According to Bill Weiland, founder and CEO of Presence Marketing, brand selection is a craft, not a science. It takes a full comprehension of category nuances and dynamics to determine a brand’s potential.
California-based juice bar chains Project Juice and Beaming Wellness announced last week they have merged to create Superfood Holdings LLC. The new entity will maintain both brand names, which combined operate 16 “organic clean-food kitchens” throughout California.
Keurig Dr Pepper (KDP) announced last week it is voluntarily withdrawing bottles of its Peñafiel mineral water line, three weeks after a class action lawsuit accused the beverage conglomerate of willfully ignoring tests showing the drinks contain dangerous levels of arsenic.
In this panel from BevNET Live Summer 2019, held June 12 in New York City, BevNET editor-in-chief Jeff Klineman sits down with three new fund managers to learn how these “new faces of beverage VC” approach investments, brand loyalty, ingredient trends, and entrepreneurship.
NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal has joined FORTO coffee shot maker Dyla Brands as an investor and will be the face of a $20 million media campaign for the product this fall, CEO and founder Neel Premkumar told BevNET. The size of the investment was not disclosed.
Jaka Jamu is a line of turmeric and tamarind tonics produced in New York City. The products are designed as a ready-to-drink jamu, which is a traditional Indonesian medicinal drink that is typically made from roots, bark, and other natural ingredients.
In this week’s episode, Sebastian Dreher, the managing director of Dohler Ventures U.S., discussed the firm’s funding philosophy and why he believes that investing in emerging brands is more “art than science.” He also spoke about how he evaluates scalable innovation, why category dynamics are crucial to Dohler’s investment strategy, and why great founders are also great fundraisers.
Speaking in June at BevNET Live Summer 2019 in New York City, Weller co-founder John Simmons shared lessons and learnings from his experiences as a CBD pioneer, including how other cannabis product categories have informed the brand’s strategy, how retailers and distributors are looking at infused products, and the process Weller followed to define its platform.
Mother co-founders Allison and Stephen Ellsworth said Rohan Oza, who took a 25% stake in the company in exchange for his individual investment, arranged meetings between Mother and CAVU shortly after filming Shark Tank. In February the brand secured additional financial backing from the firm, but did not announce the deal until this week.
In this month's spirits gallery, we highlight a handful of the notable new releases from the past month, including a blend of four Kentucky straight bourbons from Bardstown Bourbon Co., the debut of bespoke California whiskey maker Wolves, and the U.S. debut of British-inspired rum Admiral Rodney.
California Kills Cancer Warning Label for Coffee; Food Waste Brands a ‘Booming Business’; Cuvée Coffee Creates Fake Influencer; Walmart Prepares to Launch Home Grocery Delivery Service; JAB Wrestles with its Nazi Past
Being a challenger means not only having big ideas, but knowing how to grow from a startup brand to true scalability. For Vitaminwater and BodyArmor co-founder Mike Repole, this means being “patiently aggressive,” staying on your toes, and setting ambitious goals-- like becoming the top-selling sports drink by 2025.
Carlos Ponce is the co-founder and CEO of UbU Beverages, a company that offers sparkling functional tonics without any sugar, sweeteners or caffeine. The brand’s energy and hemp tonics deliver antioxidants, prebiotics and electrolytes, aiming to serve the active Gen X consumer.
In pioneering innovations -- including a text message-based ordering platform and a smartphone operated vending machine -- for his functional beverage brand Dirty Lemon, Zak Normandin, CEO and founder of Iris Nova, has leveraged technology to bring a new generation of tech and health savvy consumers a different kind of drinking experience.
