As we sit on the cusp of the New Year, we thought we’d look back at what you thought were the most important stories of the old. Looking at our page view tracker, readers surprised us. Yes, people were interested in Coke’s investment in Suja, but our most clicked-on story this year was the announcement that MAB Capital, run by investor Marc Bushala, was creating a $50 million beverage innovation fund. Other key stories centered around distribution moves, legal issues, and, yes, more strategic investment. Here’s the list:
10. Dr Pepper Snapple Pays $20 Million for 11.7 Percent Stake in BodyArmor
The deal indicated a $170 million valuation for the premium sports drink brand Mike Repole and Lance Collins (of vitaminwater and Fuze fame, respectively) launched in 2012.
9. Dr Pepper Snapple Acquires Minority Stake in Bai Brands
Eighteen months after signing a national distribution deal with Dr Pepper Snapple Group (DPS), Bai Brands, which has grown at a torrid pace in the timeframe, sold an equity stake to the beverage titan.
8. Portion of Proposed Class Action Lawsuit Against Bai Brands to Proceed
U.S. District Judge Haywood Gilliam in the Northern District of California declined to dismiss the case in its entirety, agreeing with plaintiffs that a “reasonable consumer” could be misled into thinking that phrases like “Antioxidant Packed” means that the beverages provide a “good source” of antioxidants.
For the world’s largest beverage company, the question is no longer whether or not it needs to reinvent itself to thrive but whether or not it can, and if it can, then how?
6. Keurig Dishes on Upcoming “Kold” System
At the Consumer Analyst Group of New York conference, Keurig offered a first glimpse at its highly anticipated cold beverage system.
5. Evian, Fiji, Perrier and the Battle for Relevance
The bottled water wars are back and even the 1 percent are being sent off to battle.
4. Big Geyser to Drop Glaceau Brands
Big Geyser, which has been responsible for much of the success of Glaceau in New York, ceased carrying Glaceau products in March.
3. Campbell Soup Splashes into Cold-Pressed Juice with “1915 by Bolthouse Farms”
The introduction marked yet another foray into the burgeoning world of cold-pressed, high-pressure processed juices by a food and beverage conglomerate.
2. Suja CEO Jeff Church Talks Coke Investment
“Since we started, we’ve shipped over 40 million bottles of Suja,” Church said. “With Coke and the right construct of an arrangement, we could go from 40 million to a billion. It just gets us super-excited about the pathway to building a much bigger business.”
1. MAB Capital Management Announces $50 Million Beverage Innovation Fund
LAB is seeking investments ranging from $3 million to $10 million in early stage beverage businesses, and will not be exclusive to the alcoholic segment.