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Although historically the
marketing of soft drinks was focused on the youth market with the key age
bracket of 10-24 year olds, Canadean detects great opportunities in targeting
the growing aging population.
According to the UN population
division, the world’s older generation, those aged 60 and over, is expected to
more than double, from 841 (11.7%) million people in 2013 to more than 2
billion (21.1%) in 2050. These numbers open doors to a potential market growth
as older consumers want to stay healthy and have disposable income available
for longer, especially in developed countries where independent living is far
more common.
“It is all about the different
approaches being taken by manufacturers”, explains Erica Shaw, beverage analyst
at Canadean. “On the one hand, across Western markets in particular, manufacturers
are launching more products with active ingredients to address health and
vitality issues, but similarly, companies are looking into the more practical
aspects of growing older, such as being able to lift and carry the products
without a difficulty and designing more convenient packaging.”
Seniors are influencing innovation in functional drinks
Companies are using a mixture of
scientific research, together with superfruits, botanical ingredients, vitamins
and minerals, to develop anti-aging drinks which appeal to the older consumer.
An example of this new wave of longevity drinks is Swiss drink, CellaNova. This
product is a slightly carbonated mineral water, with pomegranate and cranberry
juice and OM24, which is an all-natural product made from whole green tea
leaves with antioxidant properties and claims to neutralise free radicals
causing the aging process of cells. Moreover, the range of drinks from Vitamin
Well also offers many options to address specific health issues, and includes
vitamin B12, which is particularly
recommended for elderly consumers to complement their diet.
Home delivery is on demand
The ease of carrying and pouring
drinks is also being considered with older consumers in mind. In Spain, for
example, bulk/HOD water companies are focusing more on household consumption
rather than corporate clients. They have found that seniors appreciate the
convenience of home delivery as it is easier to pour a glass from a water
cooler, thus avoiding having to handle a big bottle. Furthermore in Portugal,
Nestlé’ Waters Direct is promoting its compact MySpring water cooler especially
to older consumers, who may not want to carry heavy packaged water all the way
home.
Manufacturers are reshaping packaging formats
To assist senior consumers in
their everyday lives, companies are developing convenient packaging solutions.
Tetra Pak has received an “ease of use” certification for many of its products
from the Swedish Rheumatism Association (SRA). An example is the “HeliCap”, a
one-step screw cap designed to provide a good grip, which requires only low
force to open and with a clearly visible tamper evident ring.
This information is based on
findings from the Canadean Reports: ‘Soft Drinks Market Insight 2014 Spain’,
published in May 2014; ‘Quarterly Beverage Tracker Quarters 1 and 2’ published
in May and August 2014; and Canadean Ingredients Anti-Ageing Webinar - August
2014.
Population statistics are from UN
Report: World Population Ageing 2013:
