ON TOP
- From Beverage Spectrum Magazine: Making The Case For Distributor Brands – A number of clever distributors have applied their own industry know-how to creating distinctive brands that can’t suddenly get sucked into the Red or Blue systems. Link
- Review: Ubershot Original – Originally created for the UK market, Ubershot is an energy shot that comes packaged in a beautifully designed 2 oz. aluminum bottle. Link
- Only 14 days until BevNET Live Winter ’09 Link
ON THE SHELVES
- Jones Soda is launching a zero calorie line of soda called Jones Zilch, which is expected to hit store shelves in late 2009. Link
DISTRIBUTION
- Celsius Holdings, Inc.’s calorie burning beverage will be available mid-December at over 100 Harris Teeter food markets. Harris Teeter has over 140 stores throughout eight states. The markets will carry three Celsius flavors in 4-packs, which include Wild Berry, Orange and Green Tea Raspberry Acai, as well as Celsius On-The-Go single serving packets in raspberry flavor. Link
- The Dad’s Root Beer Company, LLC is pleased to announce the addition of M&M Distributors of Lansing, MI to the Dad’s Root Beer Team. Link
- Bebida Beverages announced an arrangement with the Alabama division of Piggly Wiggly grocery stores. The grocery store chain will now make all of the Bebida Beverage products available to their 300 store market spanning several states. Link
- CKE Restaurants, Inc. announced that it is offering vitaminwater at all of its Carl’s Jr. locations. Link
- Simplifast expanded its reach into the Seattle area and Pacific Northwest with Metropolitan Markets. Link
LAW, POLICY, AND ADVOCACY
- Dozens of supermarket recycling sites in California have shut down recently as Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and state legislators spar over how to close a massive gap in the program’s budget. Link
BRAND MARKETING & PROMOTION
- We don’t really understand what a hip-hop, bare-chested pilgrim has to do with protein drinks, but Muscle Milk built its latest ad around one. Link
- The California Milk Advisory Board developed 15 “mini-documentaries” profiling dairy families throughout the state. The series also includes two companion pieces – one highlighting sustainability practices and the other on cow comfort. Link
- Beverage Plus Holdings Corporation and FCBBI AG announced several motorsport sponsorships. Link
- Red Bull released a new, online video game called Travis Pastrana’s Super Mega Nitro Jump Gold Edition – a game in which the player executes aerial tricks on their chosen vehicle – which could be a dirt bike, a donkey, or a rocket. Link
TRENDS AND STUDIES
- Eating fruits and vegetables, and drinking tea and red wine may offer overweight men and normal weight women some protection from colon and rectal cancers, hint study findings from the Netherlands. Link
IN THE MEDIA
- Food Product Design published an article on how to market heart-wise beverages. Link
- Miami Dolphins running back Ricky Williams swears by meditation, acupuncture, yoga and Evolv Energy Drink, according to the Miami Herald. Link
- Northjersey.com published a profile of Liquid Lightning Energy Drink and its owners, Charles Musumeci and his brother Joe. Link
FINANCIALS
- Dr Pepper Snapple Group announced that its board of directors has approved its first-ever dividend. The board declared the $0.15 per share quarterly dividend on the company’s common stock payable in U.S. dollars on Jan. 8, 2010, to shareholders of record on Dec. 21, 2009. The ex-dividend date is Dec. 17, 2009. The board also authorized the repurchase of up to $200 million of the company’s outstanding common stock over the next three years. Link
- Frutarom presented its results for the third quarter of 2009. Frutarom sales in the third quarter of 2009 totaled US$ 111.6 million, a decrease of approximately 1.6 percent in local currency terms compared to the third quarter of 2008. The strengthening of the US$ compared to most of the European currencies and the NIS (in which most of Frutarom’s sales are implemented) caused a decrease of 5.4 percent in sales. Link
DEALS
- Coca-Cola North America and Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Consolidated recently purchased more ‘Fan Cans’ — sports-themed recycling bins — for placement in the stadiums for the Baltimore Ravens, Washington Redskins, and NC State Wolfpack. Link
SUPPLY SIDE
- GSB Flavor Creators has released a range of all-natural, customizable coconut water flavors primarily for use in beverages. Link
- DSM Nutritional Products is unveiling a range of instant beverage premixes, formulated with a carefully selected blend of nutrients to deliver specific health benefits. Link
INTERNATIONAL
- Doug Jackson, president of The Coca-Cola Co. Inc.‘s China business unit, said the company plans to distribute more than six times as many Coke-branded coolers to retailers, bars and restaurants in China over the coming decade, employing an expanded sales force to reach an additional 4.7 million outlets. Link
PEOPLE
- Pepsi Bottling Group CEO Eric Foss visited Texas A&M to talk with MBA students and donate $10,000 to “The Big Event,” a student-run service project led by Texas A&M students. Link
- Global brewer Molson Coors has appointed Krishnan (Kandy) Anand to lead the company’s international business outside of its mature markets in the US, Canada and the UK. Anand previously served as Vice President of The Coca Cola Co. Inc.‘s global revenue growth management and commercial leadership and in Latin America as marketing director. Link
ETC.
- About 150 current and former employees of Crown Beverage Packaging celebrated 50 years of manufacturing metal beer and soft-drink cans at the company’s plant in Olympia, Wash. Link