BevNET's Best of 2009 Awards

BevNET.com's Best of 2009

One award winner has leveraged innovation to solidify a company’s place in the bedrock of the beverage business. Another award winner actually comprises three companies that are the vanguard of an emerging category, one on the verge of becoming a massive phenomenon.

Together, Monster Energy’s Mark Hall and the Coconut Water brands O.N.E., ZICO and Vita Coco took the top spots in BevNET’s Best of 2009 awards. In any given year, in deciding on Product of the Year, BevNET compares the merits of a major energy drink or tea introduction by a large company with an intriguing suite of functional products by a newer company with great potential. Judges often debate the weight of factors like a single drink’s innovative qualities or a new product line’s sales growth.

This year, the choice for BevNET’s Best Product of 2009 was an easy one, but it was complicated by the fact that this product’s functional benefits, innovative and environmentally beneficial packaging, execution, growth, and even attractiveness to investors have been simultaneously advanced by three fast-emerging Coconut Water brands: O.N.E., ZICO, and Vita Coco.

“While the realities of competition will eventually create separation between these companies, together, they have laid the foundation for this product to become a major category in the U.S.,” said BevNET founder John Craven. “We are excited that they will share the award this year.”

Competitiveness is also one of the major factors in the choice of Monster Energy’s Mark Hall as BevNET’s Best Innovator of 2009. This year, putting the pedal to the metal on innovation, Monster released a suite of three new products that tinker with the packaging, texture, carbonation and flavor of the energy drink category. By incorporating Nitrous Oxide, a long-lasting re-sealable can design and coffeehouse foam into three very exciting new products, Hall has proven that he and Monster aren’t just going to be satisfied with gains in distribution and sell-through, but that they will keep advancing products forms and raising the bar for their competitors to try to match

Best of 2009 Awards Photo Gallery »

Product of the Year
Coconut Water
Person of the Year
Mark Hall
Best Non Carbonated Beverage
Adina Holistics
Best Carbonated Soft Drink
Steaz Zero Calorie Sparkling Green Tea Soda
Best Tea or Tea Based
Guayaki Lemon Elation
Best Product Revamp
Code Blue
Best New Powder, Tablet, Mix
Celsius "On the Go"
Best Enhanced Water
Activate
Best Marketing Campaign
"World of Red Bull"
Best Energy Drink, Packaging Innovation
Monster Import
Best New Energy Shot
Red Bull Shot
Best Kids' Drink
First Juice Purple Carrot