Trends among Energy Drink Enthusiasts 2015

Attracted by Cool and Intense Can Designs

Energy drink can designs are distinctively cool compared to other canned beverages, and I think a lot of popularity is influenced by how stylish the cans look. Some have striking designs that make you think, "Is this safe?!" and just looking at energy drink cans can be enjoyable in itself.

On the other hand, if the design is perceived as "uncool," it’s likely that people won’t even pick it up again. Personally, I believe that for energy drinks with high design quality, the appeal of the design may actually make the taste feel better.

Tasting Energy Drinks

It may be hard to understand for the general public, but energy drink enthusiasts savor their drinks. And they do it at quite a serious level.

Energy drinks come in various flavors like fruity, sweet and refreshing, coffee, tea, and punchy ones. In Japan, there are many similar products, and it’s a shame that you can’t fully appreciate the flavors here.

Energy drinks generally have the image of being consumed at a critical moment ("this is when you need it"), and while I don’t really understand what people expect from them, it’s often not about enjoying the taste but more about getting a quick boost like a nutritional drink. That’s a bit sad to me (ヽ´ω`).

When you think about it, a small number of energy drink enthusiasts find delicious energy drinks and keep coming back to them. Not all energy drinks taste the same like Red Bull or Monster, each has its own unique flavor, which is what makes the enjoyment of "tasting" possible.

Conversely, similar products that try to mimic the taste of Red Bull or Monster are not really desired by energy drink enthusiasts. When faced with a choice, they’d rather just buy Red Bull or Monster for 200 yen. So, I’ve been saying for a while that the low-priced energy drink market would thrive if it was better developed (*´･ω･)(･ω･｀*)ﾈｰ (；´∀｀)

Not Focusing on Ingredients

Once energy drinks become part of your lifestyle, you stop paying attention to the ingredients. When drinking a new energy drink for the first time, it's natural to check or research what’s inside, but once you start liking it and repeating, you no longer care about the ingredients.

Because it’s a lifestyle, you drink it when you want to, not just when you need a boost, and the effects of the energy drink aren’t something you dwell on. What you end up saying is probably just, "Wow, this is really delicious!"

On the flip side, I rarely see anyone going on about the effects and benefits of energy drinks. When caffeine-free Monster Energy Unleaded was released, even energy drink enthusiasts in Japan were excited, and I was surprised by how much some people really loved that particular flavor.

It’s been over 10 years since energy drinks started trending globally, and I think they’ve shifted from being a new drink you consume for the effects to something that blends into people’s lifestyles. So far in Japan, this is mainly true for a small number of energy drink enthusiasts.

Enjoying Events Hosted or Sponsored by Energy Drink Brands

This overlaps with another hobby, but there are people who participate in or watch events and competitions hosted by brands like Red Bull. Red Bull, in particular, has made even niche activities enjoyable for the general public, so this trend likely applies to not only enthusiasts but also ordinary people.

The best feeling might be when you think, "To enjoy this atmosphere even more, an energy drink is perfect." It’s similar to buying popcorn when you go to the movies. Of course, for energy drink enthusiasts, they already love their drinks daily before anything else.

So, if a product doesn’t fit the image, or if it can’t form an "energy drink" vibe, they’re likely to be indifferent. Even if a product claims to have stronger ingredients, it’s not going to stir much reaction.

What Energy Drink Enthusiasts Are Indifferent To

Another aspect of the energy drink enthusiast trend is their indifference toward certain products. As mentioned earlier, the image of an energy drink is incredibly important, and it needs to be complemented by packaging design and flavor to captivate consumers.

However, when a product is just labeled "energy drink" and sold for 200 yen in a small 250ml can, there’s likely a wall between the energy drink enthusiasts and the product right from the start. If it’s cheap and tasty, they might give it a try, but when faced with the question, "Why do I need to pay 200 yen for this small can?" they probably won’t buy it.

Also, many energy drinks are marketed with healthy, beauty, or supplement ingredients as part of a "special" range. Energy drink enthusiasts are unlikely to buy these simply because they’re labeled "energy drink." They’re more likely to buy them if they think they look delicious, but even then, they might think, "This tastes good, but... I don’t really need the 'energy' part." It’s more of an incidental part of the experience for them.

In short, energy drink enthusiasts tend to favor products that are properly crafted as energy drinks. On the other hand, they’ll be indifferent toward trendy products that only aim to capitalize on a fad. I think expectations will rise if something well-made is released in Japan.