Rise in RTDs presents significant opportunity for festival season

With just a few weeks until UK festival season begins, third party logistics, sleeving and contract packing specialist, Prism eLogistics is advising beverage manufacturers to capitalise on the growing popularity of ready-to-drinks (RTDs).

As more festivals choose to ban glass bottles and single use plastic, canned drinks have become the leading beverage option. Alongside standard categories such as beer or cider, demand for RTDs has risen sharply, with 6.2million sold at Glastonbury in 2024, despite its ‘bring your own’ policy.

With millions of music tourists set to attend live music events this summer, the opportunity for beverage manufacturers is significant, with festival-specific branding offering creative marketing and data capture capabilities.

Limited edition festival designs can serve a number of purposes, not least standing out in a crowded market. Bespoke sleeving offers the opportunity to use neon, metallic, and thermochromic elements, as well as incorporating festival-appropriate slogans, to grab buyers’ attention and maintain label integrity even when submerged in ice buckets.

Beyond visibility, sleeving offers the ability to add limited run QR codes. This allows for a major additional consumer marketing experience, adding a digital layer which could include discounts, competitions, playlists or even augmented reality (AR) functions, all of which present the potential for data capture.

Ian Wright, managing director at Prism eLogistics commented:

“With canned beverages now the norm for festivals, and the explosion of the RTD market driving purchases at these events, there has never been a better time for beverage brands to consider event-specific sleeving.

“Sleeving allows for limited edition branding which is weather resistant, draws the attention of consumers, and offers creative digital marketing opportunities. The captive audience offered by multi-day festivals represents enormous potential for growing brand awareness, sentiment and, of course, sales. By maximising the potential of sleeves, beverage makers can make the most of the boom in canned drink and RTD sales this summer.”