This interview is brought to you by Monster Energy, a NACS Hunter Club member.
How have you seen the energy drink category evolve over the past few years, and how has Monster helped drive some of this growth?
Mike Trento, Chief Customer Officer, Monster Energy: The U.S. energy drink category has grown at a high-single-digit rate over the last five years, reaching retail sales of $26.9 billion in 2025 (off-trade and per GlobalData).
Strong growth is notable, as the energy drink category has been around for a while now. For example, Monster Energy, our Original Green, will have its 25th anniversary in 2027. We believe that household penetration continues to increase in the category, and that Monster has introduced a diverse portfolio of products that appeal to a board range of consumers.
What are today’s energy drink consumers looking for, and how is Monster answering the demand?
Trento: We believe that drivers of growth in the energy drink category include product functionality, lifestyle positioning, value proposition, functionality, the need state for energy and usage across more of the day.
Innovation is a key focus for Monster. We have a diverse portfolio across full-sugar and zero-sugar offerings, which is the fastest-growing part of the category. Notably, our Ultra brand family would be the third-largest brand by value if it were a stand-alone energy drink brand.
Innovation is a huge part of Monster’s story—how is the brand evolving its products to stay ahead of the market?
Trento: We use innovation to elevate our core offerings. We are constantly looking at consumer trends to shape our innovation.
We had a very strong new product lineup in 2026, and we have a full innovation calendar for fall 2026 and spring of 2027. Many products will be shown at the NACS Show. Notably, in 2026, we had several LTOs across our Ultra, Juice Monster, Bang and Reign brand families helping celebrate America’s 250th anniversary.
How does Monster work with retailers to drive growth in the energy drink segment?
Trento: Partnering directly with our bottlers, distributors, and retailers, we tailor our branding, packaging and in-store execution to each outlet and back it with increased marketing investment to drive profitable growth at the point of sale.
We are also proud of our relationship with the Coca-Cola system, which we believe is the best distribution system in the world. This allows us to reach a broad base of retail customers across the globe.
Monster is expanding globally. What’s behind this growth and how does it impact your retail partners?
Trento: We’re very proud of our international expansion. In fact, in the most recent quarter, international sales accounted for 46% of total company sales.
We think category drivers outside the U.S. are similar to those in the U.S., including a strong value proposition combined with brand image and category functionality, which are making the energy drink category all day multi-occasion beverages with a wide appeal across age group.
We also offer a portfolio of affordable brands in select markets outside the U.S. that appeal to consumers that want an energy drink but cannot absorb the cost of a more premium offering like Monster.
What’s next for the energy drink category?
Trento: The energy drink category continues to grow. The category’s dynamism attracts heathy competition. And while we respect our competitors, Monster has proven it can compete and win.
We believe in the energy drink category and are excited about the future.
