Sprite, the one we all recognize, just launched a new intriguing beverage now on a temporary basis: Sprite + Tea. Its beginning is unmistakably contemporary. The process from idea to your palate is well worth noting.
Unlike conventional flavor pairings born in boardrooms, this drink comes straight from the digital realm, namely TikTok. The idea came straight from Sprite fans who embarked on an innovative tradition: soaking tea bags inside Sprite bottles and posting the creative infusions online.
This natural, consumer-driven insight was not ignored. This movement, particularly among the active “FoodTok” community, picked up some serious steam, as videos showcasing the blend clocked millions of views. Individuals were discussing it, experimenting with it, and posting about it.
Viral Reaction to the Do-It-Yourself Trend
Some were totally in love with it, writing about the resulting taste as a “Whole other level.” Others even likened this homemade concoction to a fizzed version of the venerable Arnold Palmer, which is historically a combination of iced tea and lemonade. The web buzz was undeniable.
Brand Response:
Sprite North America’s brand manager, Kate Schaufelberger, noted this trend, stating, “We’re always listening to our consumers, but this specific phenomenon inspired us to look at how we could provide our own refreshing spin on tea.” Obviously, listening directly from the fans brought about a true enthusiasm within the company.
She also noted that “Sprite lovers enjoy variety, not only in taste but also in the ways we enable refreshment to come alive through distinctive multisensorial encounters that are authentic to the spirit of the brand.” This is really getting at recognizing what consumers today desire – not an excellent taste, but an experience which is fresh and relational.
Origin of Sprite + Tea
The back story for Sprite + Tea is kind of neat. From A.P. Chaney, Senior Creative Director, Sparkling Flavors North America, the idea started as an intern research project. How neat is that? An idea created from the youngest generation in the company, observing what customers were up to!
Taunting Lemon-lime and tea tasted soda with other natural tastes
- Limited production
- Free of caffeine
- Comes in full and zero sugar
- A refreshing spin on tea
Viral Validation and Development:
Chaney described the epiphany moment: “When it exploded on TikTok with millions of views, it was a gut check that we were on the right track.” Such viral affirmation makes a monumental impact. He underscored an essential mantra that served as the driving force for the creation, affirming, “Because you never go wrong when you listen to consumers and tap into what they’re doing by becoming part of their everyday.”Tasting wasn’t the only process, of course. After the potential was identified, the Coca-Cola North America R&D team sprang into action. They did a number of consumer tests to refine the formula. The ideal was to have a pleasing flavor, color, and texture that just balanced Sprite’s crisp lemon-lime with the refreshing taste of tea.
Schaufelberger commented that all the online buzz about adding tea bags to Sprite actually helped speed up the development stage. She believed that the fact that consumers were naturally creating this “new sensorial experience” with Sprite was “enough validation to take immediate action.” The challenge then was, “How do we investigate this, push it a little bit further… and make it our own?”
Historical Innovations
This Sprite + Tea launch isn’t happening in a vacuum, either. Sprite has a track record of successful flavor innovations. Remember Sprite Lymonade? That came out in 2019, also inspired by fans who were mixing Sprite and lemonade. It’s like a pattern is emerging here – fans show love for a mix, and Sprite makes it official.
Then came Sprite Chill, introduced in spring 2024. This one paired the iconic lemon-lime flavor with cherry-lime and even contained added special “cooling agents” for an extra kick. Sprite Chill was a huge success, the No. 1 selling sparkling soft drink innovation for Coca-Cola in 2024, and it went from a temporary offering to a core part of the Sprite family.
Coca-Cola itself has been known to test its signature flavors. They’ve tested various versions, from the current Orange Cream that remains on shelves following the discontinue of Spiced, to unusual ‘Creations’ varieties. This indicates a company-wide push for innovation and offering consumers something new to experience.
Market Position:
Placing Sprite + Tea in perspective, let’s point out Sprite’s impressive presence in the marketplace. Based on one report, Sprite has risen to be the No. 3 carbonated soft drink by volume in the U.S. That’s a big deal! Only Coca-Cola and Dr Pepper are bigger!.
Get this – Sprite, owning roughly 8.03% of the soft drink market, has actually surpassed Pepsi, which holds a 7.97% share. That’s right, Sprite is ahead of its longtime rival. This strong market position provides a powerful platform for introducing bold innovations like Sprite + Tea.
The new Sprite + Tea comes in both regular and zero-sugar options, which is excellent for providing alternatives to various tastes. And, it contains no caffeine, which is a plus for a person seeking a refreshing, non-caffeine beverage.
Refresh your thirst with crisp Sprite soda
- Clean, crisp lemon-lime soda to keep you energized and motivated
- A great citrus flavor that understands how to stay cool
- Caffeine-free, packed with 100% natural tastes
- 12 fl oz can 12 pack so you can cut through the noise
The Campaign:So, how is Sprite describing the world about this new, cool tea-infused product?
The campaign, “Refreshing Take on Tea,” quite literally owns the notion of blurring lines and bringing Sprite’s bold attitude to new categories. They’ve partnered with Eastside Golf, a lifestyle and fashion company that’s doing the same boundary-breaking with its injection of basketball and hip-hop culture into traditionally preppy golf. It’s a natural match, as Sprite has a long-standing connection with those cultural touchstones.
Schaufelberger described the organic synergy as, “As a brand, Sprite has consistently celebrated those who are creating culture, so it was an organic choice to collaborate with another brand that’s putting a fresh spin on tradition.” She views Sprite + Tea as bringing “taste and disruption to the traditions of tea” like Eastside Golf is innovating golf.
The partnership is highlighted in a 30-second commercial titled “The Fix.” It stars Eastside Golf co-founders Earl Cooper and Olajuwon Ajanaku. During the ad, they present an amateur golfer who’s flailing and dreaming about how the beverage can somehow mend his game.
But in classic “Obey Your Thirst” fashion, the ad delivers a dose of reality. As a woman’s voiceover explains, Sprite + Tea won’t fix your swing; that takes practice. What it will do is provide a refreshing drink. There’s also a shorter 15-second spot that positions the flavor clearly: it’s “not your granny’s sweet tea,” signaling it’s a modern, distinct take.
Strategy and Culture:
This type of strategic innovation, being able to hear the consumer and be able to reach out to the appropriate cultural allies such as Eastside Golf, is one reason why Sprite is thriving. Josh Kroo, vice president of sparkling flavors at Coca-Cola’s North American operating unit, said in a past interview that innovation is not simply a flavor; it attracts individuals into the brand and also confirms what the brand is about.
Chaney echoed the excitement about boundary-pushing, saying, “I love innovations, because we can take bigger swings with our marketing.” He reiterated the brand’s dedication, saying, “Sprite has never rested on our laurels, so we’ll always continue to push ourselves to do what’s right for our consumers and the business with innovations like Sprite + Tea.”
Socially Sourced Innovation
The Sprite + Tea tale is a great illustration of one big trend currently in progress: Socially Sourced Product Innovation. This trend is all about brands paying close attention to social media and online discussion to identify consumer-generated ideas and behaviors that can directly spark new products or enhance current ones.
Platforms such as TikTok have become extremely potent engines for this. They give real-time visibility into what consumers are doing, experimenting with, and enjoying at scale. This enables brands to leverage genuine consumer sentiment and trending behaviors in a manner that was previously not possible.
The incentive for consumers to engage with these trends is complex. It may be for influence and validation purposes – think about being able to see a large brand introduce a product off of something you or your community began! It’s also about wanting products catered to their interests, trying things out of curiosity, and finding like-minded people.
When a company such as Sprite comes along and commercializes a viral trend, it adds convenience and ease of access. Now, individuals no longer have to attempt to replicate the combination themselves; they can simply pick up a can or bottle off the store shelf. This brings the idea within reach for everyone to enjoy.
The strength of social media is undeniably responsible for this trend. Brands are always looking for means to remain relevant and actually connect with customers, and responding to viral trends is a straight path to that end. It calls for speed and agility in product development, enabling companies to act fast from identifying a trend to product launch.
This social listening isn’t anecdotal; it’s becoming a type of low-cost, organic market research. It’s confirmation that there’s real consumer interest in an idea. Products born out of these trends feel more genuine and can connect more deeply with the target audience because they originated from them.
Implications and Looking Ahead:
The target consumers of the initial TikTok phenomenon would most likely lean towards the younger side more teens and young adults, considering TikTok’s demographic. They are digitally active, social media-connected, and likely willing to try out food and beverages. The larger Sprite consumer universe is, naturally, broader, but this roll-out evidently zeroes in on those impacted by digital culture.
It has strong implications everywhere. For shoppers, it could mean seeing more products available that actually fit their unique tastes and interests. They may perceive a greater sense of ownership and identification with brands that demonstrate they are listening and acting upon their concepts.
For consumer packaged goods companies and brands, it underlines the imperative to invest in strong social listening efforts. They require the tools and the teams to identify these developing trends in a timely manner. Beyond that, they require flexible product development processes in place to move on these insights immediately, taking advantage of the moment.
Retailers are also involved, having to be ready to stock and market up quickly on products that quickly become popular based on social media trends. The lifecycle of the trends might be short, so responsiveness throughout the ecosystem is crucial.
This trend of Socially Sourced Product Innovation is only going to increase. As social media becomes increasingly part of the fabric of our lives and brands become more adept at listening, we’ll probably see more cases of products being directly influenced by trends and user-generated content online. This may result in shorter innovation cycles and products that launch with consumer interest already baked in.
Others predict that this may even increase opportunities for co-creation, where consumers are engaged directly by brands in development following social insight. It’s a promising prospect that may further erode the distinction between consumer and creator.
Planning ahead to 2025 and beyond, the brands that wish to take advantage of this trend should absolutely invest in effective social listening. The monitoring of platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube for category-relevant trends is crucial. They must also focus on making their product development processes agile enough to go from insight to launch at a rapid pace.
In addition, looking to partnerships with influential creators or popular influencers in these online spaces as a potential leverage point for a launch can be an effective method of broadcast. Leaning into the very individuals who create the trends themselves can introduce authenticity and reach.
Sprite’s introduction of Sprite + Tea is a classic example of this fundamental trend of Socially Sourced Product Innovation. It illustrates a large brand seizing on a viral TikTok moment and capitalizing on it to develop a new product that strongly speaks to consumer wants. It’s a bold, clever act.
In the end, the Sprite + Tea tale is a colorful testament to how digital culture is having a direct impact on the products we see and consume in the real world. It’s proof of how much influence consumer voices driven by social media carry, demonstrating to brands that paying attention to what people are doing on the web can lead to really refreshing new thinking. So, why not get yourself one while you can and see what happens when a viral fad goes into a timeless soda?
