Creating Reel Value

Technology and social media continue to reshape the beverage industry, driving automation for efficiency and personalization while creating trends through viral social media content, pushing brands to innovate faster and deliver frictionless, data-driven experiences.

Key Drivers

This trend is driven by two key forces. First, operators and brand owners are increasingly turning to technology to tackle challenges around labor, consistency and efficiency – meeting rising expectations for seamless, frictionless consumption experiences. At the same time, social media’s influence on the beverage industry continues to accelerate, driving rapidly shortening trend cycles and reshaping the pace and direction of NPD.

How This Trend is Manifesting

01.

Tech Solutions

Brands and operators are leveraging technology and automation to streamline operations, reduce costs, and enhance consumer experience through personalized services, faster delivery and seamless interactions.

02.

Viral Beverages

Viral Beverages: Social media-driven trends, like ‘DrinkTok’, are fueling a culture where beverages gain viral popularity through creative, user-generated content, influencing consumer choices and beverage innovation.

This Trend in Action

Eversys: Blank Street outlets across the US and UK adopted Eversys machines as the operator prioritized speed and service over the traditional role of the barista. These machines also adopt ‘Internet of Things’ technology, capturing data to integrate customer KPIs, technical performance, consumption data and maintenance management in real-time.

Trending: "Dubai chocolate coffee" saw a surge in popularity across menu boards after the pistachio cream and kadayif confectionery went viral online.

Top Tips to Access This Trend in 2026

Use data from apps, loyalty programs or connected devices to tailor beverage offerings where possible.

Engage in active social media listening on platforms like Instagram and TikTok to spot emerging food and beverage trends you can translate into NPD.

What’s Next?

Over the next few years, we forecast that technology and social media will become even more deeply embedded in the beverage landscape, re-shaping everything from product discovery to production. Expect to see greater integration of AI and data analytics to drive efficiency, customization and quality. Automated systems will continue to gain ground, enabling frictionless experiences that are rapidly becoming a baseline expectation.

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