The current boom in sales for gin, rum and vodka in the UK, has given the premium mixer market a coinciding spur, with high-end mixers, such as Fever Tree tonic, matching the growth of premium spirits. However, attention is now turning to the soft drinks market and the trend for premium offerings even when not mixer-based.
Research this year by Fentimans, a UK-based premium soft drinks producer, reveals an opportunity for pubs, clubs, bars, and restaurants to improve their soft drinks offering. Consumers have suggested that they are not satisfied by many of the usual mainstream soft drinks. Meanwhile, marketing agency The Hype found that many younger consumers were not choosing alcohol-free beer or wine as a replacement, creating a big opportunity for soft drinks suppliers.
Britvic, one of the UK’s leading soft drinks producers, believes in the concept of “elevated serve’. The company suggests making the serve an experience for the customer, mixing drinks in full customer view at the bar with as much flair as possible. The addition of fun and unusual garnishes, and using quality engraved drinkware to promote new and exciting brands, can also go a long way to boosting sales.
Fentimans goes further, adding that social media is a great tool for helping to engage with consumers, as drinkers love to post on Instagram and Facebook, sharing pictures of their drinking experiences. Overall though, the trend among consumers is for new premium soft drinks to offer flavours above and beyond the usual carbonated soft drinks.
