The Drink Trend Coca-Cola Hopes Younger Customers Are Thirsty For

Coca-Cola has long been known as one of the largest and most popular beverage companies in the world. Though the brand earned its fame with its signature drink, it has expanded quite a bit over the last century. Since the first glass of the namesake drink was sold 136 years ago, Coca-Cola has secured itself as the third-highest grossing beverage company in the world, according to Statista. As the website points out, the company's brands now include more than 200 names, such as Dasani water, Gold Peak Tea, and Minute Maid juice.

Despite earning so much with its current brands, the massive beverage company is always searching for new ways to keep Coke fans happy and loyal, and of course, win over its competitor's fans. Though mostly known for its liquid beverages, as new trends and interests pop up, Coca-Cola is keeping close tabs on what consumers might want more of — and its next big idea might just be the opposite of a hot take.

Coca-Cola is stepping out of its comfort zone. The brand is interested in "recruiting the next generation" of its consumers in the form of frozen drinks. Meredith Cagigal, the group director of the brand's North American foodservice channels, told Food Dive that the brand is looking toward younger consumers with its expansion into frozen drinks. "We sell a lot of Coke, but we have to focus on where the consumers are going and where they're going to be," Cagigal said, adding that frozen beverages are "not the largest" area within the company, but it could be a space to gain plenty of customers.

Coca-Cola has worked the frozen angle into a number of its brands, including Minute Maid and Fanta. It's unclear what the brand's next move is, but it's not just stopping at frozen drinks. Coca-Cola has also expanded into the boozy beverage sector with the creation of its Jack and Coke in a can. The company also recently announced that it's planning to launch hard FRESCA beverages.