PepsiCo has named Debra Crew to a new role as president of PepsiCo Americas Beverages, as the company continues to shuffle leadership roles in its beverage business. The move comes as Sarah Robb O'Hagan, the head of PepsiCo's Gatorade business, departed the company. O'Hagan had been the president of Gatorade since 2011 and was largely credited with improving lagging sales of the brand by refocusing its marketing toward teen athletes.

Starbucks has announced plans to dramatically increase the production and distribution capacity of Evolution Fresh juices with the construction of a new juicing plant in Southern California. Starbucks, which acquired the ultra-premium juice company in November, will replace the company's current manufacturing plant in San Berdardino, Calif. with a new high-tech facility in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., set to open in late 2013.

On the heels of a stock fiasco that has seen its share price plummet in recent days, Monster Beverage Corp. has authorized an additional $250 million repurchase of its outstanding common stock. Monster's announcement today appears to be an attempt to stem the tide after revealing last week that its second quarter earnings came up slightly short of analyst expectations and the company's disclosure that it had received a subpoena from an unnamed state attorney general.

The curtain may have closed on the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, but ZICO's partnership with the international games is just getting started. Last week, ZICO announced that it was named "the Official Coconut Water of the Olympic Games," a designation based on parent company The Coca-Cola Co. Inc.'s sponsorship of the Olympics, and one that provides the coconut water company with the same marketing rights as Coke through the duration of its current sponsorship.

Concerned about the long-term risks of water shortages, the top beverage companies in the world are spending millions of dollars every year on conservation and sustainability efforts to protect access to the crucial ingredient, according to a recent article by the Associated Press.

The Coca-Cola Co. Inc. has introduced a new line of tea and juice drinks for its FUZE brand as it prepares to hand over distribution of Nestea to Nestle Waters North America (NWNA) at the end of 2012. Earlier this year, Coke and NWNA announced that they would alter their 20 year partnership and marketing agreement of the Nestea brand to focus away from North America.The new FUZE offerings include a lemon tea, a tea and lemonade blend, and a strawberry lemonade.

Dean Foods, the largest dairy processor in the U.S., has announced plans to launch an initial public offering (IPO) for White Wave Foods, a company subsidiary that markets Silk, Horizon Organic, and International Delight brands. Dean is aiming to raise $300 million in the offering and use the funds to pay down its debt, according to the filing.

As part of a major expansion in its sales and marketing initiatives, Living Essentials, the marketer of 5-Hour Energy, has introduced a new pink lemonade flavor for the energy shot in an attempt to broaden its consumer base and appeal to a range of demographics, particularly women. Living Essentials is launching the new flavor in in partnership with the Avon Foundation for Women and has committed a donation of five cents per bottle of Pink Lemonade 5-Hour Energy to the organization.

Coca-Cola Freestyle, an on-premise soda delivery system that allows consumers to build custom tailored beverages, is gradually making its way into convenience stores and recently gained a new partner in Massachusetts-based Tedeschi Food Shops. While Coca-Cola initially targeted restaurant chains for Freestyle, the cola giant began to test the soda fountain machines in c-stores late last year and is aiming for continued expansion in the channel.

In one of the more creative uses for the retail medium, Activate has launched a new pop-up shop in Venice, CA that asks consumers to pay for its vitamin-enhanced water with “calories or cash." Calling the temporary installation a "part pop-up retail experience and part social experiment," Activate has partnered with the Get America Fit Foundation, an anti-obesity non-profit organization, to give away free bottles of the water to customers who participate in some type of physical activity at the store.