GRIZZLY Energy, Bear ‘n Beaver offer consumers nostalgic flavors
Energy drink, craft soda brands expanding distribution and consumer awareness
Need to Know
- Flavor and nostalgia are having a greater influence on craft soda and energy drink markets.
- DD Beverage & Nutrition’s GRIZZLY Energy and Bear 'n Beaver Premium Craft Soda distribution expanding across North America.
- Company’s experience in craft soda helps influence flavor innovations in energy.
Consumers’ expectations have seen classic and modern beverages balance indulgent flavors with better-for-you appeal.
“The craft soda market is in a really interesting place with consumer trends such as better-for-you, low or zero sugar and people seeking nostalgia,” says Andrew Drayson, CEO and managing director at DD Beverage & Nutrition, Vancouver, British Columbia, and Fort Worth, Texas. “Consumers are paying attention to ingredients, flavor quality and the overall experience of the product; they’re voting for this with their dollars.
“At the same time, there’s a very strong nostalgia trend,” he continues. “People still love the classic flavors like Root Beer and Cream Soda, but they want them done really well and have high-quality expectations. The combination of nostalgia, better-for-you ingredients, and more unique flavor experiences is creating a lot of opportunity for craft soda brands.”
When it comes to the energy market, Drayson also sees a change in what consumers expect from these products.
“Zero sugar is increasingly becoming an expectation, while flavor, functionality, and quality are becoming the major points of differentiation,” he says. “Consumers don’t just want a caffeine hit from their energy drink anymore, they want a drink they genuinely enjoy and would choose based on flavor and ingredients. That’s where we see a major opportunity for GRIZZLY. We’re taking the flavor expertise we’ve developed through our craft soda, and bringing that experience into the energy category.”
DD Beverage & Nutrition’s portfolio is comprised of GRIZZLY Energy and Bear ‘n Beaver Premium Craft Soda.
Image courtesy of DD Beverage & NutritionDrayson notes that the influence when developing Bear ‘n Beaver Premium Craft Soda, which is comprised of seven varieties, was to balance between familiar, nostalgic flavors, and flavors that give consumers something different.
“The brand offers classics like Root Beer and Cream Soda that people immediately understand, alongside varieties like Blue Creamsicle and Strawberry & Cream that create more discovery within the lineup,” he says. “What ties everything together is our unmistakable craft soda experience. Our flavors are rich, nostalgic and designed to feel like a treat that brings you back to your childhood.”
As such, the brand’s most popular selling flavors are Root Beer and its cream-based varieties.
With 10 varieties, GRIZZLY Energy offers consumers flavors that appeal to traditional and sentimental flavors.
“Having a diverse lineup allows us to offer everything from familiar, nostalgic profiles to more traditional energy flavors,” Drayson says. “We want to give consumers the craft beverage experience they should expect from their energy drink.”
The experience with its craft soda has influenced the energy line’s flavors, Drayson explains.
“Root Beer and Cream Soda are great examples because they bring flavor profiles consumers already know and love from soda, into a category where they’re much less common,” he says. “Blue Creamsicle is another great example as while it isn’t common in soda, we have a proven flavor system established from our craft soda brand Bear ‘n Beaver, and it has translated extremely well into energy.”
Highlighting how important flavor development is for both brands, Drayson says the company constantly is working on new concepts.
“We pay close attention to what consumers are responding to, but we also want to introduce flavors they may not expect or can currently find on the market,” he says. “We’ve built both brands to give us room to innovate, whether that means new permanent varieties, retailer exclusives or limited releases. The important thing for us is that anything we add has a reason to be there, and brings something new to the portfolio to avoid cannibalization within the current lineup.”
GRIZZLY Energy and Bear ‘n Beaver Premium Craft Soda distribution footprint spans across Canada and the United States with presence across grocery, convenience, club and specialty retail, thanks to strong relationships with Costco, 7-Eleven, Circle K and The Vitamin Shoppe.
“Our strategy has been to grow distribution thoughtfully while making sure we can support the brands and our partners properly as they enter new retailers and markets,” Drayson says. “We don’t want to be everywhere overnight; we’re choosing to grow strategically with the right partners.”
The company is looking to expand its North American footprint, particularly in the U.S., but that expansion is more than just adding doors.
“Our goal isn’t simply to add doors,” Drayson says. “We want to build strong retail and distributor partnerships, support those retailers, and demonstrate velocity so that the growth is sustainable.”
As the company looks to build awareness and distribution, Drayson notes it will stay focused on what made the brands successful to begin with.
“For Bear ’n Beaver, that means continuing to establish the brand as a premium craft soda built around great flavor, quality ingredients and nostalgia,” he says. “For GRIZZLY Energy, we see an opportunity to establish a distinct space within energy around the idea of craft energy; zero-sugar, premium production and ingredients, and flavors built with the same level of attention we bring to our craft soda.
“For both brands, the next year is about getting more consumers to try the products, expanding and growing with the right retail partners, and letting the product itself drive repeat purchase,” Drayson concludes.
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