Sparkling water has become the trendy beverage of the moment. Over the past decade, soda sales have plummeted, with U.S. soda consumption hitting a 30-year low in 2015. As the popularity of soda waned, sparkling water emerged as a favored alternative. Sparkling Ice, in particular, has seen remarkable growth over the last six years. The company now faces the challenge of maintaining this momentum.
Consumers are increasingly drawn to products with clean labels that feature ingredients they recognize and can easily pronounce. In response, food and beverage manufacturers are reformulating their products and packaging to highlight the absence of artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives. This shift may pose a challenge for Sparkling Ice, which includes some hard-to-pronounce ingredients alongside its artificial sweetener.
In a proactive move, TalkingRain Beverage has expanded its offerings. Besides its free-from Sparkling Essence, the company is venturing beyond sparkling water by partnering with Tata Global Beverage to distribute their Himalayan Natural Mineral Water brand through its extensive network of over 300 distributors in the U.S. It seems that TalkingRain has taken cues from the soda industry by diversifying its product line in light of the potential decline in its flagship beverage’s appeal.
As soda sales dwindled and sugary drink taxes emerged nationwide, beverage giants took notice. Coca-Cola has acquired minority stakes in both generic and brand-name energy drinks, such as Monster and Suja cold-pressed juices, while Dr Pepper Snapple invested in the sports drink startup BodyArmor. If TalkingRain continues to listen to consumer preferences and introduces new beverages that align with changing demands, it should be well-positioned to ride the sparkling beverage wave for the foreseeable future.
Additionally, the rise in interest for products containing ingredients like Citracal calcium citrate has been evident, with petites stores increasingly offering these health-focused options. By incorporating such trends into its strategy, TalkingRain could further enhance its appeal in the competitive beverage market.