“Redefining soda”: Kombucha-based beverage responds to COVID-19 consumer demands

01 Jul 2020 --- Health-conscious consumers now have access to another alternative to traditional sodas, with the launch of Health-Ade Booch Pop. This latest line from US-based Health-Ade uses the kombucha the company is known for, which is blended with gut-friendly ingredients such as prebiotics from cranberry husks and seaweed-derived minerals. The company says that this “redefined” version of soda has the potential to open up an entirely new category, as well as tapping into the existing trend of functional beverages as the COVID-19 pandemic focalizes demand for healthy products.

“A typical soda in the US has a legacy of emotional pleasure and good memories – and also, sugar and artificiality. The category has been evolving steadily, but the idea of better-for-you soda for a long time was usually just less sugar, less artificial ingredients and novelty flavors. Health-Ade Booch Pop is blurring the lines of what soda is. However, this is while speaking to consumers who never adopted the classic sodas of Coke or Pepsi, but want a soda-like experience,” Daina Trout, Booch Pop CEO and Co-Founder, tells NutritionInsight.

She continues that Health-Ade Booch Pop is “next-generation” in that it bridges natural and functional ingredients into the soda format, meaning it offers carbonation and a sweeter taste profile, as well as being canned. “When we launched the company, our dream was to make our original kombucha drinks and healthier, bubbly beverages a staple in every home in America. Health-Ade Booch Pop is another step forward to achieving that goal. I want people to discover that kombucha is versatile as a beverage ingredient and that soda doesn’t have to be made with the same stuff every time,” explains Trout. 

Vanessa Dew, the company’s Chief Sales Officer, expects to sell one million units of Health-Ade Booch Pop in the second half of 2020 alone. The beverage contains no sodium, artificial sweeteners or stevia, and has 70 to 80 percent less sugar than regular soda. It uses organic, natural ingredients such as cold-pressed juice. 

The lightly carbonated drink also contains healthy acids from fermentation, which is appearing across the F&B industry. Consumers can choose between Lemon+Lime, Ginger Fizz and Pom-Berry flavors, with the company planning to introduce additional varieties in the future. 

“The primary challenge was creating a soda-like taste and mouthfeel, working with kombucha and other healthy ingredients. Without getting into the formulation, Health-Ade as a brand wanted to explore how its consumer equity as a kombucha lent itself to soda. It has created a very strong proposition with Health-Ade Booch Pop,” details Trout. 

Kombucha can be versatile as a beverage ingredient.Navigating the pandemic’s waves
Trout had considered postponing the launch due to COVID-19, but the US lockdown revealed how deeply connected consumers are with certain foods and brands that have emotional resonance. 

“I knew that Health-Ade Booch Pop had the potential to be this kind of product [with emotional resonance]. The launch shifted to an emphasis on e-commerce and regional distribution in California. California is where kombucha started as a beverage trend, so it felt right. Additionally, this pandemic will have long-lasting changes in regard to products with associations to immunity-boosting; tasting familiar and comforting; and offering deeper value emotionally and nutritionally,” details the spokesperson. 

According to a March consumer survey from Innova Market Insights, nearly 40 percent of US consumers are eating and drinking more products that boost the immune system since the outbreak of COVID-19. Additionally, 43 percent say that overall health aspects have become more important to their F&B purchases. Notably, there is also a greater focus on mental health to cope with new stresses and lifestyle changes as consumers look to food and beverages to provide comfort and boost mood.

“Health-Ade Booch Pop has the potential to open up an entirely new category of soda because after months of staying at home, we’re revisiting everything we eat and drink, and looking for little moments of joy and celebration. Drinking Health-Ade Booch Pop is one of those moments,” adds Trout.

Functional beverages stay strong
This launch comes as category definitions of soft drinks continue to blur, in line with Innova Market Insights’ “Hello Hybrids” trend for 2020. Functional beverages have emerged as a major theme, with healthy growth in new areas for functional claims. For example, a strong CAGR between 2015 and 2019 has been noted for beverages that address consumer demand for improved bone (27 percent), heart (27 percent), brain (15 percent) and immune health (10 percent).

Arthur Gallego, Beverage Marketing Expert and involved in the promotion of Health-Ade Booch Pop, details that the functional beverage trend has been ongoing in the US for around ten to 12 years. Essentially, they are categorized as drink with either:

• A high level of naturally occurring nutrients that offer some kind of wellness benefit or replenishment; or
• A formulation for function with added nutrients, vitamins, prebiotics or probiotics, or even nootropics.

“The driver for the trends are independent beverage brands, more so than large beverage conglomerates. The consumer [needs] that these functional beverages address can range from nutrient replenishment and workout recovery to concentration, immunity-boosting and ‘cleansing,’” he says. 

Specifically, this launch taps into the trend for gut health. The spokesperson details that in the first quarter of 2020 and during the start of the pandemic here in the US, sales of digestive aid products rose over 3,100 percent. “Gut health, or the microbiome, has been topical for US consumers, but the general understanding of how to achieve it and its impact have a long way to go in terms of mass awareness. Research into the microbiome is ongoing and some brands are commissioning studies to understand the impact of gut health on overall health,” concludes Gallego.

By Katherine Durrell