Ernst & Young (EY)’s latest Consumer Beverage Survey shows that health, digital habits, and age are now the three main forces reshaping what people drink and how they discover it. For beverage brands, that means product, pricing, and marketing decisions are increasingly being made around wellness benefits and online journeys rather than just flavor or brand heritage.
Wellness Becomes the Default
The survey finds that 58% of U.S. consumers now pay close attention to the ingredients in their drinks, and 52% are willing to pay more for beverages that support health and wellness goals. Sugar is a major flashpoint: 66% say they choose lower sugar or lower calorie options, while in Brazil, about three in four shoppers cite immune support as a top reason for buying functional beverages.
Digital Discovery and AI
Discovery is moving online, with consumers leaning on recommendations and apps to find new functional drinks. Across the…
sample, people use online grocery suggestions, fitness and health apps, and loyalty apps to decide what to try, and in Brazil, 45% have already used AI based beverage recommendations in the past year, versus 27% in the U.S., with 70% of Brazilians saying they are very likely to do so next year.
Generational Divides in Drinking The research highlights clear gaps between younger and older drinkers.
In the U.S., around 80% of Gen Z and 75% of millennials drink functional beverages at least every two weeks (compared with 65% overall), while 53% of Gen Z and 47% of millennials consume energy drinks that often versus 34% overall, and younger Brazilians report drinking less alcohol than older cohorts even as total alcohol usage remains high.
Looking Ahead For beverage brands, this research points to health and wellness as a baseline expectation, not a niche. Portfolios will need more clearly functional, low or no sugar options, with benefits and ingredients explained in simple, transparent language on pack and online…
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