What's Being Added to Water?

Highlights

• Added flavors and vitamins are expanding the reach of bottled water.
• #WaterTok is engaging consumers and getting them excited about water.
• Seniors may be the next target consumers for vitamin- and mineral-fortified water.

Flavors and Vitamins Boosting Water’s Popularity

The demand for bottled water continues to grow. With their pure bottled waters, global leaders like Nestlé Waters and Danone Waters are addressing consumers’ desires for healthy hydration on the go, as well as cleaner tasting alternatives to tap water for home use. 

At the same time, the newer flavor-led and vitamin-fortified waters are greatly expanding the appeal of bottled water. One company to watch in this space is Liquid Death, a US startup selling a variety of flavored, fortified waters in a tallboy can, with a catchy marketing campaign that Gen Z loves. The company also wins on sustainability—aluminum cans are infinitely recyclable, notes the company, while plastic is not.

The #WaterTok Trend: Sharing Water Recipes

Adding to the buzz is the new #WaterTok trend—a growing community of health-conscious TikTokers creating and sharing unique water recipes with one another. What began with one woman showing how she meets her daily water goals by mixing in blends of low-calorie flavor powders and sugar-free syrups is now an online phenomenon, with #WaterTok boasting over 600 million views.

Innovative flavor combinations and fun names (like Unicorn Water, Watermelon Colada, and Pink Waves) are keeping demand high for new recipes from these “water mixologists,” particularly among those looking to kick the soda habit. This trend is elevating water’s status to a healthy beverage that’s truly enjoyable.

Seniors: The Next Target Market for Fortified Waters

Looking ahead, seniors have the potential to become an important demographic for fortified waters, especially water with added vitamins and minerals. As the wealthiest and second-largest generation, Boomers have a lot of purchasing power and are willing to pay for healthy aging solutions that will keep them feeling their best.

While desired health benefits can vary based on geographical location, vitamins and minerals have broad popularity among older consumers, reports Mintel.¹ Added vitamins and minerals can support energy and strength, as well as overall health. Vitamin-mineral waters for seniors could offer multiple benefits or focus on one key benefit—such as immune support from vitamin C and zinc or bone health from calcium, magnesium, and vitamin D.

Your Ingredient Partner for Functional and Fortified Waters

Consumers’ growing interest in elevated hydration combined with the excitement around #WaterTok makes this the perfect time for brands to consider expanding into the functional and fortified water space. With our All N™ Off-the-Shelf Premix Formulas and custom premix solutions and wide range of beverage flavor solutions, we can help you get a high-quality hydration product to market fast. 

Contact us to learn how we can help you with vitamin-mineral blends, energy blends, immunity blends, and more.

References

1. Mintel, The Future of Water, Sports, and Energy Drink: 2023, September 2023.