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A flat soda created for long-distance runners

Floda by Satisfy and Trailrunner, Global

Global – Satisfy and Trailrunner have introduced a new addition to the energy drinks category – non-carbonated, cola-flavoured soda.

Floda, short for flat soda, was created with the needs of long-distance runners in mind. While traditional sodas yield several energising benefits for endurance runners, the carbonation can lead to discomfort when running, causing unwelcome cramps and wind. Enter Floda, which provides the levels of caffeine and sugar that athletes seek in sodas without the bubbles.

In running communities, it is common practice to decarbonise sodas at home in advance to make them race-friendly. ‘We just tapped into something the ultra-running community have been doing all along,’ explains Andrew Lincoln, Trailrunner’s head of brand and creative. ‘We wanted to help make it more accessible for all trail runners to benefit from.’

The heightened consumer interest in hydration and energy categories is creating a market for products like Floda and driving new opportunities for the alternative energy drinks market.

Strategic opportunity

Consumers’ cravings for convenient products that support active lifestyles and shortcuts in their health routines should drive innovations in the food and drink sector. Businesses should learn from growing sub-communities to better understand their needs

Stone & Mason introduces handbags made with recycled crisp packets

Stone & Mason, UK

UK – Established by a mother-daughter duo in 2018, Stone & Mason added a series of limited-edition bags made with hand-woven recycled crisp packets to its collection in March 2023. Hand-weaving experts in Colombia use the upcycled raw material via the Artesanias del Atlantico initiative promoting and supporting local artisans. The latter crocheted five designs of totes and bucket bags available online as part of the Crisp Collection for between £135 ($170, €155) and £245 ($310, €282).

Designers Susan and Holly aimed to 'turn trash into treasure' while staying true to their brand motto of selling bags filled with branded products and valuable gadgets. Anyone acquiring the metallic Grace Bucket Bag, named after Grace Jones, will receive the bag made with recycled plastic crisp packets, a portable phone charger, a lip balm, earring backs, silk tie side knickers, gum, a perfume atomiser and a tongue-in-cheek British made bag of crisps with biodegradable packaging.

In Food Waste Innovation, we previously looked at how, from food-sharing to upcycling, the growing need to create innovative and sustainable solutions to food waste presents various opportunities for all industries, from sunglasses manufacturers like Ashaya to fashion designers like Stone & Mason.

Strategic opportunity

There is potential to combine scientific innovation, sustainability and social justice, as tomorrow’s consumers will demand all three. Investment in chemistry research is crucial to turn landfill sites into raw material supermarkets

Montauk’s Marram hotel launches summer membership programme

US – Luxury beachfront hotel Marram in Montauk, New York, has launched its inaugural summer membership programme to change how people spend their summer in The Hamptons. The scheme is designed to entice guests to treat the hotel as their part-time summer home.

The £14,260 ($18,000, €16,430) programme, which will run from June to August, will allow guests and their plus ones to stay at least three times over the summer, including during peak periods, provided there is availability. Room upgrades, early check-in and late check-out are all part of the programme and subject to availability. Guests are simply required to make their reservation 14 days in advance.

Marram is also offering add-on perks including welcome gifts from Le Labo, food and drink credit of £475 ($600, €547) at the in-house café, a reserved private poolside cabana for half-day use and one private Marram experience from a choice of tarot readings, reiki, surfing lessons and more. The membership will include a partnership with helicopter service Blade, which will offer reduced rates for Marram members.

Marram’s membership offers a great option for East Coast residents who frequent The Hamptons but don’t want the logistical or financial hassle of purchasing or renting a full home. It also fits in with our Membership Retail microtrend report that reveals how brands are cultivating stronger, more loyal communities by introducing membership models.

Marram Montauk, US

Strategic opportunity

Our upcoming report on culture-centred members’ clubs showcases the steady popularity of membership schemes as they create a sense of community and exclusivity for guests. Like Marram, this can be expanded across existing hospitality structures

Stat: Most influencers receiving free products don’t use them in social media content

WeNatal. Photography by Katie Abbott, US

Global – A 2023 report published by influencer marketing software Traackr states that out of more than 300 marketers surveyed, 61% reported that fewer than half of the creators they gave products to post about those items on social media. Also known as influencer product seeding, the marketing strategy has faced a backlash from the general public and influencers themselves, alerting brands to the carbon footprint generated by the hundreds of parcels received regularly.

Nevertheless, 65% of the same marketers surveyed say they will continue to send gifts to an influencer who didn’t include those gifted products in their content. Marketing specialists quoted in the report also mention how gifting should evolve from identical PR packages sent en masse to a curated selection of products tailored to each influencer. Madeline Chambers, director of the influencer and social media strategy at Maybelline, told Traackr: ‘Before you reach out to an influencer or send them a product, find the time to connect with and get to know them. This critical element could drastically improve the quality and impact of your product seeding campaigns.’

In Accredited Influencers, we previously highlighted how the influencer model, no longer associated with self-obsession, superficiality and the entitlement to freebies, has become a legitimate career with real societal power.

Strategic opportunity

Brands looking to maximise their return on investment with gifting should embrace niche influencer targeting and adapt their PR package to each niche and favour quality over quantity – while showing a company-wide willingness to reduce their carbon footprint