Energy drink brands are teaming up with candy and treat brands on limited-edition flavors reminiscent of Halloween hauls and pool parties.
C4 has Skittles, Starburst, Popsicle and Hawaiian Punch flavors of energy drinks and is now increasing marketing around its can with Creamsicle. Ghost Energy offers Sour Patch Kids, Swedish Fish, Warheads and Bubbalicious flavors, while Ryse Fuel, which sells both supplements and energy drinks, has a deal with Sour Punch Straws. Earlier this year, Liquid IV, a powdered hydration brand, launched a Firecracker Popsicle flavor.
These partnerships, which have ramped up in the past few years, are largely a bid to bring in more Millennial and Gen Z customers. Thirty percent of young people in the U.S. consume energy drinks on a daily basis, and two-thirds of energy drink consumers are 13 to 35 years old. Competition for energy drinks is tight — Red Bull alone sold more than 12 billion cans worldwide in 2023 — but energy drink brands are betting that nostalgic flavors like Popsicle Grape and Sour Blue Raspberry can give them an edge. They are also an important customer acquisition tool — C4 said that three Popsicle flavors it debuted this year are responsible for bringing in 60% of new customers.
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