As Editor-in-Chief of BevNET, Jeff Klineman oversees the organization's reporting across all of its web sites, as well as BevNET Magazine. Jeff also plans, curates, and hosts the BevNET Live and NOSH Live conferences. Jeff previously worked as a newspaper reporter for the Lawrence Eagle-Tribune, the Boston TAB and the Metrowest Daily News, and has freelanced for publications like Slate, Boston Magazine, Self, George, Commonwealth, and the Chronicle of Philanthropy. He is a graduate of Yale University and Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism. A frequently-cited expert on the beverage industry, Jeff has also twice been named in Forbes as one of the 25 Most Influential when it comes to Consumer and Retail Companies.
Even with the presence of major players like Lipton, Nestle, AriZona, and Coke in the category, Talking Rain CEO Kevin Klock said, there was an opportunity to bring in a new, single-serve brand that could add to the company's volume. "We're between categories," Klock told BevNET during a videotaped interview on the floor of NACS. "That's where the white space is."
In this video, we examine the unpinning strategies behind new product introductions at the show and the role they play in C-store trends.
How the sale of 17 percent of Monster to Coke could have gone.
For probiotic beverages, rising interest in both gut health and overall natural health have led to increased attention on the tiny bacterial strains embedded within the bottle. Mainstream growth is starting to come, with conventional retailers expanding the presence of brands like GT’s Kombucha, Lifeway Kefir, even newcomers like KeVita Sparkling Probiotic Drink and Goodbelly juices.
The investment is intended for Runa to use both the cash infusion and MetaBrand’s long, varied reach to grow its drinks business.
Jamba Juice, an 800-store line of juice franchises, is wading into the cold-pressed market, launching a four-SKU line of high pressure processed (HPP) juices that will be available in-store.
Filmed on location at the Baltimore Convention Center, BevNET CEO John Craven and BevNET Editor-in-Chief Jeff Klineman break down the show and its impact on natural beverage categories.
The move to acquire high pressure processing machines comes as the company has grown 40 percent in each of the past two years, according to Dora’s CEO Cyrus Schwartz.
In this summer’s already boiling pot of beverage investments and acquisitions, perhaps the biggest fish in the non-alcoholic beverage industry is now on the ingredient list.
Fast-growing Essentia Water announced that it had reached a deal to sell a partial ownership stake to private equity firm Castanea Partners. First Beverage Ventures was also an investor in the deal.
The company today began selling Coca-Cola Life, its mid-calorie, stevia/sugar blend-sweetened cola, in the U.S. -- but only at The Fresh Market.
A long-discussed investment took place this afternoon when Coke bought 16.7 percent of Monster for a $2.15 billion payout.
Gatorade has had its run over the past 40 years. The BodyArmor argument is that there are better ingredients, branding and pricing that will appeal to consumers and retailers.
Coke veteran Paul Beaupre is moving into Tom Larsen's old spot as the General Manager of Illy, an RTD coffee venture between VEB and the Italian coffee company.
