Video: Bill Weiland Talks Bankable Trends in Beverage

During a presentation last week at BevNET Live Summer 2017, Presence Marketing CEO and founder Bill Weiland highlighted several bankable trends in beverage which reflected the continued shift toward products featuring more sophisticated better-for-you propositions.

Calling the link between saturated fat consumption and heart disease a “total myth” that has been disproved by recent studies, Weiland was enthusiastic about the growth of products offering quality fats from plant and animal sources, particularly grass-fed dairy.

“We are big fans of the fat movement, so much that we are confident to say that you will never see fat free and low fat trump mid-range to high fat foods in any category for any sustained period for the rest of humanity, and that’s good news for everybody,” he said.

Weiland was also bullish about high-pressure processed (HPP) juices, praising their better taste and higher overall nutritional value as compared to traditionally processed juices while recognizing that consumers are seeking lower-sugar offerings within the category. He noted that shift presents an opportunity for juices in shot format.

“Give me 3,000 retailers [who] step up to the plate [and] 12 linear feet, we build a $100 million category like that,” he said of juice shots. “This stuff is ready for prime time.”

In terms of unexplored potential, Weiland explained that bitters have perhaps the longest runway for major expansion by offering a unique combination of flavor enhancement and nutritional benefits, along with versatility that spans across food and beverage use occasions of all types.

“We can build a story, give bitters its rightful position as a health-giving, provocative taste,” he said, estimating that the market was at least $1 billion. “Bitters deserve better — we’re going to make it happen.”

In the full video, Weiland also discusses the rapid growth of drinkable bone broths and fermented beverages, why cold brew coffee still has room to expand, and why he thinks tree waters are a way off from competing with coconut and watermelon waters.