Cola firms eye healthy biz

Rupali Mukherjee / TNN / Mar 29, 2007, 00:51 IST

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Faced with concerns of increasing calories and being unhealthy for kids, cola companies are going in for a makeover by planning to launch 'good for you' nutritious beverages.

NEW DELHI: Soon your favourite beverage could give you a daily dose of vitamins and minerals. Faced with concerns of increasing calories and being unhealthy for kids, cola companies are going in for a makeover by planning to launch 'good for you' nutritious beverages.
The initiative to launch nourishing beverages and products has come in the wake of growing criticism against colas which even led to them being banned in schools in states like Kerala.
This also follows a global trend of introducing carbonated drinks fortified with vitamins and minerals in order to arrest the decline in sales of regular colas. Pepsi and Coke are introducing new carbonated drinks that are fortified with vitamins and minerals: Diet Coke Plus and Tava (PepsiCo's new offering) in the US markets.
Globally, a huge growth is coming from non-carbonated beverages such as juices, sports drinks and enriched water. In India, to start with Pepsi will expand its portfolio by launching fortified options in four-five categories juices and juice drinks, advantage water (vitamin-enriched), healthy whites (soya-based and milk-based drinks), coffee and energy drinks, over the next few months.

Pepsico India CEO Sanjeev Chadha told TOI: "We are working on a rich pipeline of nutritious products which will fuel our growth in the next decade". In the US, milk chillers are popular, while in Asian markets such as China and Vietnam, Q-Life (milk-based drink) is doing well.
Some of these functional and fortified beverages could be launched under the existing brands such as Tropicana (juices) or Acquafina (for water), he said. These drinks open up a huge marketing opportunity for cola companies, and would also be designed for 'one-the-go' consumer for their daily intake of vitamins and minerals.

Pepsi's rival, Coca Cola India is also looking at more juice-based drinks and is test-marketing Schweppes water, a mineral enriched water in key markets such as Mumbai. "We have a diverse portfolio of fortified products worldwide. We have not taken a decision on whether or not any of these products would be launched in India", a Coke executive said.
Cola majors are also promoting diet and light versions as health and wellness brands. In India, Diet Coke is showing a double-digit growth, while another brand, Sprite is being test marketed in key markets. Other cola major Pepsi is also testing a caffeine-free cola in some markets in India, and has already launched diet Seven Up.
It will also promote its sports drink, Gatorade as a drink to quench active thirst and hydrate. For soft drink companies, the real challenge is to combine 'refreshing with taste and nutritious in a beverage, Chadha said.
rupali.mukherjee@timesgroup.com

About the Author

Rupali Mukherjee

A business journalist with around two decades of experience tracking key consumer-focussed sectors like consumer durables, retail, consumer goods, aviation, automobiles and advertising, as well as economic ministries of the Union government. Now, writes primarily on pharmaceuticals and healthcare, and on issues of consumer interest. Besides also looks at trends that are shaping consumer behaviour and the broad consumer landscape. \nYou can follow Rupali on Twitter@Rupalijee.

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