Six months after launching a new fund aimed at investment in emerging non-alcoholic beverage brands, the private equity arm of First Beverage Group has taken a stake in Health-Ade, which markets a line of premium, small-batch kombucha products. The deal is the first transaction made by First Beverage Ventures’ new fund.
The thing to remember here is that In Zone wasn’t doing badly. The brand, best known for its distinctive “toppers” – toylike straws molded in the image of kid-friendly licensed characters sitting atop toddler and kid-focused juice drinks -- has been on an upward trajectory over the past several years, after taking the time to go quiet and rework its distribution strategy in 2007.
The National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) annual show is less than a week away in Atlanta. The largest event for the convenience and petroleum retailing industry, NACS is also one of the beverage industry’s most important events of the year. This year’s show features over 125 beverage companies. As always, BevNET.com will be on hand to cover and report on the beverage-related exhibitors at the show.
Two of the original three founders of Dream Water have now left the widely-distributed sleep shot company. Vincent Porpiglia, the company’s COO and acting CMO, resigned last week to pursue other options.
While it’s still early for the line of ginger-based drinks, founder Ruben Canada believes that Jin+Ja has and will continue to benefit from a solid footing in formulation, packaging and branding. “I think a big part of [our success] is making sure that we nailed it as far as making sure that we had a good foundation for the brand,” Canada said in an interview at the 2013 Natural Products Expo East show.
Launched in 2012, Motto, which markets a sparkling matcha tea, has racked up a number of wins over the past year, including the top spot at BevNET Live’s New Beverage Showdown 5 and new distribution in natural and specialty retailers along the East Coast and in Kroger-owned stores in Colorado.
U.S. consumers are increasingly concerned about food and beverage safety and, as a result, many are embracing fresh and unprocessed products, according to a new study published by Multi-sponsor Surveys.
In this video filmed at Green Mustache’s booth at Expo East, founder VanTrang Manges spoke about the launch of her brand of organic fruit and vegetable juice kids' smoothies and initial reception for the products. Manges also discussed the challenges associated with her foray into the beverage industry, and navigating the complexities of manufacturing as well as sales and marketing.
Both the outside and inside of the functional brand are going through major changes ahead of the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) Show in Atlanta, trying to simplify its message and focus behind three key parts of its product assortment.
The chia category has passed a few natural-channel introductory stages: the Dr. Oz approval, the first-to-market brands (Mamma Chia and Chia\Vie), the blog rounds. However, a second layer of chia beverage companies, notably Drink Chia and Chia Star, which recently displayed their beverages, stories and plans at the Natural Products Expo East show in Baltimore, are emerging and increasing distribution.
Did you or your company launch a new beverage (for you or a client) in the past year? Or perhaps you just revamped one? Either way, it's time to enter your product into BevNET's Best of 2013 Awards, which will be announced at BevNET Live Winter 13. In addition, all applicants are eligible to receive a listing in BevNET's "New Beverage Guide," which is sent to the 19,000 BevNET Magazine subscribers and 100,000 monthly readers of BevNET.com. Sign up now as time is running out!
Although the use of HPP has been limited to a handful of beverages in the juice and coconut water categories, the processing method -- which uses pressure instead of heat to make a raw product safe to consume -- has for the first time been employed in a tea drink. And, unsurprisingly, it's the restless folks at Harmless Harvest, which helped pioneer the use of HPP in beverages, who are behind it.
If the number of brand launches, line extensions and new products seen at the 2013 Natural Products Expo East show is any indication, consumer demand for natural products is as strong as ever. After navigating our way through dozens of aisles at the Baltimore Convention Center, we've compiled a sizable photo gallery of many of the new brands, products and revamps featured at the event.
In this video, BevNET CEO John Craven and Editor-in-Chief Jeff Klineman examine the impact of Expo East for small and emerging brands and how new companies have used innovation to differentiate themselves and, in the process, altered the trajectory of natural beverage categories.
