Packaging of a product plays a role in the success of a beverage, “but taste is king,” said Holly McHugh, a marketing expert at Imbibe, a beverage development company in the Chicago area. She said “consumer preferences are a moving target, but there are larger trends like clean label, sustainability, sugar reduction and food as medicine that are influencing product success.”

McHugh said she thinks there is a lot of opportunity for smaller brands introducing innovative products. “If they do well, there’s a chance the brand will be acquired by a larger player like Pepsi or Coke,” she said.

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