The insight: Consumers’ desire to find “better for you” versions of their favorite products is working in Coca-Cola’s favor.

• Global unit case sales of Coca-Cola Zero Sugar soared 14% YoY in Q3, with growth across all markets.
• Unit sales of Diet Coke and Coca-Cola Light increased 2% YoY due to strong demand in North America and APAC.

Zoom out: While others in the CPG industry scramble to keep up with shoppers’ health-conscious behaviors, Coca-Cola is well-equipped to meet the moment.

• “There’s more and more focus on people wanting to live a healthier, more balanced lifestyle, and Coke Zero, Diet Coke, etc. fits more into that equation,” CFO John Murphy told Bloomberg.
• After declining for nearly two decades, Diet Coke sales are now trending up, thanks to interest from a new generation of consumers and a newfound receptiveness to the brand’s marketing efforts.
• Even rising GLP-1 use isn’t much of a headwind as users switch from full-sugar to diet sodas and turn to products like fairlife Core Power protein shakes and Powerade sports drinks.

The takeaway for brands: Reconfiguring CPG portfolios for the MAHA (Make American Healthy Again) and GLP-1 consumer may be less daunting than brands think. Shoppers are extremely receptive at the moment to products with purported health benefits—so rather than rolling out high-protein versions of every product, companies should look for ways to emphasize the health or functional benefits of their existing assortment.

This content is part of EMARKETER’s subscription Briefings, where we pair daily updates with data and analysis from forecasts and research reports. Our Briefings prepare you to start your day informed, to provide critical insights in an important meeting, and to understand the context of what’s happening in your industry. Non-clients can click here to get a demo of our full platform and coverage.