People Moves: Brian Krumrei Exits TSG
Krumrei departs the consumer products investment firm, while Moonshine Sweet Tea and Boxed Water each welcome new chief marketing officers.
Zola Launches ‘Hydrating Energy’ Line
As the first shipments of Zola’s new “2.0” packaging roll out to stores, the coconut water and acai beverage maker has launched a new energy drink line as part of a move toward a more comprehensive brand hierarchy.
Video: Humm Kombucha CEO Talks Conventional Path to Mainstream Success
In a presentation at BevNET Live Summer 2017, Humm Kombucha CEO Jaime Danek explained that the brand's approachable taste profile, mainstream flavors, and label design were -- and remain -- keys to its success in conventional retailers.
Taste Radio Ep. 68: Talking Innovative Ventures and Investments with Owl’s Brew’s Jennie Ripps and Pete Speranza of 301INC
Episode 68 of the Taste Radio podcast features interviews with Jennie Ripps, the CEO and co-founder of tea-based cocktail mixer and beer brand Owl’s Brew, Pete Speranza, who is a New Business Development Principal with General Mills’ business development and venture capital arm 301INC, and the latest edition of Elevator Talk with Jason Petrou, the founder of Clean Energy Organics.
Amazon Invests In Growth; Whole Foods Posts Losses
The e-commerce retailer increased net sales by 25 percent to $38 billion for the quarter, but earned less per share then Wall Street was expecting. Amazon SVP and CFO Brian Olsavsky said Q2 year-over-year earning differences were ”driven by investments” in the company’s own technologies like Echo, a ramp-up of its original video business and increased spending on hiring and marketing.
Press Clips: Beverage Execs Ask for Aluminum Tariff Exception
Can and beverage industry leaders ask President Trump to exempt certain types of aluminum from potential tariffs; White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci may be a Juice Press investor; Whole Foods sets a date for shareholders to vote on Amazon deal; Former Tesla engineer creates hangover cure.
VMG Closes New $550M Fund to Invest In Entrepreneurial Brands
This week private equity investment group VMG Partners announced the close of its fourth fund at $550 million, with another $150 million available in a flex-up vehicle. The capital, said VMG Managing Director Wayne Wu, will be invested in emerging, lower middle market companies producing consumable branded goods.
Protein2o Adds Gatorade Vets, $4 Million in New Funding
Protein-infused water brand Protein2O has added two beverage industry veterans to its leadership team and raised $4 million in new funding as it seeks to establish a leadership position in the segment of low-calorie protein beverages.
WTRMLN WTR Targeted In Class Action Suit
In a complaint filed against parent company World Waters LLC and World Waters Holdings, LLC in U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of New York on July 8, attorneys for lead plaintiff Michael Pizzirusso argue that WTRMLN WTR’s product labels, in describing the liquid with the words “cold pressed juiced watermelon,” falsely represent that it consists of only watermelon juice.
Video: Bill Moses On Starting, Growing, Disrupting and Selling KeVita
During an interview at BevNET Live Summer 2017 in New York, KeVita founder and former CEO Bill Moses spoke at length about his experiences starting, growing and selling the company in his first interview since it was acquired by PepsiCo for around $230 million last November.
Bai Acquisition Still Settling for DPSG
DPSG spent $40 million in expenses for Bai during the spring, the company reported, half of which went toward marketing. An additional $49 million spent toward repaying debt contributed to the company’s 28 percent earnings drop.
Review: Humm Kombucha’s Seasonal Hopped Grapefruit
Humm’s seasonal offering for Summer 2017 is this product, a 14 percent juice-based kombucha that blends their kombucha with grapefruit juice (along with apple, pear, grape, and orange) and hops to create something that’s quite enjoyable.
Seattle’s Sound Kombucha On the Rise
From the name to the packaging to its presence at some of the city’s popular coffee chains and even on the Washington State Ferry, everything about Sound Kombucha is tied back to its roots in the local community.
Basemakers and Phoodie Merge
While Basemakers works with food and beverage brands to increase their visibility at retail, Phoodie uses a network of product demo specialists and event marketing professionals across the country to execute sampling initiatives.