Bevscape Innovation

Opportunity and strain. By Mike West

Advertisers have increasingly turned to the internet to reach consumers, but, as marketing shifts toward this new medium, a rift is opening between how advertisers hawk their wares and what kinds of online ads consumers will tolerate.

A LinkedIn Research Network/Harris poll found that 74 percent of respondents reported using online ad space more often this year than last, and nearly half reported using print, television and radio less often. The poll also indicated that consumers are turned-off by some common types of advertising. Eighty percent voiced frustration with full-page ads that obstruct content, 79 percent with ads that are hard to close and 76 percent with pop-ups.

The success of on-line social networks like Facebook, though, may prove helpful to advertisers. A poll conducted by Oneupweb found that social networker users spend significant time looking at paid ads on social networking sites, with 65 percent engaging with sponsored ads within the first 10 seconds of a search. The poll found that internet users approach on line advertising differently on social networking sites than when using conventional search engines like Google. Social network users often spend time viewing paid advertising; when using traditional search engines, they often only look at the first five search results.

Marketing Vox also identified a growing breed of digital media consumers: mobile web users. The Pew Internet and American Life Project reported that 14 percent of all cell phone users use their mobile devices to view video, and a study by Transpera conducted by InsightExpress found that 62 percent of people who view mobile video use their mobile device more often than their computer to browse the internet. The study also found that mobile device users – who are best targeted through their mobile device – are generally affluent, travel more and eat-out more often.

As marketers grow into the digital environment they may find that these lessons are what allows on-line advertising to mature.

Small Company, Big Package

16 Mile Brewing Company, a regional brewer located in Georgetown, Delaware, has chosen to package its beer exclusively in a 22 oz. aluminum bottle. The bottle, developed by Exal Corporation of Youngstown, Ohio, is the largest ready-to-drink aluminum bottle in North America and a market first.

16 mile’s owners went with the metal because they wanted to save on shipping costs and because they were concerned about creating efficient small batches.

“An aluminum bottle’s lighter weight means lower shipping costs and its manufacturing process provides a more consistent, uniform size,” said 16 Mile owner Brett McCrea.

McCrea added that he and partner Chad Campbell discovered in their research that the single largest reason for downtime in the bottling process was bottle breakage on the production line. “We wanted to eliminate the traditional problems associated with glass right from the start,” remarks Campbell.

According to company President and CEO, Delfin Gibert, Exal has seen an increase in aluminum bottle sales to the beverage industry over the last 24 months. The company has created aluminum bottles for many of the country’s major brewers, but 16 Mile is the first brewery to package product exclusively in aluminum bottles from day one of operations.

Innovation Briefs

Waypharm USA, LLC has launched as a privately owned pharmaceutical and functional food company, entering the $50 billion U.S. nutraceuticals market. By combining natural ingredients with the best scientific approaches, Waypharm USA plans to introduce grab-n-go nutritional beverages for health-conscious individuals, and nourishment products designed specifically to be effective during the treatment of illnesses.

Ball Corporation has named Michael L. Hranicka xecutive vice president and chief operating officer for the company’s North American metal beverage packaging operations.

Virginia Dare has made two hires: Sandy Laing joined the flavor development team as Food Technologist, and Stephanie Lynch was appointed Business Development Director for the health and wellness, nutritional and pharmaceutical industries.

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