• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year

2

Philanthropy leader at Warren Buffett and Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge says children of billionaires are pushing them to give their wealth away faster

3

Elon Musk on MacKenzie Scott giving away $26 billion of her fortune: 'Sadly,' it makes the world a worse place

1

MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year

2

Philanthropy leader at Warren Buffett and Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge says children of billionaires are pushing them to give their wealth away faster

3

Elon Musk on MacKenzie Scott giving away $26 billion of her fortune: 'Sadly,' it makes the world a worse place
RetailNestle

Nestlé Has Brewed Up a Makeover for Nestea

By
John Kell
John Kell
Contributing Writer and author of CIO Intelligence
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
John Kell
John Kell
Contributing Writer and author of CIO Intelligence
Down Arrow Button Icon
February 14, 2017, 7:00 AM ET
ProEXR File Description=Attributes=channels (chlist)compression (compression): ZipdataWindow (box2i): [0, 0, 8499, 8499]displayWindow (box2i): [0, 0, 8499, 8499]lineOrder (lineOrder): Increasing YpixelAspectRatio (float): 1.000000screenWindowCenter (v2f): [0.000000, 0.000000]screenWindowWidth (float): 1.000000=Channels=A (half)Ambient Occlusion Output.A (half)B (half)G (half)R (half)Reflection Shading Output.B (half)Reflection Shading Output.G (half)Reflection Shading Output.R (half)Shading Incidence Output.A (half)Transparent Shading Output.B (half)Transparent Shading Output.G (half)Transparent Shading Output.R (half)
Courtesy of Nestle
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Nestlé has underaken a major brand overhaul for the Nestea ice tea brand, aiming to evolve the brand to be more on trend by touting fewer ingredients and a “clean” nutritional label.

The Swiss food conglomerate on Tuesday announced it has fully remade the Nestea brand. That means the new Nestea will come with new recipes, a new logo, and a new bottle to help Nestlé tackle the $4.5 billion ready-to-drink tea category. Nestlé says the remake is the largest overhaul in Nestea’s 70-year history. The new Nestea bottles will start to hit retail shelves nationwide this month.

“The brand has never gone through the total evolution that it is going through today,” Karen Ress, vice president and general manager of Nestlé Waters North America’s tea unit, told Fortune. “We revolutionized every aspect of the brand.”

The big changes include reformulated fruit flavored teas and four new so-called real brewed teas. The fruit-flavored teas contain no high fructose corn syrup and no artificial ingredients or flavors. The real brewed teas are streamlined and only contain four ingredients: water, sugar, tea and citric acid. Those teas use leaves from Nilgiri, India. The new bottles, meanwhile, have grips and a wider mouth than the older Nestea bottles.

“The tea itself and how we come to market had to change,” said Cassin Chaisson, Nestlé Waters North America tea marketing director. She said that while consumers trusted Nestea and they know the brand—it has 84% awareness in the United States—the old version wasn’t meeting current demands for an iced tea. “We had to look at ourselves and say, we aren’t providing what they want in tea today,” Chaisson said. “We wanted that frank conversation.”

Nestlé’s move to plot a pivot for the brand is the first big undertaking it has taken for Nestea since it walked away from a 50-50 joint venture with Coca-Cola (KO) several years ago. The Swiss company took full ownership of the brand and by moving to cut down on the amount of sugar it uses in Nestea’s beverages, it mirrors what Nestlé is doing to cut back on sugar found in the company’s candy products. Nestlé’s Nesquik is also undergoing a sugar transformation.

Adults are increasingly concerned about the amount of sugar they consume and are increasingly making new purchasing decisions to avoid it. Food brands are aiming to tackle those concerns head on by launching new products with less sugar or reformulating existing products to cut down on the levels of sugar that are used. Big soda companies like PepsiCo (PEP) and Coke have both promised to remake their portfolios to rely less on sugar.

But there’s a balancing act that all these brands must maintain when tackling the sugar conundrum. They want to avoid certain sweeteners that consumers say they don’t want in their drinks, like aspartame, and ultimately, people still want some of their beverages to taste sweet.

“Consumers in fruit tea, they love sweet, fruit-flavored tea. But they don’t want the calories or the sugar,” said Chaisson. She explained that to maintain sweetness, Nestlé added the sweetener stevia to cut back on the amount of sugar calories that Nestea drinkers would get from their tea. But the company was still able to maintain that sweet, fruity flavor.

In another segment of tea drinkers, the preference is less about fruit and more about a tea-forward taste. The brand’s real brewed teas aimed to tackle two top concerns for that health-conscious crowd: eliminating high fructose corn syrup and reducing sugar. “They want real brewed teas in a more streamlined formulation,” explained Chaisson.

American drinkers today are “looking for flavor are looking for choices that have a healthy halo, they don’t want the baggage that carbonated soft drinks or juice has,” she said. That’s a competitive advantage for the tea category, as consumers have broadly cut back on their intake of sodas and juices because of concerns about the calories and high sugar count often associated with those beverages.

About the Author
By John KellContributing Writer and author of CIO Intelligence

John Kell is a contributing writer for Fortune and author of Fortune’s CIO Intelligence newsletter.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Retail

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Retail

Nike’s earning numbers exceeded Wall Street’s expectations. But CEO Elliott Hill’s next test is the World Cup
RetailNike
Nike’s earning numbers exceeded Wall Street’s expectations. But CEO Elliott Hill’s next test is the World Cup
By Mia OsmonbekovJune 30, 2026
12 hours ago
Stripe CEO Patrick Collison gestures with his hands as he speaks into a microphone before a congressional committee hearing.
Cryptostablecoins
Stripe, Visa and over 140 other businesses to launch stablecoin to rival Tether and Circle
By Camila Grigera NaónJune 30, 2026
16 hours ago
Should you go to work during a heat wave? Your productivity suffers, and GDP tanks when it’s hot
Environmentclimate change
Should you go to work during a heat wave? Your productivity suffers, and GDP tanks when it’s hot
By Catherina GioinoJune 30, 2026
1 day ago
Target worker stocks shelves
SuccessJobs
Target is starting to track employees’ unexcused lateness and absences with a points system—and if they rack up 12, they’re fired
By Emma BurleighJune 29, 2026
2 days ago
a
Commentary250 Years of Innovation
Atomic Industries CEO: America spent 60 years retreating from manufacturing. The next 100 are about building it back
By Aaron SlodovJune 29, 2026
2 days ago
green
RetailWorld Cup
France wearing green for the Statue of Liberty: inside the unusual interpretation of ‘national pride’ that makes World Cup jerseys
By Claire Rush and The Associated PressJune 28, 2026
3 days ago

Most Popular

MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year
Success
MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year
By Sydney LakeJune 25, 2026
6 days ago
Philanthropy leader at Warren Buffett and Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge says children of billionaires are pushing them to give their wealth away faster
Success
Philanthropy leader at Warren Buffett and Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge says children of billionaires are pushing them to give their wealth away faster
By Preston ForeJune 27, 2026
4 days ago
Elon Musk on MacKenzie Scott giving away $26 billion of her fortune: 'Sadly,' it makes the world a worse place
Success
Elon Musk on MacKenzie Scott giving away $26 billion of her fortune: 'Sadly,' it makes the world a worse place
By Sydney LakeJune 29, 2026
2 days ago
'Humanity has chosen to become idiots': This Brown professor switched to take-home exams after a mass shooting and discovered mass cheating
AI
'Humanity has chosen to become idiots': This Brown professor switched to take-home exams after a mass shooting and discovered mass cheating
By Catherina GioinoJune 29, 2026
1 day ago
The U.S. Army is opening military bases to private billions — here's why that changes everything for the next 250 years
Commentary
The U.S. Army is opening military bases to private billions — here's why that changes everything for the next 250 years
By Marc AndersenJune 30, 2026
21 hours ago
The retired college professor fighting a $313 trespassing ticket in Wisconsin thinks he's part of a national struggle
Environment
The retired college professor fighting a $313 trespassing ticket in Wisconsin thinks he's part of a national struggle
By Catherina GioinoJune 28, 2026
3 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.