrewDog
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- Figure 39: BrewDogBrewDog Lost Planet First lager, 2021
- Awareness of energy and carbon will grow
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- Figure 40: Examples of products carrying carbon-neutral/energy claims, 2020-21
Taste and Refreshment
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- Reiterate the taste experience to consumers
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- Figure 41: Top brands in the drinks category, by agreement with “Delicious”, 2018-21
- A reputation for taste allows for diversification
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- Figure 42: Examples of Baileys launches, 2021
- Tea brands have the potential to move into food products
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- Figure 43: Examples of coffee and tea flavour launches, 2020-21
- Fruit flavours and bottled waters are considered refreshing
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- Figure 44: Top brands in the drinks category, by agreement with “Refreshing”, 2018-21
- Brands tap into refreshment trends with hard seltzers
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- Figure 45: Examples of branded hard seltzer launches, 2020-21
Healthiness
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- Purity can be used to drive healthy connotations
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- Figure 46: Top brands in the drinks category, by agreement with “Pure”, 2018-21
- Brands pivot towards immunity and protection
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- Figure 47: Examples of drinks launches with vitamin/mineral-fortified claims, 2020-21
- A focus on removing unwanted ingredients continues
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- Figure 48: Examples of drink launches with low-sugar claims, 2020
Appendix – Data Sources, Abbreviations and Supporting Information
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- Abbreviations
Appendix – Brands Covered
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