Scrolling through my LinkedIn newsfeed, a post from Chicago-based Mintel caught my eye. “Thirty-four percent of U.S. adults are interested in seeing carbonated soft drinks with added benefits,” the post stated. This got me thinking about a recent article from The Washington Post titled “The newest, hippest drink pouring into a glass near you: Craft soda,” a feature about Thunder Beast Root Beer, a craft root beer brand owned by Jones Soda.
The carbonated soft drink (CSD) industry has faced its share of challenges including perceptions from health-conscious millennial consumers. But speaking as one myself, a trip to a Taco Bell or McDonald’s is not complete without some fizzy refreshment. Still, Mintel data also shows that consumers are gaining an interest in craft sodas with 44 percent of non-craft drinkers interested in trying craft products.