20 Aug 2014 Three Datamonitor briefs: Uncovering some seriously interesting beverage innovation!
International research firm, Datamonitor, regularly publishes news of interesting FMCG product launches that it features as its “Consumer Product Launch Analytics innovation of the week”. Here are three new beverage concepts that recently won this accolade.
Spirits + cider = an innovative “spider”
ALCOHOLIC ciders have long been accommodating to new flavours, but what happens when you cross alcoholic cider with spirits? The answer is that you get Orwell’s amaretto-flavoured cider, a new “spider” drink that combines alcoholic cider with spirits-inspired flavour innovation.
New in the UK, Orwell’s new amaretto-flavoured cider tops that with a drink said to offer a “refreshing blend of amaretto notes and a fruity hint of cherry paired with a crispy cider apple background.” The 5.5% ABV drink is sold in single-serving 330ml glass bottles and represents new flavour innovation in flavoured alcoholic beverages such as alcoholic ciders.
Tom Vierhile, innovation insights director for Datamonitor Consumer, notes that: “‘Spider’ is a new term that captures the marriage of spirit-inspired flavors with alcoholic cider – a trend with great potential appeal to consumers that are becoming more experimental in their beverage choices.”
He goes on to add that: “This ‘mash-up’ hybrid flavour trend is appearing in a wide range of categories like baked goods, with croissant and donut combinations, and fast food, with innovations like Taco Bell’s recent waffle taco. So-called ‘mash-up’ flavours could have a large impact on alcoholic beverages like cider.”
A new sparkling water from Japan that looks and tastes like beer
WHO says that bottled water has to be boring? Certainly not Japan’s Otogino Company, the maker of new Kuos beer-flavoured sparkling water. This amber-coloured sparkling water looks and tastes like beer, but it has no alcohol, calories, or carbohydrates.
Designed to look and taste like beer, this sparkling water is more healthful than the drink that it replaces, or even the alcohol-free beer products that are generally marketed as beer substitutes in Japan.
Kuos beer-flavoured sparkling water contains no calories, alcohol, or carbohydrates. This amber-coloured water beverage has very few added ingredients, unlike so-called “beer taste drinks” from Japan, which often have extensive ingredient lists.
Tom Vierhile, innovation insights director for Datamonitor Consumer, says that: “This is definitely an unusual addition to the Japanese sparkling water market, as it enables consumers to enjoy the flavor of beer without any of the health negatives.”
He goes on to note that: “Bottled water and beer are moving in opposite directions in Japan, primarily due to a rapidly aging population, with the former expected to have a compound annual growth rate [CAGR] of 6.6% for the period from 2012 to 2016, according to Datamonitor’s Market Data Analytics, versus a -5.3% CAGR for beer over the same period.”
Naturally Clicquot lets you chill and go
SUSTAINABILITY is probably not something that immediately springs to mind when thinking of champagne packaging, but it is a topic that Veuve Clicquot has tackled with its Naturally Clicquot gift box, by French designer Cedric Ragot.
Instead of an elaborately decorated presentation carton, the firm opted for an eco-friendly molded pulp-board outer casing made from potato starch and recycled paper.
Formed as two symmetrical halves that fit together, the casing is roughly bottle-shaped with a large, integrally molded carry handle to one side of the upper section and a flat base that allows the pack to free-stand. Decoration is added via self-adhesive paper labels around the body and neck, and the pack is striking because of its simplicity and its natural look.
Veuve Clicquot promotes the bio-based pack as being 100% biodegradable, and tossing it into the compost heap along with your potato peelings and eggshells is certainly a novel way to dispose of gift packaging. However, this is one gift pack you might not want to throw away, because it has isothermal properties and claims to be able to keep a chilled bottle of champagne cool for up to two hours. This makes it ideal for picnics and parties, where guests can arrive with a perfectly chilled bottle of champagne even after a long car or train journey.
The sturdy carry handle has a rounded shape that makes it comfortable to hold, and it is positioned for well-balanced, ergonomic handling so that the consumer can just grab it and go, confident of having a good, secure grip on a heavy pack.
“Consumer handling and convenience are things that can be neglected with presentation packs, often losing out to shelf presence and brand impact, but there’s no reason why a pack shouldn’t look good and have added-value consumer features,” commented Gemma Hill from Pack-Track. “Naturally Clicquot stands out because it is so different to the norm. As a carry pack, it looks stylish, so will appeal to design-conscious consumers, of course, but its isothermal functionality makes it much more than just a gift pack and could even open up opportunities for champagne as an impulse purchase.”
Datamonitor: See more here