The Consumer Flocks to Energy Drinks and Supplements: What You Need to Know

Today’s supplement consumers are prioritizing their quality of life more than ever before — and it’s affecting how they show up to purchase. According to a recent survey by Kyowa Hakko of U.S. supplement shoppers, more than 4 out of 5 said it is important to their quality of life to have mental focus, mental energy, and the ability to concentrate.

For these consumers, memory recall and mood are key quality-of-life factors. And in the past six months, a large number have sought an energy boost via purchasing coffee drinks, energy drinks, and dietary supplements. Keep reading to find out what you need to know about how consumers view energy drinks and supplements.

Mood and Focus: The Top Two Purchasing Drivers

Consumers identified mood and focus as rationale for purchasing a product in the past six months to boost energy or focus. Closely behind these two purchasing drivers is focus specifically for sports or exercise (36%) and needing aid to focus during the day for work and school (43%).

While there is massive potential for energy-boosting applications, consumers still have concerns around consumption. Loss of sleep, anxiety, restlessness, and energy crashes are the top three consumer concerns when using a beverage or dietary supplement to boost energy. What does this mean for you? Brands and formulators may be missing the mark among shoppers who are worried about a negative experience.

Energy as a Daily Necessity

Energy isn’t just seen as a basic need by consumers — it’s seen as a crucial part of their everyday routines. Among those surveyed, 79% take a dietary supplement daily. More and more, mental energy is viewed as a component of health and wellness. Seven-in-10 supplement consumers said they have done something to help maintain their cognitive health just in the past two weeks (71%).

But despite this, more than half said they often struggle to stay alert for the whole day or mentally focused on tasks. Similarly, 51% said they often experience a lack of mental clarity.

The Desire for Trusted Ingredients

Supplement consumers are active information-seekers. More than half said they spend a lot of time researching personal nutrition (57%). So, it’s no surprise that trust has become a major component of supplement consumers’ purchase decision-making.

Brands may benefit from using multiple touchpoints in online media and in-store placements to reinforce brand messaging — consumers tend to trust clinical studies and information from health and nutrition sites. Samples or demonstrations, retailer websites, and in-store displays for information on dietary supplements have also been noted as areas of trust by consumers.

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Cognizin® Citicoline

Only 67% of supplement consumers said they are satisfied with the current energy drinks on the market. And though 69% said they are likely to purchase energy supplements in the next three months, a significant gap remains.

For supplement consumers who are already regularly seeking information about functional ingredients, “science on the label” helps to motivate trust and purchase consideration. Messaging about key ingredients can also help overcome expectations of jitteriness and an eventual energy crash.

Cognizin® Citicoline is a leading cognitive health ingredient that is found in over 200 supplements and functional beverages. Clinically tested for efficacy, Cognizin® is a vegetarian and allergen-free nootropic that delivers a patented form of citicoline to supply your brain with an important nutrient to help you stay sharp. Unlike synthetic stimulants that can cause a crash after a temporary increase in energy, Cognizin® offers support to help maintain focus, attention, and memory.