La Croix may or may not be a one-time thing, but consumers’ tastes are shifting towards beverages that have less sugar and looks more healthy.
The overall market of carbonated & flavored bottled water is steadily growing.
Established companies are preparing for the shift, which started decades ago when obesity became a thing in the US.
Diet Coke was introduced almost 100 years after the original coke (1886 -> 1982). Coke Zero was introduced in 2005.
The pursuit for “healthy”, “organic” and “natural” has never stopped.
In 2008, The Coca-Cola Company purchased a 40% stake in Honest Tea at $43 million, and acquired the company in 2011.
Coca-cola also invested in ZICO Coconut water in 2009, and purchased a majority stake in ZICO Coconut water in 2012.
In 2017, Coke Zero has become Coke Zero Sugar with minor modifications (taste more like original coke).
Meanwhile, Pepsi Co has made a series of investments and acquisitions. The most recent move is to buy SodaStream for $3.2 billion.
I feel like consumers’ tastes in China need to catch-up…. at least a certain percentage of people should look for heathy brands. There is no well-recognized Chinese brand in this category (at least to me).