Vita Coco, the number one-selling coconut water brand in the U.S., has introduced Vita Coco Kids to the market. Made with coconut water, filtered water, natural fruit flavors and vitamin C, the beverages, which come in wedge-shaped 6 oz. Tetra Pak containers with an attached straw, will hit shelves beginning in July.
One week after Ben Weiss, the founder and CEO of bai, said at BevNET Live in New York that he expects his company’s sales to increase fivefold this year, he followed his words with an executive shift, announcing Tuesday that Ken Kurtz has been promoted to company president.
With Mike Kirban’s new-age-y approach to management, which he shared on stage during BevNET Live Summer '13 last week in New York, he revealed that he had established Vita Coco as a state of both mind and business.
It's not quite a Vitaminwater-sized payday for the company's former president, Mike Repole, but for nearly $200 million, Repole and the other investors in snack food company Pirate Brands should keep the horses Repole loves deep in hay and alfalfa for quite a while.
The Coca-Cola Co., Inc. has extended its reach into the rapidly growing world of water enhancers with Powerade Zero Drops, a new line of zero-calorie liquid concentrates. Aimed at on-the-go sports drink consumers, the new products are infused with the same range of electrolytes as its flagship brand.
It's rare to see Don Vultaggio, the co-founder of AriZona Beverage Co., out in a public forum, as he was during his appearance on Tuesday during BevNET Live Summer '13 in New York. But he appeared to be in a fine mood, letting his own style, which symbolizes an insightful, unique nature that has carried his company to sustained achievement, wash over the crowd.
Motto not only survived judge Kelly Marlowe’s tough question; they braved the field of 21 and won the showdown’s first place, granting them a $5,000 jumbo check (game show style), an automatic entry into select Kroger retail locations, and the less tangible rewards of this competition, such as exposure and pride.
The final six brands in New Beverage Showdown 5 at BevNET Live Summer ’13 in New York City confirmed an increasingly evident truth about innovation in this industry. “The days of artificial everything are the days of the past,” said Eric Schnell, a judge for the event and the founder and CEO of Metabrand.
Over the past five years, a deluge of new products introductions has helped pushed coconut water from the outskirts of the beverage industry to one of fastest growing and visible categories on the market. According to Mintel, a leading global supplier of consumer, product and media intelligence, new coconut water products have grown by 540 percent since 2008 with most brands utilizing health claims associated with the liquid to propel product launches.
We’re pleased to announce that BevNET Live Summer ’13, the ninth consecutive sold-out BevNET Live conference, will feature the return of a free video stream of the event. Broadcast live from New York City, the video stream will cover every presentation and panel from the show, which will take place at the Metropolitan Pavilion on June 4 and 5.
When it comes to protecting the public from the dangers of energy drinks, Monster Beverage Corp. is like the rooster guarding the hen house. That’s the opinion of Kevin Goldberg, an attorney with Goldberg, Finnegan & Mester, and one half of the legal team representing the family of Anais Fournier, a 14 year-old girl whose death in 2011 is blamed on her consumption of two Monster Energy drinks.
When Eric Schnell and Debbie Wildrick agreed to present at BevNET’s Beverage School conference in April, little did they know the event would become a sort of first date for a merger. Since that time, Metabrand has agreed to acquire Growing Innovative Brands and make Wildrick the centerpiece of a new advisory department focusing on snacks and beverages.
Shaquille O’Neal himself unveiled the new four-flavor Soda Shaq Cream Soda line via his Twitter account today (he has more than 7 million followers, so the word definitely got out); the products carry a suggested $.99 price and come emblazoned with one of eight photos of the big man’s unique facial expressions.
It’s a given that most beverage entrepreneurs are constrained by limited financial resources, and when it comes to spending a sizable amount of money to establish proof of concept, it’s imperative to look before leaping. So what’s the best way to create the foundation for a successful product launch without breaking the bank? Start small. That’s the advice of Bob Burke, the founder of Natural Products Consulting, and a longtime advisor for beverage industry start-ups.
