Fairlife’s first expansion beyond milk products is a ‘premium’ collections of coffee creamers, all made with the brand’s signature ultra-filtered milk. Hazelnut, Caramel, Vanilla and Sweet Cream flavors are part of this month’s launch.
DHA milk, protein shakes, nutrition shakes, flavored single serves, ‘smart snack’ drinks and regular cartoned milk all make up the current range of fairlife dairy products. The company said the new creamers are free from lactose, gluten, and artificial growth hormones.
Each 16oz bottle also contains no artificial flavors or sweeteners, with 40% less sugar than regular coffee creamers. Fairlife said the launch came inspiration in the coffee category, citing data that says coffee is expected to grow from $15.1bn in 2019 to $18.5bn by 2024.
Consequently, the creamer category will grow with it, from $6.1bn to $7.5bn. Creamer innovations have been on the rise since mid-2019, whether as flavor innovations or completely new product lines.
During the summer, the Silk Oat Yeah brand launched two oat-based creamer alternatives, So Delicious Dairy Free launched three oat-based creamer alternatives, and Malk Organics launched three oat-based creamer-alternatives.
On the dairy side, the a2 Milk Company debuted two creamers, Starbucks rolled out a line of creamers in its retail division, and Chobani introduced four creamer flavors in November.
Bill Kelly, CMO at fairlife, said, "Today, the creamer category is dominated by choices that lean heavily on indulgent flavors. As sales of premium coffee grow, our research shows that many consumers want to enhance the taste of their coffee, not cover it up.
"We created fairlife creamers to provide these coffee drinkers with a great-tasting option that offers real dairy with a hint of flavor to enhance their coffee experience. Our creamers are made with ultra-filtered milk and 40% less sugar than other creamers. It's just another way to offer consumers delicious products with enhanced nutrition profiles."
In June 2019, fairlife faced a scandal when Fair Oaks, one of its supplier farms, was exposed as abusive to its animals. Undercover video footage circulated the internet and revealed systemic problems at the farm, forcing Fair Oaks, fairlife and Coca-Cola to respond and take action.
Last week, it was announced that the Coca-Cola Company has taken full ownership of fairlife after years of a close distribution partnership. It will continue to run as a standalone business but rely on Coca-Cola for sustainability and supply chain management expertise.
