“Consumers are becoming increasingly aware of the negative health implications of consuming sugarised, carbonated drinks,” Brand Finance said in a press release. “This has led to a slowdown in growth in developed markets. Moreover, sensitivity to health and wellness factors such as sugar content was the major contributor to poor performance of soft drinks in 2015.”
With a value of US$34.2 billion, beverage giant Coca-Cola is by far the world’s most valuable soft drink brand, the report said. But that large sum is a 5% decline from last year, reflecting public sentiment against sugary soft drinks.
“In response to growing health concerns, Coca-Cola launched Coca-Cola Life, however, it was criticised for being a ‘gimmick’ that did not properly promote healthy consumption,” the report said.
Overall, US companies took 16 spots in the list of 25 most valuable soft drink brands. The value of all the brands who made the list combined is US$109.2 billion. Here they are:
Energy beats out indulgence
Mountain Dew’s performance outshined other soft drink manufacturers with a 6% increase. “This is largely due to the fact that the brand has embraced the idea of being an energy drink, thus making the drink appealing to those who want an energy boost,” Brand Finance reported.
Similarly, energy drink company Monster also experienced an increase of 6%, providing further evidence that the category is more in demand than indulgent sugary beverages.
Other brands that experienced the most growth were in caffeinated drinks such as tea and coffee: Nescafé, Lipton, and Folgers.