“This NACS feels different.”
Those were the words of Pepsi North America president Mike Del Pozzo last night in Chicago, as the soda giant hosted an invite-only cocktail reception on the eve of the annual convenience store trade show that runs for the next three days.
In brief remarks, Del Pozzo backed the company’s boldness; this year’s embrace of innovation and “flexibility” is centered around long-term gains, or a “next chapter” for the company. Despite flexing its financial muscle with multi-billion dollar acquisitions just a few months ago, there’s a slight feeling of urgency around Pepsi following a disappointing quarterly earnings and the emergence of a pointed activist investor pushing for change.
But, as mentioned, Pepsi is doing its best to give its presence this year a different feel, starting with new innovation:
Pepsi Prebiotic: The much-heralded innovation from Pepsi’s flagship soda won’t be available for sampling at the show this week, which helped drive some hype for its debut at the reception on Tuesday.
Our first impressions? OG Pepsi fans can breathe easy: despite the functional positioning (3 grams of fiber) and the addition of stevia, this still looks and tastes much like the original formula. With just two SKUs (Original and Cherry Vanilla), it feels much more likely to win back lapsed Pepsi drinkers (or Diet Pepsi fans OK with taking on the 30 calories per can) than to peel drinkers away from its other big-ticket prebiotic soda, Poppi.
At the same time, it may not offer enough to get dedicated fans to switch, but it depends on what moves them. If you are looking for a Pepsi without artificial sweeteners (a first for the line), for example, this may do the trick.
Starbucks: Just as the coffee chain is moving deeper into protein at its stores, the same is happening in its RTDs. Last night we got a first look at the new Coffee + Protein line, which packs 22 grams of protein, five grams of fiber and two grams of sugar in each 12 oz. PET.
That’s a bit more than just a “plus protein” option: compare to Koia (18 grams), OWYN (20 grams) and SToK (20 grams). Using the tagline “Better Coffee, Better Day,” it’s another extension that introduces some new features in the familiar guise of flavors like Classic Caffe and Caffe Mocha.
There’s also a new chapter for Starbucks Doubleshot Energy as it rolls out a Zero Sugar version in 15 oz. cans. The move comes as coffee and energy drinks have collided in recent years, with brands like SToK and Black Rifle attempting to either play both sides of the fence or integrate them into new lines. Zero sugar, notably, has become table stakes for next-gen energy players (and a sales driver for legacy brands), of which this may be a tacit acknowledgement.