Ray Latif is the lead host, producer, and content editor of Taste Radio, BevNET’s flagship podcast and the go-to show for food and beverage industry insights. With 14 years of experience in the industry, Ray is a seasoned journalist known for his sharp interviews and in-depth coverage of trends, innovation, and news. He began his career at BevNET as an assistant editor, later advancing to managing editor of both the website and magazine. Since 2016, he’s been the driving force behind Taste Radio, overseeing everything from content strategy to production. Ray’s conversational style and meticulous research have earned him widespread praise from both guests and listeners. He has had the privilege of interviewing a diverse range of high-profile figures, including Patrick Mahomes, Jennifer Garner, Dan Aykroyd, Kobe Bryant, Padma Lakshmi, and Brad Paisley. His ability to connect with entrepreneurs, celebrities, and industry leaders has made Taste Radio a must-listen for anyone interested in the evolving world of food and beverage.
Genius Juice, which has made significant strides in the distribution of its organic coconut smoothies, recently unveiled a new look. The revamp comes with a simplified name for the brand, now known simply as “Genius,” and two new flavor varieties.
In this podcast, recorded at Spindrift headquarters in Waltham, Mass., we sit down with founder and CEO Bill Creelman and CMO Strick Walker to discuss the company’s approach to an upcoming label refresh and how it incorporated consumer feedback into the redesign.
The deal will nearly double the size of Danone’s North America footprint, increasing it from 12 to 22 percent of the company’s total portfolio and align it with several fast-growing brands focused on healthy and sustainable lifestyles.
“We think there’s a lot of promise in how you combine these plant-based milks with coffee and then elevate the experience,” Steltenpohl told BevNET. “This is the first time I think it’s all come together in one package.”
In this podcast, we examine how the Summer Fancy Food Show has evolved to become an important event for beverage brands seeking local and national retail opportunities. We also discuss a thriving scene for Brooklyn-based food and beverage companies as seen at the convention and the ways that some are marketing the borough as part of their brand. Finally, we offer our take on some of our favorite products from the show.
In this video, we sift through notable product launches and line extensions and identify emerging trends in craft soda, sparkling water, RTD coffee and tea on display at the specialty foods convention. We also examine the growing ranks of beverage exhibitors that were targeting food service opportunities at the event.
Harmless Harvest, which pioneered and leads the super-premium segment of the coconut water category, has filed a lawsuit claiming that labels and packaging for Vita Coco’s new Coco Community line are “confusingly similar” to its own.
Tea-based cocktail mixer brand Owl’s Brew has introduced its first line of ready-to-drink products. Dubbed “Owl’s Brew Radlers,” the new beverages are made with premium light beer, fresh-brewed organic tea and infused with real fruits and botanicals. Owl’s Brew featured the line at the 2016 Summer Fancy Food Show, which was held earlier this week.
In this edition of the podcast, we examine the evolution of BevNET Live’s New Beverage Showdown competition and the categories in which entrepreneurs are identifying opportunities for innovative concepts. The discussion leads to one about the market for cold-pressed juice and RTD coffee and ways that we saw entrepreneurs attempt to stand out from the pack.
Hain Celestial markets just a handful RTD beverage brands, but the natural foods conglomerate is eying a few more to add to its portfolio, according to a recent interview with founder and CEO Irwin Simon. Simon attended BevNET Live Summer 2016 and discussed Hain’s beverage acquisition strategy as part of the conference’s “Livestream Lounge.”
BevNET Summer 2016 brought together some of the best and brightest minds in beverage industry. We thought it best to take advantage of the opportunity and invite a couple of those bright minds -- Justin Prochnow and Fred Hart -- to join us on the podcast.
Monster Beverage Corp. earlier this week unveiled two new product launches: Mutant, an energy “super soda,” and Hydro, an energy-enhanced, non-carbonated hydration beverage.
The rapid evolution of the category prompted one market leader, Muscle Milk, to reassess its marketing and branding strategies, even from a leadership position.
In this podcast, we discuss attempts to position a brand as so novel that it belongs in its own category.
