At NACS 2017 in Chicago, BevNET editor-in-chief Jeffrey Klineman spoke to CEO Remmy Castillo about how the company’s growth strategy, discussing how Moonshine is building out its employee roster with industry veterans to strengthen the internal infrastructure and “put the right people in place” for success.
In this video interview recorded at the NACS 2017 show in Chicago earlier this month, actor Mark Wahlberg, a co-owner of premium high-pH alkaline water brand AQUAhydrate, spoke to BevNET assistant editor Martin Caballero about his personal commitment to growing the brand, how his roles as an investor and endorser has evolved since he first joined AQUAhydrate, and how he has leveraged product placement in his film and television projects to give the brand a bigger platform.
In a video interview recorded at the NACS 2017 show in Chicago, the Vultaggio brothers Wesley, who also serves as the company’s chief creative officer, and Spencer, AriZona’s chief marketing officer, joined BevNET assistant editor Martin Caballero to discuss how the brand’s identity is evolving towards new categories, use occasions and consumer types. The brothers spoke about AriZona’s pivot towards premium beverage offerings, including its premium Good Brew iced tea line and the brand’s new sparkling mineral water.
In a video interview recorded last week at the NACS 2017 show in Chicago, Lisa Selk, president and CEO of CytoSport, discussed the development of the brand’s recently debuted plant-based protein line, Evolve, and how it fits into the company’s overall C-store strategy. She also explained how Cytosport is diversifying the Muscle Milk portfolio with food and beverage products that fit different use occasions and broaden the brand’s appeal beyond simply supporting athletic performance.
BodyArmor brought out the big guns at NACS 2017 as investor Kobe Bryant and co-founder/chairman Mike Repole took center stage at the company’s booth on day one of the event, held last week at McCormick Place in Chicago. In an interview recorded at the booth, Bryant discussed his dual roles as an endorser and advisor in the company and how each have evolved since his initial investment in BodyArmor in 2014.
Super-premium nut milk brand MALK continues to make headway in the conventional grocery channel and recently expanded its presence at Whole Foods.
In a video interview with BevNET, Theresa Pham, co-founder of Dallas, Texas-based Holy Kombucha, spoke about the Lone Star State’s growing kombucha scene and how the brand is transitioning from the natural channel into conventional retailers. Pham also discussed the company’s revamped packaging and evolving flavor profiles that integrate functional ingredients like ashwagandha and yerba mate.
Speaking with the company’s U.S. general manager Mike Messersmith at Natural Products Expo East 2017, held Sept. 13-16 at the Baltimore Convention Center in Baltimore, Md., BevNET reporter Brad Avery gets the word on how the company intends to compete within the U.S. market and why it believes oat milk offers dairy-free consumers a high quality alternative to other alt-milks.
As expected, Expo East 2017 was a key showcase for innovative and on-trend product launches in both nascent and established beverage categories. Sorting through the nearly 200 drink exhibitors at the event, BevNET's John Craven and Ray Latif offer their take on the most notable and impactful new products for the industry in the above video.
Cold-pressed juice pioneer Evolution Fresh unveiled a major packaging revamp and two probiotic-infused sublines at Expo East 2017. The Starbucks-owned brand also announced its commitment to 100 percent organic ingredients and formulations by 2019.
During an interview at BevNET Live Summer 2017 in New York, KeVita founder and former CEO Bill Moses spoke at length about his experiences starting, growing and selling the company in his first interview since it was acquired by PepsiCo for around $230 million last November.
BevNET Live Summer 2017 got off to a billion-dollar start last month with a presentation from Scott Uzzell, president and general manager of The Coca-Cola Company’s Venturing & Emerging Brands division (VEB).
In an interview at the recently held 2017 Summer Fancy Food Show in New York City, Graham Fortgang, co-founder of MatchaBar, explained that the company’s cafes in Manhattan and Los Angeles act as a “huggable billboards” for the brand’s RTD drinks as well as incubators for innovative ideas.
At the 2017 Summer Fancy Food Show in June, BevNET spoke with five early-stage beverage brands, each of which market innovative concepts for packaged drinks and unique takes on emerging beverage categories.
