I guess this is going to be the last big year of explosive energy drink growth and as many new flavors that you can find. I predict this is the year of the big energy drink consolidation. I mean the big players are all in now and already swallowing up the smaller ones... The new drinks on the market are sticking around for a shorter time or having a much higher initial investment as they enter the market. The time of every company having its own energy drink is coming to an end. Does this mean the end? No more fun and crazy new interesting flavors? No, it just means soon price wars will occur.

After we see the market level out a bit, to take a larger market share some of the larger drinks that can will lower their price which will in turn force competitors do the same, while the industry is enjoying the highest ever margins on energy drinks, it is bound that it will break down. So while I will miss the ever exciting times of trying new drinks all the time, which I will continue to do for as long as I can get my hands on them, I welcome the cheaper energy drinks, which will wake me each morning at a reasonable rate.

Now I really hope some of my small time favorites can keep carving a niche out for them selves because there is definitely room for that in today's long tail world as well.

The best energy drink of 2006 award goes to, Monster Khaos, for being the best and easiest to find of all of the Orange juice energy drinks, which started forcing other companies to really do something different than just make soda's with more caffeine.

Posted by Dan at January 3, 2007 8:48 PM