Focus: The Next Great Need State in a Distracted World

Delivery

This report comes in PPT.

Key Findings

Eroding modern attention spans are boosting demand for products that increase the ability to focus

The structure of modern life, particularly its reliance on technology, has had a detrimental effect on the ability of many people to focus. This increases demand for products that boost short-term memory, concentration and associated cognitive functions. By no means is this limited to just beverages, but they are poised to play an especially important role.

Three core groups will have special interest in increasing their focus

Though the interest in increasing attention spans is general, three core groups will be most intensely interested - biohackers who are closely tied to online self-optimisation culture, the productivity-obsessed (both in the workforce and in schools) and serious video game players. They will be most willing to take a chance on new products and be the path to more general consumers.

Coffee, tea, energy drinks and waters will be the core categories, with concentrates as a dark horse

Not all beverage categories will make sense for potential focus beverages. The currently caffeinated ones (coffee, tea, energy drinks) will be the most natural fits, with functional waters and concentrates also holding potential because of their generally strong functional positioning.

Caffeine will remain the dominant ingredient stringing the segment together

Across categories and occasions the dominant characteristic of focus beverages is their reliance on the world’s most-used nootropic - caffeine. As virtually every product will have it, it will not be the focus of marketing. Other ingredients will be more discussed because they will be how products distinguish themselves, even while caffeine generally does the actual heavy lifting in creating higher levels of focus.