Few four-word phrases inspire as much fear as “high-fructose corn syrup.” And as a can of Coke has 39 grams of the stuff, it’s not surprising that consumers have been turning away from traditional sodas and looking for options less aggressively loaded with ingredients ending in “-ose.”
So how can an up-and-coming pop brand snag the attention of reformed Coke fiends? Many of these brands are leaning into the category of functional sodas, focusing their messaging on health and language about buzzy ingredients like prebiotics, adaptogens, nootropics, and all their purported benefits for our moods, minds, and digestive tracts. But are customers really browsing grocery stores’ drinks fridges in search of something that will spruce up their microbiome? As someone who’s partial to a fizzy beverage, the only function I want it to perform is being tasty and not actively catastrophic for my health. But New Soda seems to see things differently.
