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Attitude towards soft drinks and its consumption pattern: a study of Gen Y
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DOI: 10.1108/BFJ-05-2017-0320

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 British Food Journal
Attitude towards soft drinks and its consumption pattern: a study of Gen Y
consumers of India
Niraj Kumar, Subhajyoti Ray,
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Attitude
Attitude towards soft drinks and towards
its consumption pattern: a study soft drinks

of Gen Y consumers of India

Niraj Kumar and Subhajyoti Ray 355
Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar, India
Received 1 June 2017
Revised 22 July 2017
Accepted 26 July 2017
Abstract
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the consumption patterns and attitudes towards soft
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drinks among Indian youth.

Design/methodology/approach – A questionnaire was used to investigate consumption patterns,
attitudes, and socio-demographic profiles of college-attending respondents between the ages of 18 and 30.
Cluster analysis and factor analysis were undertaken to obtain a better understanding of the attitudes among
young consumers towards soft drinks. A logistic regression model was used as a predictor to distinguish
between frequent and non-frequent soft drink consumers.
Findings – Indian youths preferred diet drinks and fruit juices more than regular soft drinks. Soft drinks
were mostly consumed as distinct drinks (not as substitutes) and on specific occasions. Easy availability of
soft drinks at the locations closure to consumers was a critical factor in determining consumers’ purchase and
consumption level. Attitude towards the utility and nutritional dimensions of soft drinks had a positive and
significant influence on the frequency of consumption.
Practical implications – To remain competitive, soft drinks’ companies need to focus more on healthy
products and those that are refreshing and relaxing.
Social implications – Regulating the availability of soft drinks in and around educational institutions will
affect consumption of soft drinks and reduce diseases.
Originality/value – Only a few studies investigating consumption patterns and attitudes among Indian
youth towards soft drinks. This study attempts to fill the gap.
Keywords Marketing, Consumer behaviour, Health foods, Soft drinks, Carbonated beverages,
Gen Y consumers
Paper type Research paper

Background
There has been increased interest in the marketing and study of food and beverages
worldwide, and this increased interest can be attributed to two major factors: innovation in
product development and marketing strategy and increased concern for health and the
healthiness of food. India’s millennial population of 400 million, the largest in the world with
approximately US$180 billion in spending power is likely to create an economy worth
US$5 trillion by 2025 (Morgen Stanley in Mint, 2017). In India, the food and beverage industry
has been expanding rapidly at an annual rate of 24 per cent and will reach US$600 billion in
sales by 2017 (Grant Thornton India and FICCI, 2005). With the support from the government
under the “Make in India” initiative, the beverage industry is bracing for major disruption
(Purewal, 2016). Although traditional and homemade drinks will remain popular, packaged
beverages are gaining traction with Indian consumers who are now frequently reaching for
their more convenient counterparts – soft drinks (Nielsen, 2016). Soft drinks account for more
than half of the beverage market in India (Nielsen, 2016). Overall, consumption of soft drinks
in India grew 18 per cent in the year 2015 while worldwide growth was only 3.8 per cent.
In total, 1.25 billion people in the country drink 5.9 billion litres of soft drinks in a year
(Karnik, 2015). However, per capita consumption is still just one-twentieth that of the USA,
one-tenth of Kuwait, and one-eighth of Thailand and the Philippines (Nielsen, 2016). India’s British Food Journal
vast market, increasing disposable income, younger population (more than 50 per cent of Vol. 120 No. 2, 2018
pp. 355-366
consumers below the age of 30 years) and changing lifestyles have tremendous implications © Emerald Publishing Limited
0007-070X
for domestic and international firms with business interest in soft drinks. DOI 10.1108/BFJ-05-2017-0320
 BFJ According to the dietary guidelines of the USA, the intake of products high in added sugar
120,2 such as soft drinks is a concern (United States Departments of Agriculture and Health and
Human Services, 2002). Sugar-sweetened beverages such as soft drinks are considered
unhealthy food products that are energy rich and nutrient poor (Pettigrew et al., 2015).
Wanjek (2015) reported that sugar-based drinks are causing 184,000 deaths worldwide
per year and although its consumption in India is comparatively lower, they still cause
356 approximately 10,000 deaths per year (Karnik, 2015). While the rest of the world is losing its
appetite for these unhealthy beverages, India’s population is still thirsty for sugary soft drinks
(Karnik, 2015). It is therefore extremely important to understand what influences high
consumption of soft drinks by the young consumers of India who are considered to be the
drivers of growth in the country. Empirical results suggest that carbonated soft drinks are
rationally addictive and, hence, there is a rationale for government interventions (Liu and
Lopez, 2012). Researchers have suggested numerous reasons for the increasing consumption
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of soft drinks, but more information is needed to assist in planning effective intervention
strategies (French et al., 2003). World Health Organisation (2015) has noted the need to
evaluate different behavioural change approaches to promote the reduction of sugar intake,
particularly the intake of sugar-sweetened beverages. Given the strong socio-cultural role of
food (Douglas and Isherwood, 1979; van de Gaar et al., 2017), the relative weight of different
factors can vary between countries necessitating formative research in a specific national
context (Pettigrew et al., 2015). With increasing competition and the entry of many domestic
and international companies in the soft drinks business, it is prudent and timely to investigate
consumers’ behaviour and preferences in the target market. Recent developments in soft
drinks’ markets have heightened the need for research on consumers’ need and preferences
(Ubeja and Patel, 2014) and the factors affecting their consumption (Scully et al., 2017;
van de Gaar et al., 2017). A better understanding of attitude and consumption behaviour of
Indian consumers will be useful not only for the marketers in devising effective marketing
strategies for an emerging market with great potential, but also for agencies with interest in
promotion of healthy foods and drinks. Consumers’ decision making and consumption behaviour
are likely to be affected by the aging effect (Ritchie, 2011) and, among different generational
groups, Gen Y consumers (aged between 18 and 29 years) are most important and targeted in
food market (Kumar and Ananad, 2016) and in soft drinks’ markets (AlFaris et al., 2015;
Pettigrew et al., 2015). The present study investigates the predictors of soft drink consumption
among Indian youths also known as Gen Y consumers and who constitute more than 50 per cent
of the country’s population. This study answers the following research questions:
RQ1. What is the consumption pattern of soft drinks in India?
RQ2. What is the attitude of Indian youth towards soft drinks?
RQ3. What are the important attributes of soft drinks that affect youths’ attitudes
towards such products?

Literature review
Soft drinks are non-alcoholic drinks that contain water, sweetener, and a flavour and give
consumers a sense of satisfaction and relaxation (Attila and Cakir, 2011). In Australia, soft
drinks are defined as carbonated beverages (Moretto et al., 2014), and they are one product
type within a broader category of sugar-sweetened beverages (Hu, 2013). Soft drinks are
among the large group of unhealthy food products that are energy dense and nutrient poor
(Kant, 2000). A study of Norwegian adolescents’ consumption behaviour revealed that
63 per cent of students consumed regular soft drinks twice a week or more, whereas
27 per cent consumed diet soft drinks at the same frequency (Bere et al., 2007). Kassem et al.
(2003), based on their study on female-only students, reported that almost all the female
 students (96.3 per cent) drank soda. The authors further reported that 58.8 per cent chose Attitude
regular coke, 25.5 per cent chose regular non-cola, and only 2.8 per cent chose diet non-cola towards
beverages. Scully et al. (2017) reported that 14 per cent adolescent Australian consumed one soft drinks
litre or more of soft drinks every week.
Consumers’ socialisation has been an influencer on the drinking behaviour of consumers
(Shahzad et al., 2015). Most consumers consume it with friends, family, and co-workers
(Barber et al., 2010) mainly to relax (Ulas and Arslan, 2006). Increasing trends in the 357
consumption of fast foods complemented with soft drinks as the primary beverage and easy
access to such drinks in school settings have resulted in higher consumption of soft drinks
(French et al., 2001). Australian adolescents, who found availability of soft drinks in their
homes, had easy access of drinks in schools’ canteens or vending machines and perceived soft
drinks as the value for their money, were more likely to be high soft drinks’ consumers
(Scully et al., 2017). Although home remained the largest source of soft drinks for children,
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intake from fast food and other restaurants and vending machines has been increasing
(French et al., 2003). Restaurants and fast-food establishments that mirror the broad
population trends towards more frequent eating away from home have been increasing
sources of soft drinks (Lin et al., 1999; Neilsen et al., 2002). Shahzad et al. (2015) reported that
consumers prefer to consume soft drinks with food. Consumption of soft drinks has been
associated with consumers’ socio-economic and demographic characteristics (Ritchie, 2011;
Shahzad et al., 2015). Consumers’ socialisation, parenting roles, and culture have critical
influences on drinking behaviour (Hall, 2011; Shahzad et al., 2015). Children of lower parental
occupation status tend to drink more than those of higher parental occupation status
(Grimm et al., 2004). Taste preferences, soft drink consumption habits of parents and friends,
and soft drink availability in the home have an effect on the consumption of soft drinks
(Pettigrew et al., 2015). Social environment and subjective norms of society also affect soft
drink consumption (De Bruijn et al., 2006). Beverages that stimulate our mood and well-being
are likely to be popular, and more are consumed (Tong et al., 2012). Often a sweet taste is
associated with a hedonic response and has a mood-altering effect (Kampov-Polevoy et al.,
2006). It was found that there were not many studies which dealt with the attitude and
consumption pattern of youth (Gen Y) and hardly any that of Indian youth or from any
emerging market. Present study will also help in the filling the gap in existing literature.

Theoretical framework
Interventions either by agencies concerned with public health which are interested in
reducing the consumption of sugary carbonated soft drinks or by the companies that want
to increase sales of their soft drinks require that the determinants of consumption behaviour
be well understood. Interventions, however, are also dependent on mediating variables
(Baranowski et al., 1997). It is evident from the literature review that the consumption of soft
drinks is influenced by multiple factors that can be categorised as environmental, social, and
personal factors. Additionally, when consumption is dependent on multiple factors, an
ecological approach to the study of consumption behaviour has been suggested as the most
effective (Bere et al., 2007). Going beyond the cognitive behavioural models such as the
theory of planned behaviour (Ajzen, 1991) and social cognitive theory (Bandura, 1986),
ecological models suggest that cognitive factors and environment factors may also have a
direct impact on consumers’ consumption behaviour (Sallis and Owen, 1997). Considering
this, the study follows an ecological approach and includes personal factors, demographic,
social factors, and environmental factors.

Methodology
Based on the research questions and review of the literature of related studies, a
questionnaire was developed and pretested with students possessing characteristics similar
 BFJ to the target population until saturation was reached (Strauss and Corbin, 1990). The final
120,2 instrument had two sections: the first section contained questions to elicit responses on the
items related to consumption behaviour. The second section contained questions addressing
the social and demographic characteristics of the respondents. Two types of scales were
used for the first section of the questionnaire: semantic differential scales with a binary
option (yes/no) and an option for the respondents not to answer if desired, and Likert-type
358 scales (never-always; very unlikely – very likely; seven-point scale). As no other construct
was used in the prediction model for frequency of consumption there was no opportunity to
test for discrimination with other scales. Consumption behaviour questions included items
related to frequency, place of purchase, consumption as a substitute, occasions on which
consumption takes place, and when the consumer started consumption. The attitudes of the
respondents were investigated in 13 statement responses that were rated on a seven-point
scale. Four institutions from four different parts of the country were purposely selected for
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the survey. This study used the institutional and respondents’ consent protocol. The final
questionnaire was group administered by the investigators. The data were composed of a
final set of 300 usable responses (Table I).

Findings
The demographic profile
Out of the total sample of 300 youths, more than 67 per cent were male, 69 per cent were
aged below 24 years, 93 per cent were graduates, and 52 per cent had prior work experience.
Economically, approximately 44 per cent of respondents considered themselves belonging
to wealthy families, and only 15 per cent of respondents considered themselves belonging to
families with a modest or difficult financial condition.

Soft drinks’ consumption patterns

The consumption patterns of youths were studied using five different parameters: consumption
frequency, place of purchase, consumption of soft drinks as an alternative, places and occasions
of consumption, and when the individuals began to consume soft drinks.

Attributes No. %

Gender
Male 229 67.33
Female 71 23.67
Age
o24 years 208 69.33
24-28 years 90 30.00
W28 years 2 0.67
Education
Graduation 280 93.33
Post-graduation 20 6.67
Work experience
No 144 48
Yes 156 52
Financial conditions of household
Table I. Modest – difficult 46 15.33
Demographic profile Reasonable 123 41
of respondents Well off 131 43.67
 Consumption frequency. Table II shows that overall fruit juices were consumed more Attitude
frequently followed by regular soft drinks. Diet soft drink consumption was the least towards
frequent. Cluster analysis was undertaken to discover consumer segments based on the
consumption frequency of soft drinks, diet soft drinks, and fruit juice. As the responses were
soft drinks
recorded on an ordinal scale, the Gower metric for distance computation was used.
A hierarchical clustering algorithm was implemented using complete, single, and average
linkage methods. Clusters were extracted for sizes two to four for each type, and the 359
silhouette distance was checked. The complete linkage method with two clusters gave
the best results with only ten observations having a negative silhouette distance.
The average silhouette distance was 0.4. Table II reveals that there were only two clusters of
consumers. Less frequently consuming youths outnumbered those who consumed soft
drinks more frequently. However, those who consumed more frequently were consuming all
three types of drinks including fruit juices more frequently than those who consumed less
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frequently. Cluster-wise, among the frequent users, diet soft drinks were consumed the most
while, in the case of less frequent consumers, fruit juices were consumed the most.
Soft drinks as a substitute. Lower average mean scores (between 2.15 and 3.63; possible
range, one to seven) are indicative of the fact that youths mostly consumed soft drinks as a
separate drink item and not as a substitute for any other drink or meal. However, among the
various options, consumers preferred soft drinks most as substitutes of alcoholic drinks,
whereas they were unlikely substitutes for meals or milk. Soft drinks were the most common
option for those who did not drink or did not want to consume alcohol. Soft drinks have been
used as a quasi-substitute (not an actual substitute because soft drinks are not being consumed
as a replacement but as an accepted alternative available option). The use of soft drinks as an
alternative to alcohol is a common feature among those who are teetotal and part of a group or
occasion when alcoholic drinks are being served. Additionally, in such groups, in many cases,
consumers use soft drinks in alcoholic drinks as a diluter in place of water or soda (Table III).
Place of purchase. Table IV explains the most likely places where youths purchase soft
drinks. Colleges’ canteens or hostel messes were the most frequent places of purchase
followed by restaurants and supermarkets. Hostel canteens/messes were the places youths
visited frequently, and the ready availability of soft drinks there made it easier for youths to
buy and consume. Similarly, restaurants are the places consumers visit with the intention
to eat, and the availability of soft drinks makes it natural for youths to consume.
Easy availability of soft drinks at (hostel canteens/messes and restaurants) and near to the

Cluster Size/No. Regular soft drink consumption Diet soft drink consumption Fruit juice consumption
Table II.
1 279 4.48 6.24 4.28 Mean frequency
2 21 2.52 2.09 2.57 of consumption
Total 300 4.34 5.94 4.16 of soft drinks

Substitute item Average score

Water 3.13
Milk 2.2
Tea or coffee 2.88
Alcohol 3.63 Table III.
Energy drink 3.47 Likelihood of
Snacks 3.06 consumption of soft
Meals 2.15 drinks as a substitute
 BFJ places of stay (neighbourhood stores) makes the purchase and consumption of soft drinks
120,2 easier and frequent.
Occasions for consumption. Table V shows that hosting guests at home, while travelling,
and at restaurants or café were the most common occasions when youths consumed soft
drinks. In a pub or club, soft drinks are used as a replacement for water and as an
alternative to alcohol for those who do not consume alcohol. Students’ hostels/cafeterias
360 were another important place where youths consumed soft drinks. The findings clearly
indicate that soft drinks have been mostly consumed as “special drinks” on occasions such
as celebrations and for relaxation.
When did the generation Y start consuming soft drinks?. In contrast to past studies, this
study revealed that respondents considered that their acquisition of soft drink consumption
was least affected by their parents’ consumption and their home environment. Table VI
shows that most of the respondents agreed that they have been consuming soft drinks since
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childhood and did not remember when they started.

Attitude towards soft drinks. An important research question was to understand the
attitude of young Indian consumers towards soft drinks. Attitudes towards soft drinks were
measured using a 13-item questionnaire (Table V ). Except for health, nutrition, and meal
complement factors, the respondents tended to agree with the attributes. Attributes such as
availability, taste, refreshing, thirst quenching, and relaxing were rated highly as the
explanatory factors of their attitudes towards soft drinks. Although youths’ responses on

Place of purchase Average score

Shops/supermarkets 3.85
Table IV. Canteens/hostel mess 4.44
Most likely place Cafes/pub/bar 2.83
of purchase of Vending machines 2.09
soft drinks Restaurants 3.96

Place of consumption Average score

Restaurant or café while eating 4.61

At a pub/club 3.73
Home (to accompany a meal) 2.55
Home (entertaining guests) 4.96
Hostel (in cafeteria) 3.72
Table V. Hostel (in room) 1.94
Occasions of Workplace 2.54
consumption Social functions 4.90
of soft drinks While travelling 4.67

Statements Average mean score

I have been consuming for a long time 3.89

I have not given it any thought 3.62
Table VI. Since childhood 3.68
Duration of soft drink I learned from my parents 2.23
consumption by youth We often consumed at home 2.91
 different attributes of soft drinks varied significantly, overall, the responses reflected Attitude
neutral to positive attitudes towards soft drinks (Table VII). towards
However, for a clearer understanding of the attitudes, the 13 items were subjected to factor soft drinks
analysis to reveal any underlying dimensions. As a test of sample adequacy, a KMO measure
was checked for all 13 variables. The minimum value was 0.64, and eight of the 13 variables had
a KMO of 0.8 or more. This indicates that the sample was adequate for factor analysis. Of the
13 items in the attitudinal scale, 12 loaded clearly on three factors. Item 11 did not clearly load on 361
any factor. Table VI gives the details of attributes and different dimensions affecting the
attitudes of youth towards soft drinks. Cells indicate the loadings for the factors on which the
variable loaded the most. For factor 11, none of the loadings were more than 0.3 and, hence,
were omitted from subsequent discussions. The eigenvalues of factors 1, 2, and 3 were 2.78, 1.84,
and 1.65, respectively. Total variance explained by the three-factor structure is 48.3 per cent.
A four-factor structure (which explained approximately 53 per cent of the variance) was rejected
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because the eigenvalue stabilized after the third factor. The Cronbach’s α value was 0.758
indicating high reliability of the structure.
Attributes such as healthiness, nutritious, and appropriateness with meals explained the
nutritional dimension of soft drinks, whereas attributes such as pleasing, price, feeling of
relaxation, energy provider, thirst quenching, and body hydrating explained the utility
dimension of soft drinks while explaining the attitudes of youths towards soft drinks. Taste
and feeling dimension included attributes such as good taste and pleasant feeling in the
mouth (Table VIII).
After deducing the three-factor structure, an attempt was made to study whether
variance in attitudes influences consumption frequency. This question was explored using a
logistic regression model. Two classes of soft drinks’ consumers, frequent and non-frequent,
were created based on the response to the question “How frequently do you consume soft
drinks”? Respondents who said that they consumed soft drinks more than four times per
week were coded one (frequent consumers) and all others were coded zero (non-frequent
consumers). Of the 300 respondents, 110 respondents were frequent consumers.
Table IX indicates that utility dimension and nutritional dimension of attitudes are
significant in distinguishing frequent consumers from non-frequent consumers. Attitudes
towards taste did not indicate any relationship. The model, overall, is significant with a
p-value close to 0. The difference between the residual for the intercept-only model and the
model with the variables was 37.86 at three degrees of freedom. The coefficients of estimates
indicate that utility and nutritional dimensions of soft drinks have a positive and significant
impact on the frequency of soft drinks’ consumption. A unit increase in attitudinal score for

Attribute no. Soft drink attributes Mean score

1 Healthy 1.90
2 Nutritious 1.90
3 Appropriate at meals 2.75
4 Pleasant 3.99
5 Cheap 3.97
6 Feeling of relaxation 4.14
7 Provides energy 3.48
8 Satisfies thirst 4.40
9 Refreshing 4.71
10 Hydrating 3.85 Table VII.
11 Easily available 6.43 Different
12 Good taste 5.56 characteristics
13 Pleasant feeling in the mouth 5.17 of soft drinks
 BFJ Dimensions/Attributes Factor 1 (utility) Factor 2 (nutritional) Factor 3 (taste and feeling) Communality
120,2
Healthy 0.883968 0.8
Nutritious 0.833676 0.708
Appropriate at meals 0.401804 0.215
Pleasant 0.595119 0.434
Cheap 0.320014 0.118
362 Feeling of relaxation 0.742106 0.628
Provides energy 0.660797 0.469
Satisfies thirst 0.5393 0.357
Refreshing 0.694187 0.612
Hydrating 0.48297 0.323
Easily available na na na 0.071
Good taste 0.640671 0.542
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Table VIII. Pleasant feeling in the

Soft drinks attribute mouth 0.951963 0.995
dimensions Note: Only loadings for the factor on which the item is loaded are mentioned

Coefficient estimates SE Z-value p-value

Intercept −0.623 0.1305 −4.77 Close to 0

Table IX. Factor 1 (utility) 0.6814 0.1588 4.29 Close to 0
Estimates of the Factor 2 (nutritional) 0.535 0.1367 3.921 Close to 0
logistic model Factor 3 (taste) −0.00007 0.1369 −0.001 1

utility increases the odds of becoming a frequent consumer by 97 per cent (exp(0.6814) and,
similarly, the odds increase by 70 per cent (exp(0.535)) for a unit increase in the score of
attitudes towards nutrition. The taste and sensing dimension, however, has no influence on
whether an individual will be a frequent consumer.

Limitations
The scope of generalisation of the findings of this study is limited by the use of self-report as
the tool of data collection. Retrospective self-reporting may be affected by memory
consolidation or poor recall (Marx et al., 1996). Besides influence of researcher expectancies
and social desirability on self-reporting of dietary intake and lifestyle behaviour (Cook and
Campbell, 1979; Kaseem and Lee, 2004), study of consumption of soft drinks in isolation and
not as a part of complete food habit may have influenced the responses. The selection bias in
selecting the educated youth also restricts the scope of generalisation.

Conclusion and implications

India, a country of more than 1.2 billion consumers of food (Census, 2011) with expected
spending of up to US$5 trillion by the year 2025, offers great opportunity for the expansion of
the soft drinks’ market. Additionally, when India is set to become the youngest country in the
world according to population age by the year 2020 (Shivakumar, 2013), the study of youths’
attitudes towards soft drinks and their consumption patterns becomes more pertinent and
timely for both the marketers of soft drinks and the agencies with an interest in healthy food.
The findings reflect increasing awareness for health and healthy food and drinks among
Indian youths. A shift among urban consumers towards low sugar beverages has forcing
companies to launch newer and healthier products (Mukherjee and Bhusan, 2017). This study
indicates that there is great potential for soft drinks in India because less frequent consumers
 outnumber more frequent consumers. However, marketers should learn that consumers are Attitude
getting increasingly concerned for the quality and nutrition of drinks. Government agencies towards
too should incentivise marketing of healthy drinks. In a study carried out on Indian youth, soft drinks
Kumar and Anand (2016) reported that most consumers were not sure of the nutrition content
of food items. The findings of this study indicate that it would serve the business interests of
soft drinks’ companies that are marketing products with less or no artificial sugar to raise
consumer awareness about their healthier products. Similar to the findings of Pacific (2012), 363
the study found that youths consume soft drinks as distinct drinks and not as substitutes for
water, milk, tea/coffee, or energy drinks and prefer to consume soft drinks during special
occasions such as social functions, when hosting guests, while travelling, and while eating in
restaurants. Given this, the marketing strategies of soft drinks’ firms should position their
products as “distinct products” and “appropriate for special occasions” instead of as
“substitutes for traditional food and drink products” for greater dividends through additional
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consumers and higher sales. Similarly, agencies with interest in healthy food should promote
healthy drinks as a substitute of carbonated sugary drinks as apt drinks for special occasions.
The findings show that easy availability of soft drinks at the locations closure to consumers is
a critical factor in determining their purchase and consumption. Although this finding makes
“developing a distribution strategy” easier, it also provides valuable information to
government agencies who seek to regulate the availability and sale of different types of soft
drinks within and near educational institutions and residential areas. Four dimensions of soft
drink attribute: utility, nutrition, taste, and feeling were found to affect the attitudes of youth
consumers. The further analysis revealed that utility and nutritional dimensions of soft drinks
have a positive and significant influence on the frequency of soft drink consumption
indicating that any positive change in either of the dimensions will increase the chances of
converting a consumer into a frequent consumer.
There are implications of the findings for the practitioners having interest in soft drinks’
consumption and marketing. While the managers of soft drinks’ firms may take cues from the
attitude of youth towards carbonated drinks and their preferences for nutrition and healthy
drinks, the government and professionals encouraging consumption of healthy foods and
drinks may work on the policy issues like, limiting the selling of carbonated soft drinks within
the academic institutions, taxing carbonated sugary drinks and educating adolescents and
youth about the benefits of healthy substitutes. The study strongly indicates that if healthy
drinks are made available and marketed as the appropriate substitute of carbonated sugary
drinks, consumers may shift their preferences towards the healthier drinks. Although impact
of changing preferences of consumers is now being felt by the marketers and the soft drinks’
majors like, Coca-Cola and PepsiCo have already started experimenting with healthier drinks
like, packaged coconut water, fruit juices, and drinks with lesser or zero sugar as reported by
Mukherjee and Bhusan (2017). However, it is equally important for the government that they
take pro-active measures to further incentivise the marketing and consumption of healthier
drinks. Overall, this study contributes towards the scientific knowledge on the crucial issue
related to human health, required inputs for better marketing strategies by soft drinks firms,
and possible interventions by the government.

References
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Further reading
Li, J.G., Jia, J.R., Taylor, D., Bruwer, J. and Li, E. (2011), “The wine drinking behaviour of young adults:
an exploratory study in China”, British Food Journal, Vol. 113 No. 10, pp. 1305-1317.
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policy”, Applied Economics, Vol. 44 No. 22, pp. 2859-2866.

About the authors

Niraj Kumar is a Graduate in Agriculture from GBPUAT, Pantnagar, India. Professor Kumar
received his Doctoral Degree in Extension Education. His areas of interest are agribusiness, CSR,
and development communication. Niraj Kumar is the corresponding author and can be contacted at:
prof.nkumar@gmail.com
Subhajyoti Ray is a Fellow of Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad. Professor Ray received
his Master’s Degree in Statistics. His areas of interest are information system and statistical analysis,
ICT, and big data analytics.

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