In recent years we have seen the emergence of the healthier and more natural children's beverage - fruit juices, bottled water, cordials - all offered to our children as a replacement to the ‘terrible fizzy drink'. As our health concerns have increased so we have as parents and teachers become more focused on what our children drink. The issue of childhood obesity has fuelled this debate with the facts as worrying as ever - The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that globally there are 155 million children of school age who are obese. This of course culminated in the spate of legislation impacting on the sales of sugary carbonates, including an outright ban in UK schools in 2006. Parents have carried this concern forward outside of schools and their fears over obesity and ill health are now driving the nature of demand in children's drinks, rejecting high-calorie carbonates and seeking out natural and free from additive propositions. The latest research in the UK shows that 55% of mothers are looking for products with no added sugar and 38% for products with no artificial colourings.
The thing is, while children are more aware of the health debate than ever before, they are still fundamentally going to drink what they want when they want. In this regard, kids love fizzy drinks so parents can only do so much. With this in mind the drinks manufacturers really need to step up and improve the choice on offer to the nation. And at last some have, but the source of this improved choice may be somewhat surprising.
The response by Coca-Cola and PepsiCo to these concerns has been decidedly lacklustre. In some cases they have supported limited legislation and promoted physical activity in schools (as a means of burning sugar). In others they have tried to cascade the product relevance of older ‘mum' brands like Appletiser across the schools eating environment. However, from the outside looking in it does appear that they have stalled their innovation streams for fear of what a strategically supported mainstream healthy carbonate might say about their master Pepsi, Coke, Fanta brands.
Nestlé on the other hand appears to have been particularly proactive and shrewd in its response to the better for you market and therein the opportunity around children - particularly beyond the UK. The company's approach has been to add healthier beverages to its existing lines. In the US, Nestlé launched RTD Nesquik to comply with school vending machine guidelines in 2005, and followed this in 2007 with the launch in the US and Nigeria of the Aquapod, the world's first bottled water specifically targeted at children. In France, Nestlé markets Vitalitos, another mineral water brand aimed at children.
However, in the UK it has thus been left to the entrepreneurs to come forward and deliver the new choice for our children - a choice that addresses teen calls for fun and fizzy and parents and teacher's requirement for health. While the likes of Feelgood and Firefly offer propositions that cater more for the older consumer with a glass bottled (rather pricey) combination of mineral water and fruit flavours it is new brand on the block SUSO that is veritably steeling a march in and beyond UK schools. Packaged in an artistic 250ml can size, if offers all the cool cues and brand appeal to teens of a Red Bull. The handy can size means it's perfect for the lunch box but critically represents a measured dose of refreshment, half the calories of a 500ml Traditional fizzy drink. On top of which it is carbonated for Coca Cola-like refreshment, and made of 100% Fruit Juice it represents 1 of your 5 a day (so all the benefits of a smoothie!). Indeed a new drink for our children that we can give them with a clear conscience but that they it would seem want for themselves.
Concern over healthier drinking and childhood obesity will continue to grow over the next few years and rightly so. The health and wellbeing of our children is paramount. And this debate will require ongoing education as to what indeed is the right choice for our children. It is however today in the UK, comforting that there are already some credible alternatives on the table to that which we have always known and accepted. And in that regard let's hear it for the little people.
