75% of
Americans say that they eat healthy. But
more than 80% of Americans fail to eat the recommended daily amount of fruits
and vegetables. (Aubrey & Godoy, 2016)
Perhaps
part of the problem is confusion about what is healthy. 71% of people think granola bars are healthy,
but only 28% of nutritionists agree. And,
while 75% of nutritionists agree that sushi is healthy only 49% of the public
agrees. Definitely a disconnect. (Quealy
& Sanger-Katz, 2016)
But
where does that leave beverage marketers?
Should they be bringing out healthier choices, or just tastier
ones? Perhaps there is a clue in actual
sales data.
Last
year Diageo PLC launched Smirnoff Ice
Smash. It is fruit-flavored with 8%
alcohol by volume. It was their most
successful launch ever in convenience stores - with 600% sales growth in the
past six months.
On the
other hand spiked seltzers, which are healthier than alcopops - sugar-free,
with fewer calories - were up 169% last year.
Right
now it appears that alcopops are the bigger market, with $1.14 billion in sales
last year, versus $488 million for spiked seltzers. (Chaudhuri, 2019)
Does
that mean that we should not believe what people say in surveys? Or it is possible that what they say is a
leading indicator and eventually sales of healthier beverages will be stronger
than those of unhealthy ones? How would
you know?
Is it
possible that we are dealing with two different consumers? What makes them different? Could additional research shed more light on
the issue? How would you structure it?
If you
worked for a beverage company, what would your next launch be?
Aubrey,
A. & Godoy, M. (2016, August 3) 75
Percent of Americans Say They Eat Healthy - Despite Evidence To The
Contrary. npr.org. Retrieved September
4, 2019, from
Quealy,
K. & Sanger-Katz, M. (2016, July 5) Is Sushi 'Healthy'? What About Granola? Where Americans And
Nutritionists Disagree. nytimes.com. Retrieved September 4, 2019, from
Chaudhuri,
S. (2019, April 3) What Health Kick?
Young Americans Still Thirst for Alcopops.
wsj.com. Retrieved September 4, 2019, from
https://www.wsj.com/articles/what-health-kick-young-americans-still-thirst-for-alcopops-11554296401
