By the time you finish reading this sentence, a teenager will have downloaded a new ring tone for his or her cell phone. Another teen just reworked the layout of her MySpace page, while her friend used Twitter.com to tell the world what song was playing on her iPod.

Fair, maybe the latter was a status update on a Facebook page. Point is, teens use these digital tools to make statements about their individuality. The same is true of the drinks they choose.
Beverage formulators say teens want beverages that make a statement—a bold-flavored, eye-opening, stand-out-from-the-crowd statement.

“They want the impact,” says Steve Wolf, director of flavor applications for Robertet Flavors. “The taste has to be exciting. It has to be powerful. I don’t think it matters if they can’t describe what that flavor is. But it matters that there’s a lot of it there, and they get it immediately.”

No Kids Stuff
One thing teens know for sure about their flavor choices is that bold flavors are too much for the little guys. Kids reach for the basic fruit flavors—grape juice, apple juice and lemon-lime. Pre-teens snub their noses at the basics in favor of juice blends, such as mixed berry and tropical fruit mixtures. Older teens begin experimenting with more exotic flavors, such as dragon fruit, açaí and blends of superfruits. Teen girls, in particular, also start dabbling in coffee-flavored drinks.

“It’s always about new and different for teens,” Wolf says. “And if it tastes good, they’re willing to consume it for a while.”

Drinks with Impact
The rise of Red Bull and its burn-your-throat brethren is an obvious result of teens’ yearning for something both different and impactful. Last year, sales of energy drinks in the US exceeded $3.7 billion, spurred along by teens’ desire to “Unleash the Beast” (in the case of Monster Energy) and “Party like a Rockstar,” as the tagline for Rockstar energy drink promises.

Chicago market research firm Mintel reports US sales of energy drinks have grown more than 500 percent since 2001. One in three teens now is likely to reach for an energy drink, compared to one in 10 adults. Mintel forecasts energy drink sales will approach $6 billion by 2011.

“Teens want to feel like they’re tasting something that’s a little bit out of bounds,” says Scott Mortensen, senior marketing manager for International Flavors and Fragrances (IFF).

The outer-limits caffeine content that defines energy drinks likely won’t change, near term. (One might argue it’s become a necessity for teens managing around-the-clock schedules.) But beverage formulators expect teens eventually will reject the throat-burning flavors.

“It’ll be a hot concept for a short period of time, but it won’t sustain,” says Erik Donhowe, vice president of the beverage business unit for Germany-based Wild Flavors. Smoother flavor profiles will prevail, he says.

And, the appeal of coffee-based drinks seems to mirror the appeal of energy drinks.

First there’s the edgy aspect. Coffee historically was an adult beverage, so drinking it has the aforementioned out-of-bounds appeal.

Moreover, consider the stage for self-expression set every time a teen steps up to order at Starbucks. Not only can teens choose the size of their beverage and caffeine content, but also the type of milk, the way the milk is frothed, whether it’s hot or cold, and with or without flavor shots.

“What actually is in that cup is very minimally coffee,” IFF’s Mortensen says. “But that’s the vehicle they choose to have that customization.”

Mortensen predicts teens’ desire for customization will continue to influence beverage makers’ offerings. Consider the emergence of drink powder packets, such as Crystal Light On the Go. Odds are a group of teenagers already has explored what happens when they mix the contents of such a packet with a can of Full Throttle.

“I believe [beverage makers will] look for different ways to use their primary products as a base and then allow consumers to customize their drinks,” Mortensen remarks.

Teens’ annual spending already has eclipsed $170 billion, and drink purchases rank among the items they buy most consistently. To this end, beverage formulators anticipate more demand for drink hybrids.

“We’re seeing a blurring of the categories between energy drinks and sports drinks,” Donhowe says.

The rest is wait and see. Look no further than the Britney Spears saga for a reminder that what’s cool today, may not be a year from today.

“Teens are a fascinating area to develop products for,” Robertet’s Wolf says. “It’s an area that’s always changing and growing, so there’s always potential there.”

iff.com • mintel.com • robertet.com • wildflavors.com

From Beverage World February 15, 2008