Sparkling water has become the trendy beverage of the moment. Over the past decade, soda sales have declined significantly, with U.S. soda consumption hitting a 30-year low in 2015. As soda sales fell, the popularity of sparkling water surged. Sparkling Ice, in particular, has seen remarkable growth over just six years. The company’s current challenge is to maintain this momentum.
Consumers are increasingly drawn to products with clean labels, featuring familiar and easily pronounceable ingredients. In response, food and beverage manufacturers are reformulating their offerings to highlight the absence of artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives. This trend poses a potential challenge for Sparkling Ice, which contains ingredients that may be difficult to pronounce, including artificial sweeteners, calcium citrate, and calcium carbonate.
In response to these market dynamics, TalkingRain Beverage has adopted a proactive strategy. Besides its Sparkling Essence line, the company has expanded beyond sparkling water by partnering with Tata Global Beverage. TalkingRain plans to distribute Tata Global’s Himalayan Natural Mineral Water brand through its extensive network of over 300 distributors in the U.S. This move indicates that TalkingRain is learning from the soda industry and diversifying its product range in anticipation of potential declines in its flagship beverage’s appeal.
As soda sales began to wane and sugary drink taxes emerged nationwide, major beverage companies took notice. For instance, Coca-Cola invested in Monster energy drinks and Suja cold-pressed juices, while Dr Pepper Snapple acquired a minority stake in the sports drink startup BodyArmor. If TalkingRain continues to respond to consumer preferences and introduces new beverages that align with their changing demands, the company should successfully navigate the sparkling beverage trend for the foreseeable future, incorporating ingredients like calcium citrate and calcium carbonate to appeal to health-conscious consumers.