In today’s fast-paced and competitive market, beverage innovation is not just a fancy phrase: it’s a necessity. Consumer expectations are evolving rapidly. Health and wellness continues to be the center of the conversation: but it’s no longer just about lofty goals and aspirations - daily habits are being reshaped by GLP-1 drugs.
Meanwhile, functional beverages are pushing the boundaries of what beverages can offer consumers. Energy is a universal need: but the way we think of ‘energy’ is evolving fast. Other functional beverages are exploring fascinating new niches: from focus to female health and from cognitive benefits to CBD.
Then there’s the insistent rise of alcohol-free drinks and sophisticated adult alternatives: which are turning to new flavors such as botanicals and fermented flavors and offering an alternative to alcohol. These, too, are exploring the world of functional ingredients: looking for something to replace alcohol.
This week, our free-to-attend webinar - Beverage Innovation 2025 - puts these top questions about beverage innovation to our experts
We’ll be asking them:
- What are the top functional beverage trends and active ingredients?
- Sustainability: Consumers talk the talk: but do they walk the walk?
- What’s the market outlook for alcohol-free drinks?
- Is it game over for alcohol?
- How will GLP-1 drugs influence what beverages consumers choose?
- Does protein have lasting power?
- Where are the key white spaces for beverage innovation?
- How is AI shaping beverage development?
- How do you build a beverage brand in a super competitive space?
- And much more…
We’ll be hearing from:
- Anup Shah: Chief Operating Officer and General Manager, PLEZi Nutrition. With a career spanning multinational CPG companies such as PepsiCo, Molson Coors, Constellation Brands and more, Anup is now driving change at PLEZi Nutrition: the start-up co-founded by former First Lady Michelle Obama. We’ll ask Anup just how well the beverage industry is doing at transitioning to healthier options: and find out how innovation is different at big CPG giants to small start-ups
- Scott Frohman, CEO, Odyssey Functional Energy. Seasoned entrepreneur Scott Frohman wants to redefine the energy drink category: drawing on adaptogenic ingredients such as Lion’s Mane, Cordyceps, and more. We’ll ask Scott how he’s built the brand; how he’s taking it into the mainstream; and his top tips for other beverage entrepreneurs.
- Ananda Roy, Senior Vice President and Industry Advisor, Consumer Goods, Circana. As a recognized industry thought leader, Ananda authors Circana’s Innovation Pacesetters report among others. We’ll quiz Ananda on what he thinks of top trends in the beverage industry and their outlook for the coming years - and, most importantly, ask him where the white spaces for beverage innovation are.
- Craig Manley, Key Account Manager, GNT. With a First Class degree in Food Marketing Management, Craig will help us delve into the world of beverage development with a focus on color: the very first thing consumers experience before they even take the first sip. We’ll ask him how is the trend towards natural shaping beverage innovation; and how AI informs the decisions beverage developers make...
Register now to join us this Thursday! But if you can’t make the date, you’ll be able to listen in on-demand: just register via the same link.
How to build a beverage brand
Scott Frohman of Odyssey Functional Energy and Anup Shah of Plezi Nutrition will also reveal their top tips for building a beverage brand.
They’ll take us through the challenges of creating a beverage; finding the right target audience; and then working out how to grow and thrive.
Their top tips? Both brand builders believe that focusing on velocity - not revenue - is crucial in early years.
That means ensuring that each flavor and each product resonates with as many people as possible.
“Really obsess over velocity over revenue and distribution,” said Anup Shah of Plezi. “When you’re starting out, you’re about proving product market fit. The key to brand expansion is delivering on velocity: once you have velocity, retailers will want to expand with you.”
That’s something that resonates with Scott Frohman of Odyssey Functional Energy, who turned his back the polarizing flavor of ginger in favor of flavors that would find mass popularity.
“We can’t just put something out if it’s not going to be wildly well-received, because the velocity has to be high,” he said. “In order to win, we don’t have the luxury of something being just ‘ok’. It has to be spectacular.”
>> Hear more top tips from other beverage brand builders! This year, we’ve learned about taking functionality into the mainstream (with biohacking sensation Bulletproof Coffee); being an ‘activist entrepreneur’ (with Just Ice Tea and Honest Tea’s Seth Goldman)'; and about transforming a niche fitness drink into mass market sensation (Celsius).
