Demand for prolonged and balanced energy from functional beverages, report

03-Jul-2011 - Last updated on 04-Jul-2011 at 11:33 GMT

Customers want prolonged, balanced energy from functional beverages in addition to mental performance, according to a new report from Beneo.

The research, from the functional ingredients supplier, was carried out across Germany, UK and the US.

It looked at the benefits consumers expect from energy, sports and functional water drinks.

“The message remains clear – functional beverages need to deliver new forms of energy provision and mental performance if they are to prove successful in the long-term,” said Christian Niederauer, Beneo market research manager.
According to the study, German, UK and US respondents favoured 'prolonged energy' and 'balanced energy' as the top benefits for sports drinks.

The female respondents in the study feel 'lacking in energy' the most (USA: 47 per cent; UK: 43 per cent and Germany: 39 per cent).
Prolonged energy

When consuming energy drinks, all respondents rated 'prolonged energy' highly (UK: 84 per cent, Germany: 81 per cent, USA: 87 per cent).

According to Beneo, only the US favours 'mental performance' more (88 per cent and 87 per cent respectively).

'Balanced energy' is rated highly by the respondents when consuming functional waters, claims the study, (81 per cent of US, 84 per cent of UK and 76 per cent of Germans).

In particular, US respondents favour tooth-friendly sports drinks (76 per cent), whereas German and UK participants prefer their functional waters to deliver tooth-friendly benefits (Germany: 78 per cent and UK: 86 per cent).

Consumption

The frequency and type of energy drink consumed varies according to company, said Beneo.

Sports drinks are the most popular category in the US with 30 per cent of respondents frequently consuming them each month, compared to 18 per cent for energy drinks and 20 per cent for functional waters.

Thirty-one per cent of Germans prefer functional waters ( compared to energy drinks at 23 per cent and sports drinks at 24 per cent) and more than a third (36 per cent) of UK respondents choose to consume an energy drink (compared to sports drinks at 31 per cent and functional waters at 16 per cent).
More German respondents feel the need for an energy boost during the evening, with 52 per cent consuming an energy drink, compared to UK and US respondents, who prefer to theirs during the day, or at work (UK: 49 per cent and US: 62 per cent).