THE OVERVIEW
Eckes-Granini
CLIENT
Eckes-Granini
Eckes-Granini
YEAR
1857
1857
INDUSTRY
Beverages / FMCG – Juice and Energy Drinks
Beverages / FMCG – Juice and Energy Drinks
SOLUTIONS
Idea tournament and early concept screening
Concept testing with trial-rate calibration and Nordic benchmarks
Category insight (purchase behavior, competitive landscape & market drivers)
Optimisation of packaging, flavours and naming for Marli Juissi® Energy
Idea tournament and early concept screening
Concept testing with trial-rate calibration and Nordic benchmarks
Category insight (purchase behavior, competitive landscape & market drivers)
Optimisation of packaging, flavours and naming for Marli Juissi® Energy
THE CHALLENGE
Moving from internal ideas to a market-ready energy concept
Moving from internal ideas to consumer validation
Internal idea tournaments and early innovation work generated several potential directions: functional wellness drinks, juice-based energy drinks and variants with different caffeine levels.
The 2024 concept set included a broad range of wellness- and energy-oriented ideas, with and without caffeine, exploring different ways to combine refreshment and functional benefits.
Eckes-Granini needed to understand which of these territories resonated most strongly with Finnish consumers and which concepts were worth developing further.
Understanding the role of energy drinks in everyday consumption
Before evaluating the concepts themselves, the team needed to clarify how energy drinks fit into consumers’ daily beverage choices.
The study therefore included separate funnels for energy drinks, water and wellness drinks. Questions about occasions and need states helped map when and why energy drinks are chosen in relation to other categories.
Aligning the organisation around one concept direction
Entering 2024–2025, several promising concept candidates remained.
Eckes-Granini needed to choose between different positioning directions, including concepts with varying caffeine levels and added functional benefits, each representing different advantages and category roles.
The task was to build a shared, data-based understanding of which concept direction offered the strongest market potential.
Ensuring visibility and differentiation on shelf
Beyond the value proposition itself, packaging design, flavour combinations and naming would be critical in a crowded energy drink category.
The project therefore included testing of packaging visuals, flavour variants and naming alternatives in order to identify combinations that generated stronger purchase interest and differentiation.
THE APPROACH
Exploring the opportunity space through concept screening
The insight phase began already in 2021 with a broad concept screening across functional juice and energy-related territories and then continued through several stages over the following years. The work explored different mixes of fruit-based refreshment, wellbeing benefits and energy positioning, gradually narrowing down the most promising directions.
Concept results were examined among consumer segment groups such as Happy Pragmatists, Well-being Advocates and Performance Status-seekers, helping identify which concepts resonated most strongly with different audiences.
Testing and refining the Marli Juissi® Energy concepts
In 2025, the work continued with a focused follow-up study evaluating three specific versions of Marli Juissi® Energy.
The objective was to determine which concept version had the strongest potential while also validating packaging directions and priority target groups.
Concept evaluations were combined with trial-rate calibration, translating purchase intention into more realistic expectations for market trial.
Benchmarking against beverage category references
The concepts were also evaluated against Nordic beverage benchmarks across key measures such as purchase intention, credibility, trial rate, relevance and uniqueness.
These benchmarks were based on 88 reference concepts, providing context for interpreting the results.
At the same time, category and need-state analysis clarified which occasions and product types the new concept would compete with.
Profiling the most interested consumers
The analysis then focused on convinced buyers, defined as respondents consistently giving high scores for relevance, credibility and purchase interest.
Further analysis examined heavy and medium energy drink users as well as women and Gen Z, helping refine the potential target audience and communication direction.
Optimising packaging, flavours and naming
Alongside the concept texts, respondents evaluated different packaging visualisations, flavour combinations and naming alternatives for the drink range and its content.
This made it possible to link packaging design and flavour portfolio directly to perceived attractiveness and purchase interest.
An iterative collaboration process
The collaboration between Nepa and Eckes-Granini followed an iterative approach. The project moved from joint briefing and questionnaire design through data collection and topline reporting to deeper analysis and final presentations.
Findings were shared and discussed in several stages, allowing insights to feed directly into concept development and decision making.
THE RESULT
From concept testing to product launch
The multi-stage process – from idea tournament to concept screening and targeted follow-up testing – provided Eckes-Granini with a clear direction for Marli Juissi® Energy.
By aligning the organisation around a single concept and refining packaging, flavours and target group strategy, Eckes-Granini could move forward into product development and retail discussions with a well-grounded evidence base.
This included estimated market potential, clearer target group profiles and a better understanding of how the concept would interact with existing beverage categories.
Key insights shaping the final concept
Juice-based energy provided a clear point of differentiation, combining energy functionality with fruit-based refreshment.
Caffeine level and functional positioning influenced credibility and appeal, highlighting the importance of balancing energy benefit with a natural perception.
Packaging, flavour and naming combinations strongly affected purchase interest, helping refine the concept before launch.
A juice-based energy drink concept
The final concept focuses on juice-based energy drinks made with real fruit and berry juice.
The product combines fruit-forward flavour profiles with clear communication of caffeine levels and calories, together with packaging designed to stand out on shelf.
From early ideas to store shelves
Today Marli Juissi® Energy is available in stores.
The project illustrates how Eckes-Granini used consumer insight throughout the innovation process to support decisions, reduce development risk and guide the product from early ideas to market launch.
“Launching new concepts in such a competitive, fast-moving category requires more than a good idea – it demands precise, trustworthy insights. And furthermore, the insights need to be of such a nature that they can be acted upon, and used as a basis for relevant differentiation towards both the consumer and the trade. Nepa has been invaluable in helping us understand where we can genuinely add value for consumers and for the trade and how to position our energy offering for long-term growth”
Ville Alanko, Marketing Manager, Eckes-Granini Finland
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