Eisner, who co-created the brand with Burke Eiteljorg as the Rising Beverage Co., Inc. in 2005, announced Friday that he was buying the company back from its current investors and that he would be taking over the position of President. Craig Berger was taking on a dual COO/CFO role while current president Reza Mirza was departing.
Last week, Whey Coco, which markets a powdered blend of whey protein and coconut water, announced a new broker agreement with SoCal-based beverage incubator L.A. Libations. The deal has been in the making since June and recently produced a major retail placement for the brand: Whey Coco will gain shelf space in select Kroger stores in the Northeast beginning in March 2014 with plans for a national launch later in the year.
Complete video coverage of BevNET Live Winter 2013 is NOW AVAILABLE on BevNET FBU, our on-demand video learning site for the food and beverage industry.
Making its debut in the U.S. market. Fire Blade is a Austrian-based brand that markets an energy drink and shot. The products are not bad, but with a formulation, flavor and design that feels very much that of typical energy brands, we're concerned that Fire Blade could easily be forgotten amongst the sea of similar products that have come before it.
Buffalo Wild Wings, Inc. (BWW) announced Thursday that PepsiCo, Inc., will become the restaurant’s primary soft drink and non-carbonated beverage supplier. The partnership, which will begin in early 2014, will replace products by The Coca-Cola Co., Inc., in the chicken wing chain. It will also initiate a series of joint marketing initiatives tied to sports and entertainment, according to a release.
In an effort to streamline operations and expedite its refranchising to independent bottlers, The Coca-Cola, Co., Inc. announced late Thursday that it will divide its North American operations into two units. On January 1, 2014, Coca-Cola Americas will no longer exist, paving the way for Coca-Cola North America (CCNA) and Coca-Cola Refreshments (CCR).
IBEX is a line of drinkable yogurt products that are sweetened with cane sugar and come in four varieties. While yogurt is often associated with probiotic functionality, three of the SKUs feature an added function -- including recovery and "brain-boosting" -- that is specific to the variety. On the whole, we like the brand and formulation of the beverages, however, some minor changes will be needed to better explain the extra benefits in some of the flavors.
On Tuesday, the food safety body of the European Union released its long-awaited report on aspartame, concluding that that artificial sweetener is safe for humans consume at the current levels that it is used in food and beverages. As expected, the European Food Safety Authority's opinion was praised by the American Beverage Association and infuriated some consumer watchdog groups. But will the decision have an affect declining sales of aspartame-sweetened drinks?
At BevNET Live in Santa Monica earlier this week, retailers restated the theme: they understand the potential for emerging brands and they’re looking for partnerships. Representatives from 7-Eleven, Costco and Life Time Fitness, Inc. were on hand to discuss their interest in identifying the next wave of innovation and stocking their shelves with the buzzworthy brands of the next few years.
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Kombucha Brooklyn recently updated its packaging and added a few new flavors to its line of kombucha drinks. Moving from a round 16 oz. bottle to a stock 12 oz. soda-style glass package, it's clear that the company is attempting to reach a broader, more mainstream audience. Whether that strategy will work out in the long run is unclear, but Kombucha Brooklyn has done well to create a clean and polished look along with a variety of well-executed flavors.
In the October edition of BevNET Magazine, we discussed the issues and challenges that CSDs face. Now, lets examine the opportunities that will be presented in the New World.…
As the market for new cold-pressed, high pressure processed juice brands continues to blossom, Lumi, which stands for "LoveUMeanIt," has made a solid debut in the emerging category. With a number of unique formulations, and stand-out packaging, Lumi has done well to differentiate itself from the typical line of cold-pressed juices.
The idea that a beverage company can spike or sink at any time carried over at the conference, indicating that entrepreneurs recognize the often uncontrollable factors at play. CEO Jeff Church knows that, even now, Suja could continue to reach new levels of prominence or have about the same shelf life as the juice itself.
