The promise of cold & cool quotient: Beverage brands bullish on the Indian summer

As India reels under searing temperatures, summer marketing season has picked up. Be it fans, air coolers, air-conditioners, refrigerators and cold beverages – anything that can provide relief from the heat is high on consumers’ shopping list. Among these, perhaps the cheapest relief from the heat is offered by the cold beverages. Not surprisingly, revenue in the Soft Drinks segment is pegged at $8.85 billion in 2023, as per Statista, which also states that this market is expected to grow annually by 5.40% (CAGR 2023-2027). Statista further states that in the Soft Drinks segment, volume is expected to amount to 7.82 billion litres by 2027. The Soft Drinks segment is expected to show a volume growth of 3.9% in 2024. The average volume per person in the Soft Drinks segment is expected to amount to 4.89 litres in 2023.

“We’re excited to see how the season unfolds and are optimistic that our portfolio of well-known brands, such as Pepsi, 7UP, Nimbooz, Mirinda, Slice, Sting, and Mountain Dew, will be able to meet the consumer demand for refreshing beverages to beat the heat. This season has witnessed big-ticket campaigns featuring long-standing as well as new celebrity brand ambassadors for our portfolio of beverage brands,” a PepsiCo India Spokesperson told Adgully.

They further said, “Our line-up of ambassadors enjoys a strong national and regional influence on the youth that cuts across geographies and aims to connect with consumers across the nation, be it Ranveer Singh and Yash for Pepsi, Kiara Advani for Slice, Rashmika Mandanna for 7UP to Akshay Kumar for Sting. The response has been overwhelming and we’re confident that our stellar summer campaigns will further strengthen the connection with consumers and ensure brand love. We look forward to a great summer while remaining committed to providing consumers the right products at the right occasions across the beverage portfolio.”

Not just carbonate beverages, juice brands are equally bullish on their summer marketing strategies. As shared by Monisha Prasher, AGM marketing – Beverages, Dabur India, “This year, we are looking at scaling up newly launched portfolios and at the same time continue our focus on increasing penetration for our Juices and Nectar range of beverages. This will be driven through impactful media presence along with a focus on distribution expansion through trade focus.”

Emphasising on the healthy alternatives offered by Dabur, Prasher said, “Real range of Fruit Juices and Beverages offers the consumer the widest range of healthy beverages. This is driven by the fact that the Indian consumer has evolved over the years and hence, the beverage choices differ for each member of the family. While, on the one hand, the Real nectar range is loved by mothers and kids, the Real Activ 100% range is loved more by those looking to avoid added sugar. Similarly, while the Real Mango drink range plays on India’s love for Mango, Real Fizzin focuses on offering consumers the fun of fizz with the goodness of fruit. Recently, we have further expanded our portfolio through the launch of fruit beverages with Aloe goodness under the Real Aloe Power range.”

It is said that when really thirsty, there’s no drink that quenches thirst better that some cold water, for over five decades, Bisleri has been synonymous with hydration and packaged drinking water. The brand has also ventured into the soft drinks market.

With the IPL season currently on, Bisleri has launched its summer campaign. Shedding ore light on the latest campaign, Tushar Malhotra, Head of Marketing, Bisleri International, said, “We have launched our campaign, ‘Bisleri #CarryYourGame’, combining the aspect of hydration and sport, underscoring the importance of water in peak human performance.”

Continuing further, he said, ““We have launched one of the largest integrated marketing campaigns, associating with Mumbai Indians, Gurjarat Titans, Delhi Capitals and Rajasthan Royals. The campaign encompasses limited edition bottles, out-of-home media, digital content, delivery truck branding, radio contests, in-stadium vending and branding, and much more to provide an exciting experience to our consumers. We are delighted to offer the consumers the insight to Carry their Game wherever they go with a Bisleri bottle and stay healthy for this summer and beyond.”

While Commenting on the Pepsi's recent TVC with Samantha Prabhu , director Punit Malhotra, said , “I am thrilled to have directed the new Pepsi film, which has been a creative and exciting project from start to finish. Pepsi is a brand that is known for its iconic campaigns and cutting-edge marketing strategies, and I am honored to join them as they introduce the powerhouse that is Samantha Prabhu. She has been a wonderful collaborator in this project, embodying the spirit of Pepsi with her hard work and dedication. I am excited to have worked with such a dynamic team, and I am confident that this new film will make a lasting impression with audiences everywhere.”

Growing health consciousness

Lloyd Mathias, Angel Investor & Business Strategist, believed that, “There is a big trend for a lot of consumers who are becoming very health conscious, people are moving to alternate beverages, whether it is water, whether it is juices, whether it is natural juices, but that symptom seems to be slightly more predominant in urban areas less in the rural areas. But this is obviously a big concern for consumers, specifically a little bit of the young consumers. If you look at Gen Z they are more conscious.”

Ambi Parameswaran, Independent Brand Strategist, also highlighted the similar concerns and said, “In a large growing country like India, there is headroom for growth for all kinds of products. The more health conscious may switch to the expensive sugar-free versions. For most teenagers, colas are a way of announcing that you are a teenager and a cool dude! Healthy beverages will have their own takers but carbonated beverages will not shrivel up. The entry of Campa will also energise the whole market.”

As is known, last year Reliance bought Campa Cola and brought it back to the Indian market, which has also brought back nostalgia among the consumers! How this comeback will pan out, we will have to wait and watch.

Ambi Parameswaran summed up the bullish summer trend, when he said, “Carbonated beverages are sold on the promise of refreshment and enjoyment. There is also the emotional benefit of doing something ‘cool’! That is not going to vanish.”