What’s Next for Electrolytes?

Spoiler alert: not more sugar.

We’ve all seen Liquid IV crush it, and then inspire numerous copycats. Those like Gatorade, Nuun and Ultima have been here all along, but Liquid IV seems to have taken the hydration category to new highs. By the look of recent sales, you would have thought our country was ravaged by dehydration five years ago!

From Gatorade to Nuun and Ultima, let’s take a look at what they’ve done and what we can do to raise the bar with added functionality.

Flavor

Obviously flavor is king and always will be.

Cost & Price

Because electrolytes are typically low-cost, expenses mostly go to branding and marketing. Current market formulas are vulnerable to disruption! 

What’s Missing

1. Sweeteners: There may be brands on the market now with more than 10g of sugar selling remarkably well. However, we’ve never heard anyone say, “The future is formulating with more sugar.” We also can’t imagine the blood sugar and insulin spike for 99% of consumers is worth the “potential” for better hydration. So while it takes years to create social change, why not start now with our new fermented Reb M, which is not from stevia? For those who use stevia, our non-stevia Reb M option is far superior. Or even allulose could be an option.
2. Functionalization: We’ve also never heard anyone say “drink less water.” So, why not functionalize hydration with some basics?
   • Immunity: to state the obvious—Vitamin C and D3, let alone a bunch of other options from zinc to selenium.
   • Trace minerals: these exist in some existing SKUs, but there could be a much cooler focus here.
   • Gut health: prebiotics like our iXOS™ are an easy fit.
   • Energy: Dynamine™ is now an easy add for non-stim energy and focus. If you want to add caffeine, go ahead because Dynamine™ is a great complement.
   • Stress/mood: adding TeaCrine® for a dopamine mood kick is possibly the lowest hanging fruit. We haven’t heard of anyone reporting less stress since the pandemic hit! To add brown, bitter botanicals like ashwagandha to a clear or pastel-colored electrolyte drink is a no-go. TeaCrine® is now easy to flavor and it dissolves clearly.

Click to tell us about your electrolyte project and let’s start innovating!