New research from the company reveals that the inclusion of vitamins and minerals (49%) is the attribute consumers say they look for the most in their ideal hybrid drink - which could boost some beverage categories.

Getting the most value for money is a tried and true practice for many Americans, whether it is the car they drive or the water they drink, says Mintel. New research from the company reveals that more and more consumers are on the hunt for functional beverages that support their demanding and fast-paced lifestyles, with vitamins and minerals (49%) the attribute consumers say they look for the most in their ideal hybrid drink. As the popularity of functional and hybrid drinks increases, opportunities for product innovation could offer a boost for some beverage categories, Mintel believes.

Among the hybrid drinks consumers report drinking regularly or those they have tried, bottled water with added health benefits (e.g. protein, vitamins, antioxidants) (44%), carbonated juice (40%) and juices with added functional benefits (e.g. energy, relaxation) (35%) are among the most popular.While juice is historically among the largest non-alcoholic beverage markets in the US, dollar sales of 100% juice, juice drinks and smoothies are forecast to have increased a mere 1.2% in 2016, representing minimal gains of 4% since 2011, according to Mintel research. While product innovation has led Americans to other drink segments in search of flavour and format variety, there may be an opportunity for a juice revival through the introduction of hybrid drinks as hybrid drinks consumers are most interested in juice-based hybrid drinks (47%) than any other base.“As consumer preferences shift toward better-for-you food and drink, consumers are increasingly searching for functional, healthful beverages,” said Beth Bloom, Senior Food & Drink Analyst at Mintel. “Some of the larger US beverage categories, such as carbonated soft drinks and juice, are losing share to trending beverage types due to the fact that they deliver on consumer demand for more flavor and functional innovation, combined with lower sugar/calorie content. However, there are clear opportunities for the juice category among hybrid drink users, suggesting that blurring lines through product innovation that combines juice with other drink types that have a higher inherent perception of health may expand appeal among consumers.”Antioxidants (42%), energy (37%) and electrolytes (33%) also top the list of attributes Americans say they look for in the ideal hybrid drink. What’s more, older iGens aged 18-21 are significantly more likely than consumers overall to point to mood-enhancing attributes in their ideal hybrid drink, such as energy (51%) and relaxation benefits (35%).For many Americans, hybrid drinks also seem to be an unplanned pick-me-up as consumers say they are most likely to have hybrid drinks in the afternoon (36%), on-the-go (27%) and as a treat (27%). In fact, one in three (34%) consumers say their ideal hybrid drink would be packaged in a plastic bottle and over one quarter (26%) are interested in resealable packaging.