Data Tracker: Setting the table

Consumer attitudes towards food and beverages are changing. Health and fitness are among the primary concerns for consumers, especially millennials. Alison Martin, director at Kantar Worldpanel, which ranks brands according to consumer reach points (CRP) says the demand for 'free-from' products, non-traditional flavours and fusion foods is eroding the advantages of scale that used to help multinationals in the past. The times are changing

• In beverages Coca-Cola remains the market leader, reaching 46 per cent of the world's population. Red Bull has had a good year (Position 96, growing CRPs by 8 per cent)
   
• Sprite is the fastest growing brand in the top 10; found an additional 15.9 million shoppers in 2015
   
• The US remains the single biggest market for Sprite, India is its fifth largest market where the brand has been innovative with Sprite Zero, the low calorie variant was exclusively tested on the e-commerce mobile app Grofers rather than the usual route of modern trade outlets
   
• Brands have begun to place more emphasis on no calorie variants. In 2015 Red Bull launched its zero-calorie sub-brand
   
• Mineral water brands are thriving in developed markets, partly as consumers turn away from sugary drinks
   
• In food, low-calorie variants and fresh produce reign in some western markets; transparency and safety are watchwords across Asia, where trust in certain beloved brands has plummeted
   
• A third of millennials use smartphones to track calories against exercise; 30 minutes of high intensity exercise to burn off a snack may be a greater barrier to consumption than price
   
• Pasta brand Barilla entered the Top 50 ranking for the first time in 2015, the brand added nutrients and convenience to grow its margins and attract new demographics in the US
   
• Many governments are using policy changes to bring about a change in eating habits; Mexico's sugar tax reduced sweetened beverage sales by 12 per cent in its first year. In India, the Kerala government has just levied a fat tax whose impact is still to be measured