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Consumers Expect Every Beverage To Be #Instaworthy, Research Shows

By Donna Ahern
Consumers Expect Every Beverage To Be #Instaworthy, Research Shows

Social media has changed the way we eat and drink with consumers expecting every dish and beverage to be #Instaworthy, research shows.

As part of its identification of future beverage trends, Kerry Foodservice has commissioned proprietary research to understand the evolution of beverage trends globally.

The study, launched at the Sirha 2019 tradeshow last week, shows that social sharing is now impacting the progression of beverage trends through menus, and these insights can help the industry identify future beverage trends.

"Our research and analysis of social sharing has shown a number of elements are impacting the progression of beverage trends," Karl Buiks, VP of Marketing, Foodservice & Strategic Planning, Kerry Europe & Russia said.

"In an era where consumers are constantly sharing their content with the world it is important that products look as good as they taste, so the visual appeal of products is now more important than ever."

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The global food and ingredients group said that not only is the beverage market highly competitive but consumers are increasingly educated, interested and adventurous which has driven a need for operators to constantly innovate and create stand-out products.

Future Trends

The research, conducted by Initiative on behalf of Kerry Foodservice, includes a study of key beverage influencers and analysis of trending keywords.

According to the study, the following beverages are the key trends that are expected to influence the market in the coming year.

Chilled Coffee

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Research shows 30% of coffee consumers now seek chilled coffee drinks as an alternative to carbonated soft drinks.

Online searches for Espresso Tonic have been steadily growing over recent years and nearly 9,000 social posts have been shared showing the growth in popularity of the beverage, according to Initiative's study.

Caffeine-free

With many consumers looking to cut back their caffeine consumption and 25% of consumers interested in caffeine-free alternatives a trend has emerged of coffee alternatives such as beetroot latte, matcha latte, and turmeric latte.

Health

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The research showed that, plant-based diets have become increasingly popular with the trend for veganism quadrupling in the five years between 2012 and 2017.

Research shows 29% of UK adults also showed concerns for the high levels of sugar in bottled ready-to-drink cold teas; botanical beverages can help provide a healthier alternative to sugar-laden iced-teas whilst delivering the nutrients and functional benefits of plant-based ingredients.

"Consumers also expect added benefits from their drinks, they want beverages that deliver benefits beyond hydration, and caffeine or alcohol-free alternatives," Buiks added.

© 2019 Checkout – your source for the latest Irish retail news. Article by Donna Ahern. Click subscribe to sign up for the Checkout print edition. 

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