The CBD drinks market has evolved at a rapid pace over the past 12 months, with many new brands launching and those brands that have started to become established, launching new flavours and styles as they seek to become the leading recognised brand in this burgeoning sector.
This innovation has become possible in no small part due to a large amount of investment pouring into the CBD sector, as venture capitalists look to become financially involved in potentially highly valuable enterprises.
Main Stream CBD Beverages
The main two countries driving the market are the USA and the UK. The USA was naturally first off the mark and despite the less than crystal clear legal framework it has not stopped a plethora of brands releasing CBD beverages. One of the most established brands is Recess who at the time of writing have three flavoured cans. The company’s cool branding and social media marketing has seen them grow at a rapid pace with several companies already imitating what they have done. In particular, they have done well in New York City and the state of California where there is a more liberal approach to the consumption of CBD. Pitched squarely at trendy millennials the company’s ethos, design and branding have found favour amongst its target audience, especially given younger generations move away from traditional medication to alternative vegan remedies.
History of Carbonated Drink
On the other side of the Atlantic, the first brand into the market was Green Monkey who created a fruity carbonated drink, with its niche being the drink contained being coloured green, which ultimately stopped it from reaching wide-reaching success. Perhaps one thing most of the offerings have in common is that they are vegan and use natural ingredients, ensuring that they cater for a changing demographic who are much more aware of calorie and ingredient consumption than the previous generation.
Calm Drinks have become the leading player in the United Kingdom, initially starting with a canned cold brew americano and a latte, they quickly pivoted to sparkling waters as summer approached, and have developed a huge social media following from their extensive work with social media influencers. Weed stem tea and CBD has already developed a huge following in the UK and there are sure to be many other drinks brands launching who seek to take the title of the most established CBD drink, and that can only be good news for consumers.
Future Volume of CBD
Indeed within the UK, the volume of CBD sales is now higher than those of Vitamin C and Vitamin D combined. One national health chain Holland and Barrett has devoted large sections of its high street shelf space to the product and has reaped the rewards of its financial investment into this niche sector. So much so that it is now running national television advertising campaigns for the product, something that would simply be unheard of 18 months ago. This continued exposure will increase awareness of CBD drinks, perhaps making them just as common to consume as a Berocca over the next year.