The Future of Electrolyte Beverages

Electrolyte beverages are the obvious solution when water isn’t enough to stay hydrated and restore lost electrolytes through sweating or illness. Suppliers who are leading this category are coaxing shoppers to demand more from the sporty drinks they have always settled for. Today, consumers can expect a product that offers more nutritional value than other beverages that are filled with unnecessary carbohydrates that come in bizarre and unpalatable colors and leave behind an overly sweet aftertaste. There are pleasant and tasty options that quench your thirst after a sweaty gym workout, amidst soaring temperatures or while you are battling nausea and dehydration.

“We continue to see disruption on both the powder and RTD side of electrolyte beverages, with PRIME being the most recent example of podcasters using their star power and existing audience to drive massive short term demand and sales, proving you don't need drastic improvements to a product or category to drive sales,” said Aaron Hinde, President and Co-Founder of LIFEAID Beverage Co. “We will see if that demand is sustainable. Functional categories continue to blur with FITAID Energy being case in point which has both an electrolyte and energy component. More consumers are interested in non-sodium based electrolytes, primarily potassium and magnesium.”

“If you take a step back and look at most of the functional hydration category today, it’s primarily filled with a sea of brightly colored drinks made from questionable ingredients, served in plastic bottles,” said Mike Keech, CEO of Liquid I.V. “We believe that hydration —and wellness in general—has become too complicated, expensive and inaccessible to the everyday person.”

“As the team continues to develop and expand Liquid I.V.’s products and positioning, we uncovered valuable insights into how brands in the category have been communicating the meaning of hydration to consumers,” Keech said. “Up until now, both powder and ready-to-drink hydration drinks were marketed to a niche audience, typically professional athletes in high stakes mo- ments. Our research showed us that everyday consumers found this traditional approach outdated and less relevant to their needs. Liquid I.V.’s philosophy is that hydration is a universal need— and that because so many people are dehydrated, hydration products can and should be for everyone, in everyday moments. We identified this gap in the marketplace and had an opportunity to provide consumers with a more convenient, cleaner, greener, better-tasting hydration solution. A product that wasn’t just functional but also tasted great and was ultimately good for both people and the planet.”

“The category has grown rapidly since we created it with the launch of the Gatorade Thirst Quencher formula in 1965,” said Christina Menendez, Vice President of Growth Acceleration, Gatorade Portfolio. “We’re energized by the continued growth and new users entering the space. The future for us is continuing to evolve what we created, expanding our footprint to meet the needs of all athletes and exercisers.”

In June, Liquid I.V. will announce its largest, most innovative product launch and activation to date. “I am committed to building Liquid I.V. to be the next 100-year household name, and I believe that will be the result of our continuity to excellence in brand building, our product quality and innovation program,” Keech said. “At the highest level, our ambition is to be a global pioneer and iconic brand in functional hydration. Every day we redefine the functional hydration market, elevating the standard of the functional benefits our products deliver and delighting consumers with delicious flavors that keep them coming back for more. Liquid I.V. continues to champion a future where our team creates products that are better for both people and the planet.”

Most notably, the Gatorade Zero and Propel Tablets just hit shelves, making them the first multi-brand innovation to come out of the Gatorade Portfolio. “Entering a new space within the beverage enhancers aisle is an exciting moment for the brand, as we continue to stretch into new forms to meet the needs of consumers craving portable, sustain- able options,” Menendez said.

“Liquid I.V. was founded with the goal of reimagining the functional hydration market, meaning innovation is at the core of our brand DNA,” Keech said. “Our ability to innovate—and to do so quickly—contributes greatly to our success, and we strive to continually evolve our products to meet consumers where they are. On a product level, our key value proposition and what makes Liquid I.V. unique, different and better than the rest is all rooted in our science-backed efficacy. Consumers recognize that our products make them feel better, faster and can feel firsthand that they really work. All our products go through clinical trials, and our science-backed Hydration Multiplier formula contains a specific ratio of potassium, sodium and glucose that delivers hydration to the body faster and more efficiently than water alone. Additionally, any single serving of Liquid I.V. contains three times the electrolytes of traditional sports drinks and eight vitamins and nutrients to help replenish the body.”

“We’re delivering innovation in a few ways, both inside and outside of the bottle,” Menendez said. "In recent years we’ve launched several new ready-todrink products. Equally exciting are our newer beverage enhancers and equipment offerings that provide consumers even more convenient and sustainable options. We are also innovating on the equipment side, with our reusable Gatorade bottles, Gx App and the Gx Sweat Patch. We’re building a fully connected ecosystem of product and equipment solutions to help meet the needs of all athletes and exercisers.”

LIFEAID Beverage Co. is launching two new flavor LTOs launching this year for its flagship sports recovery drink FITAID. “We continue to market the premium non sodium electrolytes in our products,” Hinde said. “We survey our massive DTC and direct to gym consumer base frequently to see what type of functional product lines and flavor iterations they would like to see from LIFEAID. We have a robust innovation pipeline to continue to serve our consumers needs including the two LTOs for 2023.”