Sprite has joined ThumsUp and Kinley as one of Coca-Cola India’s top soft drinks brands. The carbonate brand’s sales surged by more than a third in 2021, rebounding from a dip in 2020 due to the COVID-19 outbreak. With most of the pandemic restrictions lifted by June 2021, the brand’s sales have taken off and it has emerged as the second billion-dollar brand for Coca-Cola India after ThumsUp. With this estimated increase in sales, Sprite will contribute more than a fifth of Coca-Cola India’s overall soft drinks volumes in 2022, says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

Bobby Verghese, Consumer Analyst at GlobalData comments: “The key success factor for Sprite is its lime-lemon flavor, which is a crowd favorite in India, where ‘nimbu pani’ (lemonade) is a traditional summertime drink. Sprite has also gained a lead over rival PepsiCo India’s lemon-lime carbonates brands, 7 Up and Mountain Dew, and Sprite’s volumes are expected to be more equal to the combined sales of these brands in 2022.

“Coca-Cola India achieved this feat by rolling out Sprite in smaller packaging sizes. The mass-market pricing appeal of these small packs boosted the consumption frequency of the carbonates brand. For instance, a 250ml bottle of Sprite that retails at INR20 ($0.24) and a 300ml can at INR40 ($0.49) is perceived to be more affordable to the price-sensitive masses. Moreover, the small serve portions meet the consumers’ needs for on-the-go consumption and calorie control.”

Swati Polavaram, Consumer Analyst at GlobalData, notes: “Sprite has always relied on brand campaigning tactics that engage consumers with a simple yet effective message that it is the go-to drink for the hot Indian weather. Cola-Cola India has expanded and penetrated more relevant sales channels, allowing Sprite to gain a dominant position, accounting for more than a third of the non-cola sparkling soft drinks segment, far ahead of its competitors^*. The Indian non-cola sparkling segment is expected to grow around 30% in 2022^*.”

*GlobalData Consumer Intelligence Center ­– Market Analyzers, accessed in October 2022