BevNET's Best of 2024 Awards
Each year bestows upon the beverage industry a unique set of challenges and obstacles, presenting brands and entrepreneurs a delicate puzzle rife with opportunities and pitfalls. The scope and the complexity of this endeavor is enough to intimidate – or worse, defeat – even the most experienced of hands and deepest of pockets, so it’s only right that each year we honor those who have run the gauntlet and emerged from the struggle with tangible gains intact.
As we enter 2025, all semblance of so-called normality feels under threat. The prodigious rise of GLP-1 drugs is exerting its own gravitational force on various categories and sections of the store, while a new White House administration promises to be anything but predictable with regards to health and commerce policies. At a state level, some governors are pulling the reins on hemp-derived THC, and others are clearing its path. Even things that feel timeless – the sweet indulgence of a fizzy soda, the subtle elegance of a perfect cocktail – are being carefully reimagined in ways that both fit modern tastes and harken back to simpler times.
This year’s Best of Award winners exemplify the bravery, ingenuity and persistence required to pass through these uncertain times, a group boldly moving into the future and illuminating the way for others to follow in their footsteps.
Person of the Year
Reserved for individuals whose work throughout the year has created lasting, substantial, positive change through innovation and high quality.
David Crooch, General Manager, Non-Alcoholic Beverages, Diageo; CEO & Co-Founder, Ritual Beverage Co.
Brand(s) of the Year
Reserved for companies whose work throughout the year has created lasting, substantial, positive change through innovation and high quality.
Olipop & Poppi
Best Marketing
Awarded to the company that broke through the noise with its marketing campaign which grabbed the attention of both consumers and industry peers
Poppi
Rising Stars
Companies whose work has great potential to shift or open categories, create new ideas about products or brands, and have shown growth that indicates they will have an enduring presence in the industry.
Best Package Design
The brand or product with innovative package design that stands out amongst the rest on shelf, which can include either a new product on the market or a brand that has undergone a major packaging refresh.
Best New Products
Lines or SKUs that have been introduced in the previous year that have at least one outstanding quality in terms of taste, design, cause, formulation, or that generate interest over their disruptive potential.
