The energy and sports drinks category is both growing and evolving rapidly. Globally, the category saw 493 new-product launches during the first nine months of 2005, compared with 609 for all of 2004, according to Mintel’s Global New Products Database. In North America, the 180 product launches during the January-September period had already exceeded the 174 introductions for all of 2005.

Following are some factors driving the market:

• All-natural products continue to increase.

• Marketers are increasingly emphasizing amino acid and electrolyte content.

• Fruity flavors are popular.

• Functional ingredients, such as Co-enzyme Q10, are adding value to energy drinks.

This is one of those very crowded and constantly evolving categories in which packaging is essential to communicating the benefits message and creating a compelling difference among competitors. Mintel reports that particularly in Japan, pouches are common in sports drinks for their portability and convenience, often in “jelly” drinks. But pouches are also becoming popular for liquid sports drinks in Europe. Consumers there favor the pouches for ease of carrying and mess-free dispensing.

One example comes from Germany, where Capri Sonne has released Caps Sport, an Isotonic drink in a 180g cheer pack pouch.

In the United States, a number of innovative packaging solutions have come on the market in energy and sports drinks that emphasize fun and educational value, Mintel says. Leading Brands has joined this trend with Trek Optimized Performance Fuel. The beverage comes in a bottle with a carabiner attached to the cap, a map ruler on the label, and a makeshift compass on the bottom of the bottle.

Mintel forecasts that since energy and sports drinks will continue to use vitamin/mineral fortification for general health, consumers will likely see more drinks with “supplementary” positioning. Packaging for these drinks will provide the recommended daily intake of essential nutrients and a burst of energy, with visual elements that emphasize the “burst of energy” message.