The most popular of 50 leading beverage brands in the U.S. are Gatorade, Starbucks Frappuccino and Lipton teas, while Rockstar energy drinks, Diet Pepsi and Diet Dr. Pepper diet rank 48th to 50th, according to The “Bev50” Psych-Pulse Brand Strength Index,” the first national measure of the psychological drivers of consumer brand behavior in the soft drink category.
Beverage leaders and laggards
Currently, at the category level, the top three performers are: still waters, soft drinks, and ready-to-drink coffee. Brands with the strongest momentum (brand trajectory) include: Chameleon Hand-Crafted Cold Brew, PRIME and Electrolit; the weakest in brand momentum include: 7-Up, Sprite and Canada Dry.
The bottom three category laggards include enhanced waters, ready-to-drink teas, and sparkling waters. Gen Z (15% of the US adult gen pop) prefers: Starbucks Frappuccino, Gatorade, Dunkin Iced Coffee, AriZona Iced Tea and Nestle PureLife. Baby Boomers (27% of US adults) go for: Gatorade, Lipton, Aquafina, Dasani and Coca-Cola.
The method
The Bev50 survey, created by neuro-market research firm Alpha-Diver, in partnership with Beverage Digest, is based on 100+ psychological metrics across a representative US population sample.
The survey, fielded in April and June, 2023, among 2,970 respondents, was conducted across eight categories, from multi-billion dollar brands to challengers. Fifty-one percent of responders were female, with an average age of 45 and a media income of $59,000. Forty-two percent of responders live in suburban settings, 36% in urban areas and 22% in rural communities. The generational breakdown: 15% Gen Z, 32% millennials, 27% Gen Xers, and 27% Baby Boomers. Two-thirds (66%) of responders were White, 12% Hispanic, 14% Black, and 6% Asian / Pacific Islander.
“Our goal was to produce a survey inclusive of all ethnic groups drawn from the key demographic and geographic sectors that explains WHY consumers behave toward brands in the soft drink sector,” said Hunter Thurman, president of Alpha-Diver. “Data drawn from this large sample enabled us to rank the brands according to three dimensions: consumer purchase behavior, their emotional attachment to brands, and the trajectory of brand usage –increasing, stable or declining. Together this data set provides deeper insights into the beverage sector than previously available.”
What drives consumer behavior
Alpha-Diver’s proprietary research methodology breaks down brands by the four leading drivers of consumer behavior, as well as mapping their sales trajectory, the strength of consumers’ attachment to a brand, and their habituation or routine consumption of beverage brands.
Experientially-driven brands – providing new sensory discoveries – standouts are: AHA sparkling water, Starry Lemon Lime, and LaCroix.
Rationally-driven brands – practical options – Dasani, Celsius, and Aquafina lead.
Tribally-driven brands –providing a social connection among users – Lipton, Pepsi, and Nestle Pure Life
Instinctual – feel good, impulse driven brands – Red Bull, Monster and Mtn Dew, are favorites.
The Bev50 PsychPulse also includes key data on the five potential barriers to consumer brand choice, including:
- Price: does the brand offer a good value?
- Time: what must I give up doing to obtain?
- Social: what will others think of me?
- Emotional: Will I be disappointed by the beverage?
- Physical: How will drinking this beverage make me feel?
Watch an on-demand video of the firm’s webinar discussing the findings:
