An ongoing move toward segmentation – the meshing of a product with an occasion – appears to be propelling the sports drink category forward and broadening the field beyond the traditional two-horse race with Gatorade and Powerade. With products that suit any hour of the day and pack a wider range of ingredients, consumers are now seeking sports drinks during times once reserved for water, juice or carbonated soft drinks.
Of the two flavors of Blue Donkey that we sampled (Original and Light), it was this one, Light, that we preferred. That being said, the two varieties aren’t all that different and, despite being named Light, this product really isn’t something that is low in calories (it has 120 per 8 oz. serving).
One of the most impressive elements of New Beverage Showdown 5 was the number of innovative formulations and brand propositions offered by each of the 21 semifinalists. From a first-of-its-kind tea and aloe blend, to a sparkling matcha drink, to a chia-infused kids’ smoothie, the early-stage companies offered up a range of distinct, yet on-trend, products. In the process, the Showdown saw perhaps the best and most competitive field of entrants since its inception.
Co-founders Justin Guilbert and Douglas Riboud -- currently abroad to look at tea operations for their new product line -- confirmed to BevNET that they have begun checking a few new channels for their coconut water, which has grown a huge presence in Whole Foods over the past two years.
In its annual meeting held on Tuesday, the policy-making arm of the American Medical Association (AMA) voted to endorse a ban on the marketing of energy drinks and shots to people under the age of 18.
A semifinalist in BevNET's New Beverage Showdown 5, Taki Mai is marketed as a “naturally calming” kava supplement. While the coconut-flavored product has a rather polished look and a straightforward and enjoyable taste, we wonder about the marketability of a liquid supplement that is made with a niche ingredient and in a category, relaxation, that -- no pun intended -- appears to be slowing.
This category has been the hottest of the hot for the past couple of years, and it’s a place where entrepreneurial brands are fully engaged with the big guys in the fight for position. Note Calypso’s steady and sustained growth, along with Hubert’s and Cabana. Meanwhile, there are plenty of new launches – plenty of brands with no track record. We fear the “Golden Bear” – so should Minute Maid.
She was eating curds and whey back in the day, but Little Miss Muffet might look past milk the next time she’s searching for her protein boost. Advances in protein technology, rising raw materials costs, and lifestyle changes have combined with an overall upsurge in demand to create a broader set of proteins used in beverage than those derived solely from whey, the popular milk-based protein.
While it’s not the first beverage to feature a cereal and milk flavor — that honor belongs to Larry T’s short-lived Liquid Cereal — Cow Wow is certainly an innovative…
Complete video coverage of BevNET Live Summer 2013 is NOW AVAILABLE on BeverageSchool.com, BevNET’s on-demand video learning site. For a nominal subscription fee, you can watch every speaker presentation, panel, and discussion from the conference, in addition to hundreds of other educational videos covering a wide range of vital and relevant topics about the beverage industry, including packaging, financing strategies, legal considerations, and branding.
Over-the-counter liquid therapy is ready to explode. At least, that’s what Mary Page Platerink believes. A former executive at the Coca-Cola Co., Inc., Platerink is the founder and CEO of First Aid Shot Therapy (F.A.S.T.). Debuting in Seattle soon, F.A.S.T. has two SKUs — one targeted at pain, like headaches, and another that is supposed to relieve an upset stomach.
Fueled by rising interest on issues regarding health and wellness, and a perfect storm in the legal and political landscape, the U.S. has seen a five-fold increase in the number of class action consumer fraud lawsuits brought against food and beverage companies from 2008 to 2012.
Koa, the first runner-up in BevNET's New Beverage Showdown 5, is marketed as an "organic water" made from 100 percent juice. Wait, what? A water made from juice? Yes, indeed. The company uses a unique and proprietary process to extract and clarify a blend of fruit and vegetable juices to create one of the most innovative water products that we've ever seen.
There’s no excuse – it’s time for my annual office cleaning column, where I look around my beverage collection and mine it for insight. This year it will be especially poignant (for me, at least) as in July I’m moving to a new office a few blocks from my present digs. I have to clear out as much as I can before the move, and that makes for sober reflection of the huge collection of beverages I’ve amassed over the course of 21 years in the industry.
