Brief:

• Sanpellegrino Sparkling Fruit Beverages, a Nestle brand of Italian soft drinks, relaunched its interactive app Delightways that urges users to discover the joy of wandering through U.S. cities, according to a statement. The app highlights unexpected stops including specialty cafes, chic boutiques, architectural highlights and hidden restaurants. Delightways was first introduced last year in New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Washington, Los Angeles, Miami, Austin, Seattle, Boston and Atlanta.

• The updated app has a dynamic mapping function in Los Angeles and a selection of featured neighborhood guides. Lifestyle influencers Louise Roe and Margo & Me lead the tour through Los Angeles, while Color Me Courtney and Bright Bazaar provide directions through New York.

• Additional app enhancements include a new streamlined user experience, push notification features and new sharing options. Delightways is currently available for download in the iTunes app store and on Google Play.

Insight:

Sanpellegrino’s fruit beverages have richer flavors, and typically higher prices, than the typical carbonated sodas in the U.S. They’re they kind of refreshment that would appeal to millennials who have shunned mainstream brands and place greater emphasis on experiences. Sanpellegrino wants this audience to associate its brand with the joys of seeking new experiences in cities that have a rich array of specialty shops and restaurants.

There are already a number of mobile travel guides available so the first version of Delightways likely proved more successful at driving engagement and loyalty among current Sanpellegrino customers as opposed to helping the brand attract new ones. However, the addition of influencers to the formula for the relaunch could broaden the appeal of the app, as younger consumers rely on online experts for advice on everything from home decor and recipes to fashion and travel.

Soft-drink makers are under pressure to reverse a sales decline as increasingly health-conscious consumers are turning away from sugary soft drinks in favor of bottled water. The companies saw per capita consumption of soft drinks fizz out last year, falling to a 31-year low, according to Beverage-Digest. Meanwhile, total volume grew as the companies marketed sports drinks and bottled water. Coca-Cola's Dasani grew 5.3% and PepsiCo's Aquafina gained 10.9% in 2016.

Soda makers are also beating back regulators that seek to tax sugary drinks as a way of discouraging people from imbibing high-calorie drinks that can lead to health problems. Health insurer Aetna published a study in June that said diabetes grew 40% worldwide in the past two years, with a 69% jump last year in North America. The World Health Organization estimated the annual cost of the treating disease at $827 billion last year.