Press Clips: Soda Makers Switch It Up

06-coke-pepsi-sodastream.w529.h352Pepsi Talks 2015 Plans

Americans are drinking less soda than ever before and as a result, soft drink makers are looking to get creative. For PepsiCo, this means expanding its product line to include protein drinks, low-calorie sparkling beverages and craft sodas in 2015.

“Expect to see from us an interesting number of mid to low-calorie sparkling beverage platforms,” Pepsi’s chief marketing officer Simon Lowden said in a recent interview with TheStreet.

Lowden also pointed to coconut water becoming an ingredient across several of the company’s existing brands, including Mountain Dew.

Less is More for Coke’s “Mini Cans”

While sales of Coca-Cola’s 12 oz. cans and 2 L bottles are up just 0.1 percent this year, revenue from Coke’s 7.5 oz. “mini cans” and 8 oz. bottles has risen 9 percent. In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, branding consultant Dean Crutchfield calls the increased interest in smaller packaging a marketing opportunity.

“[Coke] needs to position itself as a treat,” Crutchfield told the Journal. “That means people aren’t going to be consuming it as much, but don’t forget, there are celebrations happening every day.”

Nestle Developing Fat Burning Beverage?

Researchers at Nestle’s Institute of Health Sciences are working to create a product that burns fat in the human body in the same way exercise does. In testing on mice, those given the newly developed compound “C13” are able to lose fat at a higher rate than mice who do not. C13 is said to trigger the AMPK (adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase) protein, the master regulator of the human body’s metabolism. The goal is to use a compound like C13 in foods and beverages as a way to help those unable to live an active lifestyle or lose weight.

Keurig Eyes Fall 2015 Release for “Cold”

Keurig Green Mountain is reportedly less than a year away from the launch of Keurig Cold, its expansion into the cold beverage market. The upcoming Keurig Cold carbonation system is said to go head to head with SodaStream, the makers of popular home carbonation machines. Earlier this year, Coca-Cola bought a 10 percent stake in Keurig, and the new partnership is expected to play a role in the development of the new system. The innovation and rollout of Keurig Cold is expected to cost the company between $50 million and $100 million.

Danone Looking To Unload Yakult?

Bloomberg is reporting that Spanish-French foods conglomerate Danone is currently considering the sale of its stake in Japanese probiotic dairy drink makers Yakult Honsha Co, according to sources close to the matter. The 20 percent stake is said to be worth $2 billion. The sale would effectively end the ten-year relationship between the companies that began in 2004 when Danone and Yakult signed a strategic alliance to strengthen their leadership in the probiotics market.