We’re a quarter of the way through the first quarter of 2026, and it felt like a good time to speak with Ami Lawson, Managing Director of quench, the Philadelphia-based marketing agency specializing in food and beverage brands.
Lawson notes: “2025 was the year extremes lived side-by-side. We saw shoppers trade down to private-label staples and then splurge on small luxuries like premium coffee or gourmet frozen meals. Beverages also moved into a more ‘functional plus fun’ space. Hydration drinks with adaptogens or protein-packed smoothies with playful flavor profiles. And freeze-dried everything — from fruit to candy — became a texture-driven craze thanks to TikTok. The takeaway was simple: consumers wanted products that felt both practical and a little bit joyful.”
Q. So what trends and issues do you see driving the category so far this year?
AL: In quench’s forthcoming 2026 Food & Beverage Trend report, we’re seeing growing interest in something we call ‘Apocalyptic Provisions’ – shelf-stable foods that feel future-proof – alongside a surge in deeply personalized beverages, from custom coffees to functional mocktails. There’s also real momentum behind restaurant brands entering retail and using AI for predictive demand forecasting. All of it signals a year where brands that anticipate needs—and tailor experiences to real behavior—will have the edge.
Q. Interesting. What do you see as the biggest challenges and opportunities facing food and beverage brands this year so far?
AL: The biggest challenge is the same one that creates the biggest opportunity: consumer fragmentation. People aren’t behaving as one audience anymore. You’ve got budget-focused shoppers, premium-seekers, micro-communities organized around values, and younger generations rewriting what ‘healthy’ or ‘indulgent’ means. Brands that try to speak to everyone will struggle. The opportunity comes from leaning into specificity – designing products, messages, and experiences for the exact audiences who need you. That’s where the growth is.
q. What’s the one thing no one is thinking about that could affect food/beverage brands over the next six months to a year?
AL: After a few years of confusing labels, wellness claims, ingredient debates, and whiplash trends, consumers are skeptical. People are rewarding brands that communicate clearly, show their work, and explain the ‘why’ behind their products. It’s not flashy, but transparency will be a competitive advantage, especially in categories tied to health, sustainability, or functionality.
Q. How are Gen Z and younger millennials shaping food and beverage trends?
AL: Younger consumers shop through identity. They want products that say something about who they are, whether that’s experimenting with global flavors, customizing drinks to match their mood, or supporting brands that align with their values. They also expect discovery to happen everywhere: in a TikTok scroll, in a local micro-community, in a pop-up collab. For brands, that means less mass marketing and more authenticity, flexibility, and cultural fluency.
Q. What marketing channels or tactics are performing best right now — and which are losing relevance?
AL: Short-form video — especially TikTok and Reels — is still the strongest engine for discovery. Not because it’s trendy, but because it’s where real people are showing how they actually use products. On the flip side, generic influencer posts and overly polished brand content are losing steam. Retail media continues to grow, but it works best alongside strong brand storytelling. And omnichannel execution — connecting packaging, promotions, and digital experiences — is quickly becoming the expectation, not the bonus.
Q. How is AI changing the way agencies and brands think about creativity, strategy, and client partnerships?
AL: AI isn’t replacing creativity; it’s removing the friction around it. Agencies can test more ideas, explore more directions, and model market behaviour faster than ever. That means clients get richer thinking earlier in the process. On the strategy side, AI-driven tools like predictive demand forecasting, one of the trends we note in our forthcoming 2026 trends report, are helping brands anticipate shifts before they hit shelves. The real impact is partnership: AI frees up time to think bigger, solve better, and collaborate more deeply with clients.
Ami Lawson, Managing Director of quench
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