Lara Piras is a copywriter, researcher, and brand strategist. Considered a youth culture expert, her vast industry knowledge comes from working with some of the industry’s best, including MTV, WGSN, 

People are embracing diverse forms of all-encompassing wellness 

Being+

Energy drinks, that long-time favourite for cramming students, late-night drivers, and teens on park benches, are having their wellness moment. Worth over £240 million, a burgeoning market for all-natural energy drinks, also known as ‘functional wellness drinks’, is attracting a different subset of consumers – namely, health-orientated professionals. And they’re willing to pay a premium for the right drink: in fact, shoppers are prepared to pay double the average price of a normal soft drink for a functional one. 

Convenience Store

 Typically low in sugar and free from artificial sweeteners, flavours, and colours, these functional energy drinks tend to rely on alternative ingredients such as guarana, kola nuts, green tea, guayusa, and ginseng to give consumers a naturally-occurring boost.

“While traditional energy drinks have catered for the UK adolescent consumer market until recent years, more mature customers are turning to energy drinks demanding better-for-you ingredients,” says Anita Rae, CEO of natural energy drinks company Crave Drinks. 

Interview with Anita Rae conducted by author

 This represents a significant break from energy drinks’ traditionally unhealthy reputation. Up to a third of UK children, mostly young teens, consume at least one energy drink a week, prompting health and behaviour problems like the inability to focus. 

BMJ Open

 In addition, the big traditional energy drinks companies like Red Bull and Monster Energy have been plagued by bad press for a number of years. Fears about heart arrhythmia, high blood pressure, and insomnia have all been brought to the fore. 

Verywell Health

 New age restrictions, where the UK government banned the sale of these highly caffeinated energy drinks to those under 16 reinforce the notion that they’re dangerous or have negative health effects. 

The Times

 This paves the way for a new plethora of products that do the same thing, without the nasties – especially considering that over half of UK consumers (54%) now pay attention to nutritional labels, with mostly sugar (45%), fat (41%), and salt (31%) content affecting their purchasing decisions. 

Nielsen

A number of new, health-focused brands are making moves to challenge the industry’s traditional focus on caffeine and sugar with a range of different flavours, ingredients, and functional benefits. In this new sphere, gym goers are craving zero-sugar, protein-packed products like 

, a ready-to-mix, fully soluble powder with added B vitamins for mental performance and heart health. And for caffeine avoiders, there are plentiful energy-boosting drinks like Crave Drink’s 

 range in flavours like passionfruit and vanilla and lime and mint. “Plant-based, natural, energy drinks, in most cases, contain a set of active components that not only help to provide a natural boost of energy but also promote relaxation, cognitive enhancement, and destressing from our hectic daily schedules,” says Rae. 

 Think natural energy drinks brand TRIP’s 

Following the pandemic, health and wellbeing continue to be a top priority for consumers, and they’re turning a critical eye to companies that stand in the way of those health goals. For example, some 57% of UK consumers believe that companies should be taxed heavily if they are producing or promoting unhealthy choices. 

 These behavioural and attitudinal changes have implications for both established and emerging brands and services. So how can companies cater to the health-conscious UK consumer mindset and innovate in an already saturated market?

The rise in functional, health-focused energy drinks comes at a time when people are prioritising preventative health more than ever before. “The unprecedented degree of uncertainty over one’s health experienced during the pandemic led to a rapid acceleration of a more mindful approach to life,” says Jacopo Mazzeo, award-winning wine and drinks journalist, photographer, and consultant. 

Interview with Jacopo Mazzeo conducted by author

 Indeed, an additional one in five people have begun to take vitamins since the start of the first lockdown, while 66% of consumers globally are now interested in cognitive health products. 

FMCG Gurus

 This prolonged interest in health-promoting ingredients has created a whole new market for brands willing to play with functional ingredients. “Now, not only are people increasingly thirsty for functional beverages, they’re happy to see functional ingredients being integrated into previously alien categories such as beer and wine,” says Mazzeo. “This allows them to embrace what they perceive as a healthier lifestyle without necessarily changing their drinking habits completely.” 

While companies like hard kombucha brand 

 have the alcoholic functional beverages sector covered, brands like 

 have recently become very popular in the non-alcoholic energy drinks space. The Britvic-owned company has grown 70% in four years, adding over £3.5 million to the drinks category. 

 is also a significant player in the natural energy drinks market. Using ​​all-natural ingredients like guarana and lemon juice from Brazil and green tea from Kenya, a 250ml can of Tenzing contains the same amount of caffeine (80mg) as a strong cup of coffee but only 13g of sugar, half the level found in most commercial energy drinks. 

The Grocer

 As the UK government enacts plans to restrict the promotion and placement of unhealthy foods and beverages in supermarkets, natural energy drinks are well-primed to take centre stage in promotional areas of supermarkets.

The pandemic gravely shifted Britons’ work and home lives. Office workers went to the office an average of 3.8 days per week pre-pandemic, while post-COVID-19, this has reduced to an average of 1.4 days per week. 

 Owing partly to people’s working lives and home lives becoming more intertwined, there’s a greater demand for people to optimise their cognitive performance and alertness for longer periods of time. “Today’s ‘post-pandemic consumers’ are not satisfied by traditional energy drinks,” says Rae. “They are demanding added value through other active ingredients, such as vitamins, electrolytes, protein, or amino acids. These functional products have moved from fitness centres and yoga studios to home offices and workouts, providing energy and functionality to consumers who want to perform at their very best, all hours of the day. These types of ingredients work together offering better balanced products.” 

From microdosing adaptogens to hydrating with chia seeds, recent years have seen people expressing much more interest in the functional benefits of individual ingredients, providing fertile ground for energy drinks that play into people’s fascination with lesser-known ingredients and flavours. 

Independent

 Indeed, 35% of UK adults state they would be interested in food or drink with healthy ingredients based on ‘ancient wisdom’. 

Mintel

 “Consumers are now open to energy drinks that address very specific needs rather than simply providing drinkers with general nutritional benefits,” says Mazzeo. “This represents a huge opportunity for brands to maximise sales and market reach by providing people with a wide range of function-specific beverages.” 

Natural energy drinks are padded out with nootropic ingredients that enhance cognition and memory and facilitate learning and information absorption. They also minimise energy crashes and offer people stimulation without negative health consequences. The size of the market globally is projected to grow from $10.67 billion in 2021 to $29.24 billion in 2028. And, while capsules boasted 45% of the market in 2021, the area expected to see the most growth between 2021 and 2028 is beverages as nootropics can be digested more quickly in liquid form than in food. 

Just Drinks

, for example, are positioned as a way to bring clarity to consumers’ minds while pairing with health-coded ingredients like ginger, mint, and lemon.

People are increasingly looking for the products they consume to align with their wider identity. More than half of shoppers are more likely to purchase from a company with shared values. This is why, in 2022, 43% of brands plan to create products that align with those values. 

Shopify

 In this sense, natural energy drinks fit with the growing popularity of an abundance of wellness trends. Think plant-based diets and those that adhere to organic/non-processed foods. They can also appeal to sober-curious drinkers and those seeking to integrate the use of natural supplements like ashwagandha or mushroom-based adaptogens into their diets. “Consumers are increasingly looking for products containing natural ingredients that support their individual needs, whether it’s their immune system, energy levels or sleep without sacrificing on taste,” says Rae. 

Acknowledging that different genders and ages have varied health needs, functional wellness drinks are also becoming more specific to certain audiences. Take 

 for those going through menopause as a key case study. Their cranberry-flavoured drink aims to ‘provide comprehensive nutritional support for before, during, and after the menopause’, via ingredients such as vitamin B6 that helps to regulate hormones. “We saw that there was a real gap in the market for liquid supplements that make staying healthy easy and enjoyable... Health shouldn’t be a chore or difficult to fit into your routine, so that’s why we developed a range of drinks that taste great and are easy to enjoy as part of a busy schedule,” 

, marketing and strategy director at Clearly Drinks.

Focus on flavour to ensure a promotional buzz

A sharper focus on long-term health is making people more cautious about the things they put into their bodies. Seven in 10 people (70%) are trying to lead a healthy lifestyle, a 6% jump from last year. And a key part of their health kick, one in seven (14%) say they’re buying healthier drinks than in previous years, and a half (50%) find no and low alcohol options appealing. 

Fentimans

 This is also being echoed by government policy in the UK where supermarkets are being forced to cease the promotion of high sugar drinks. Natural alternatives are therefore likely to be a target for promotion. This offers an opportunity to position low sugar beverages that taste good to benefit hugely from greater supermarket promotion and favour in the general public’s consciousness. Also, the promise of energy without the comedown is very appealing, says Mazzeo. “If this move is going to work, lots of consumers are going to be moving away from sugary drinks. Energy drinks’ functional properties will appeal to some, yet many former sugary drinks consumers are going to be looking for flavour and some sort of indulgent experience, comparable to that offered by fizzy sugary drinks. If energy drinks brands want to fully capture this opportunity they’ll have to ensure that flavour plays a key role in the final product.” 

Create varied products for specific moments

Highlighting the functions of ingredients in very clear and concise ways helps lend credibility to the claims and trust in your brand. Some 86% of UK consumers are either very or fairly confident that the information provided on food labelling, such as ingredients, nutritional information, or the country of origin, is accurate. 

Statista

 In the context of natural energy drinks, this allows brands to potentially develop a whole range of products for different functions and periods of the day. As people’s needs for energy and rest shift within the new normal of hybrid working, products that offer people greater control over these cycles and energy levels could hold strong appeal. “There is plenty of room for the category to grow in the next five plus years,” says Rae. “Consumers want to be in control of their health and are actively looking for health and wellness claims on the packaging and marketing messaging to ensure that a product will align with their wellness goals. Immunity-boosting claims continue to drive market share in the post-pandemic era, combined with natural energy boosting and destressing elements such as CBD.” 

 The industry taking these claims and running with them is the global electrolyte mixes market, expected to grow to $7.94 billion in 2026 at a growth rate of 13.8% year-on-year. 

The Business Research Company

The global diet is shifting. One in four consumers globally calls themselves flexitarians with approximately half already buying alternatives to meat (45%) and dairy (49%). One in three also buys plant-based sweets like vegan chocolate (32%) and a third are interested in meat and dairy alternatives. 

BENEO

 In addition to the larger meals that form dietary decisions, people are wanting their quick pick-me-ups to also align with their wider identity or need. Be it a shift towards all-natural ingredients, or plant-based keto; appealing to niche diets and circumstances can allow a brand to capture an audience that is usually limited in their food options when it comes to snacks and drinks. “People are open to need-specific drinks so brands can easily develop products that cater to niche diets,” says Mazzeo. “This can be achieved either by excluding certain ingredients (animal-derived or carbs for vegan and keto respectively for instance) or by developing drinks that are specifically designed to complement a diet. For instance, a high-fat dairy product or oil can be used to develop a keto drink.” 

 the average price of a normal soft drink for a functional one

 of UK consumers pay attention to nutritional labels, with mostly sugar (

) content affecting their purchasing decisions

 of UK adults say they would be interested in food or drink with healthy ingredients based on ‘ancient wisdom’

Post-pandemic life, which has seen the boundaries between work and life blur, is creating the demand for prolonged and more frequent energy boosts

Consumers are becoming more educated on the functional benefits of exotic ingredients, creating an opportunity for drinks brands to cater to playful palates

Natural energy drinks align with the majority of alternative dietary needs, providing endless inspiration and opportunity for new and already launched brands

Dr. Jacopo Mazzeo is a freelance wine and drinks journalist and consultant.
He regularly contributes to leading trade and consumer publications including Wine Enthusiast, 

, Decanter, Meininger, Club Oenologique, Harper's, Pix Wine, and Good Beer Hunting. He consults on consumer trends and marketing strategy and offers copywriting services to drinks firms and agencies. Jacopo is a former sommelier, he judges international wine, beer, and spirits competitions, and sat twice on the board of directors of the British Guild of Beer Writers. Before he embraced full-time journalism, he studied musicology at the University of Bologna and took a PhD at the University of Southampton.

​​Anita Rae is the founder and CEO of the natural energy drink company Crave Drinks. She has a multinational background and has been involved in several industries from management consulting to e-commerce and sports nutrition.

United Kingdom

Eating and Drinking

Coffee and soft drinks

Interview with Anita Rae conducted by the author

Interview with Jacopo Mazzeo conducted by the author

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