Publisher’s Toast: The Long Run

Yesterday was a majestic day in New York: the New York Marathon was back in all its glory. Over 50,000 runners from all corners of the world participated in this iconic event. While the temperature, in the 70’s, was more reflective of late spring or early fall, it made for great viewing. The cloud cover and a little sprinkle made it bearable for the runners, so a great time was had by all. As I stood at the same spot that I’ve perched at for 30 years, I heard so many different languages spoken, country flags waved, and saw so many different beverages in the hands of spectators.

I thought back to the early days of the race, and how my viewing coincided with my entry into the beverage space. It made
me aware of what people were drinking. Back in those days, the choices were few. Obviously, the runners were pretty much imbibing just water. Gatorade and other sports drinks were just entering into our spheres. The spectators were pretty much drinking soda. Beverage Marketing Corp. had just coined the term “New Age Beverages” and they were just starting to make an impact on our world. Boy, did it ever explode over the next few years, leading to the plethora of options we have today. In this limited space, I couldn’t even begin to list the categories that sprouted up. There have been thousands of brands that have crossed my desk. To those of you that have stopped by my office, you’ve seen shelf upon shelf of products lining my walls. So many ask to be placed on what they believe is a wall of fame – but I always share that all the products are ones that have failed. It is my cautionary tale of how hard it is to be successful in the beverages.

What has not changed in the 30 plus years I’ve observed the beverage arena is the failure rate, which is still close to 90 percent. There are so many reasons brands fail that I cannot begin to objectively list them, but that is the reality. It is also the reason I so admire all of the marketers with an idea, an execution plan and a hope to achieve success. All the dreamers who dared to enter the fray are to be praised for their efforts. There is still a place to make it in the marketplace. I hope you are one of the success stories, and that I get to see someone chugging you either to get through the Marathon, or sipping it for enjoyment from the sidelines.