Raising our glasses to the UK’s beloved drinks brands

Amongst a wealth of valuable insight and analysis, our latest report provides a comprehensive ranking of the top 100 brands the UK love the most.

The results reveal a promising landscape for the beverage industry, with a number of drinks brands thriving in this year’s league table.

So, here’s to the UK’s favourite drinks brands, as we take a look at some of the biggest risers in this year’s Top 100 league table.

Whether it’s a soft, alcoholic, or alcohol-free beverage, drinks brands are companions in our daily lives, whether we’re alone or with our friends and family.

Classic drinks and nostalgia marketing

The drinks brand climbing the highest – an impressive 45 places – is Smirnoff at #67, the British-owned brand currently running a nostalgia-led marketing campaign to refresh its iconic Smirnoff Ice range. Collaborating with music promoter Live Nation, the brand is running a Relaunch Tour – sponsoring music festivals and performances from iconic 90s and 00s music groups.

That’s not the only exciting development in the ready-to-drink (RTD) space though. Coca-Cola, up one place year-on-year to #5 overall, is the UK’s Most Loved drink – and recently released a co-branded product with another rising brand from our list.

Jack Daniel’s is this year’s #90, climbing 38 spots and, like Smirnoff, is another brand tapping into nostalgia with its marketing. We recently saw the whiskey brand partner with Coca-Cola, to turn the celebrated ‘Jack and Coke’ order, into an RTD drink. The brands saw the demand and have now given the people what they love.

This is a great example of how listening to the customer goes a long way – demonstrating such qualities allows a brand to forge meaningful connections with consumers.

Perhaps we will begin to see more drink brands partner to create the perfect blend of those iconic combinations that we all know and love. Playing creatively with familiar ideas, or fond memories, has become a popular marketing strategy for brands in recent years – providing a sense of familiarity and comfort for their customers, in an otherwise uncertain world.

Supporting sustainable sipping

Rising 33 places is #41 Volvic, a brand promoting its sustainability and B-Corp credentials. In an industry where robust packaging and recycling plans are essential for meeting Net Zero goals, the carbon neutral Volvic aims to set the standard with 100% recyclable materials by 2025.

Others receiving extra love in 2023 include Fever Tree (+32), Lanson (+25) and Laurent Perrier (+17). In the lofty Top 20, British fruit drink favourite Robinsons holds its #14 ranking from last year, as does Moët & Chandon at #17. Champagne brands are also working hard to fight climate change – for example, Laurent Perrier aims to eliminate 99% of organic pollution in its vineyards.

The UK drinks sector will always be highly competitive but this year, there’s set to be an added complication in the alcohol category. Alcohol duty freeze ends on 1 August and may result in higher prices for many drink types.

Affected brands will hope that consumers’ love will endure such tests – and the future looks bright. Drinks are well-represented in 2023, with 27 brands in our Top 100 – more than last year. There’s plenty of love to go around too, as vodka specialist Cîroc joins our league table for the first time, at #94.

No matter if the glass is half full or empty, the signs so far suggest the nation’s Most Loved drinks brands will keep finding creative ways to stay close to our hearts.

Cheers!

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BrandVue’s Most Loved Brands 2023 is a recognition and celebration of the UK’s most emotively connected brands.

With expert analysis and observation throughout, the report dives deep into the meaning of Brand Love, offering valuable insight into emerging trends in the sector – from an inquiry into how Amazon leveraged an exceptional user experience to secure the top spot, to the burgeoning popularity of nostalgia marketing in the drinks sector.

Download your free copy below to find out more.