You rarely see a legendary food brand changing its formula. Coca Cola has tried occasionally over the years. And was met with fan rebellions. Lately, though, fizzy drink makers have been experimenting. And iconic 7UP is the latest to fiddle its flavour…
7UP is, arguably, the most popular lemon-lime soda in the world. At least here, in North America. And it’s been pumped out by the billions of gallons over the years using the same formula.
But in spite of the old maxim – ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ – the folks at Keurig/Dr Pepper felt com-pelled to update the classic.
Why?
It’s just one small part of a huge sea change that’s washing over the recreational beverage industry these days. Fizzy drinks, energy drinks and sports drinks are all blurring together as brands struggle to keep up with the demands of health-conscious younger generations. All categories of recreational drinks are dipping their toes in protein-boosted waters. And many are also adding hydration aids such as electrolytes.
The reason behind the upheaval is simple: the recreational beverage market is (pun intended) sat-urated. That eventuality became inevitable as the category became ulta-fractionated. It used to be that you grabbed water, soda or lemonade for relief on a hot summer day. Then came Gatorade and it’s clones, offering a clinical approach to hydration.
Meanwhile…
… Off to the far left of the spectrum, Red Bull ushered in a new age of caffeine-boosted bevs design-ed to get you through an all-nighter, or give you the boost you needed to get through a rough day.
As the 20-teens progressed, the many sub-categories began, themselves, to break down, offering fizzy, plain, flavoured and barely flavoured options. And bottled water brands started to get fancy to compete.
Now, post-COVID, they’ve become even more prolific offering ‘functional’ alternatives: Protein- and Fibre- ‘enriched’ versions, vitamin and mineral formulae targeted to folks who want specific nutrit-ional boosts. And they’re available a wide variety of forms: conventional canned and bottled drinks, powdered mixes, and concentrates.
Thus, a ‘7UP-date’…
Fans will be glad to hear that Keurig/Dr Pepper does not have anything like a total reboot in mind for 7UP.
The brand is, in fact, getting a ‘refresh’ focusi9n g on its iconic flavour. Some folks have, for years, favoured 7’s arch competitor Sprite for years, preferring its line-leaning formula. The folks at 7UP have been listening. And pressures from all sides have finally mandated a response.
Basically… 7UP is pivoting from ‘lemon-lime’ to ‘lime-lemon’, with the green partner in the pair taking the flavour lead.That’s a direct response to the findings of an internal K/DP consumer survey that in-dicated the younger generations – who consume the most recreational drinks – are heavily skewed toward ‘citrus’. The poll revealed 72 percent of Gen Z and Gen Alpha people prefer ‘citrus-forward’ flavors, and 64 percent of the same groups are looking for bold, intense taste experiences.
The change will be applied to its regular, zero sugar, cherry and cherry zero sugar varieties. K/DP proudly states that the new recipe is the first lime-led formula in the category, a critical point of differentiation in the $5 billion lemon-lime soda segment.
A visual makeover, too…
“This is a bold reinvention of one of America’s most iconic soda brands for a new generation of consumers- starting with the flavor itself,” Drew Panayiotou, Chief Marketing and Innovation Officer for Keurig/Dr Pepper, said in a statement. “We are transforming a beloved heritage brand into a modern disruptor – delivering a sharper visual identity, a more refreshing taste experience, and a distinct position that attracts new users and deepens brand loyalty.”
The flavour revamp will be accompanied by a logo and packaging update. The brand is introducing a new vertical logo, bolder colors and what it calls a more distinctive design to ‘call attention’ to the lime-forward product.
Part of a larger initiative…
K/DP is also updating its other soda brands. The company recently announced plans to revamp its RC Cola brand, making it an equal partner, though different enough not to be a direct competitor to its flagship label Dr Pepper.
And on an even higher plane, the company is splitting its coffee business from its recreational bevs business so each can focus more intensely on its particular niche.
My take
Bravo, K/DP – for listening to the emerging majority of recreational beverage consumers!
And congratulations on your restraint in choosing logical, surgical amendments to the traditional 7UP formula. Too many beverage makers these days are just adding ingredients or making changes to their formulae to copy-cat what the competition is doing. And I, for one, believe that way lies disaster…
~ Maggie J.