In our sampling of ok.- Energy's new fruit-flavored varieties, we are -- despite the lack of actual juice in the products -- quite impressed with their accurate and enjoyable fruit flavors. However, we still wonder about the name “ok.-" and the branding of the products -- it's hard to see them standing out in an already oversaturated market.
Despite sustained criticism of the category by government regulators and consumer health advocates, energy drinks continue to sell at a strong rate in convenience stores, according to recent Nielsen data released in a new Wells Fargo Securities report.
BevNET’s New Beverage Guide is the most comprehensive collection of non-alcoholic beverages compiled annually. The guide will be promoted to 19,000 readers in BevNET Magazine and 100,000 monthly visitors via BevNET.com. BevNET’s Best of 2013 Awards, which will be announced in December, will feature winners in over 12 categories.
Afterparty is a hydration and recovery beverage that comes in original and sugar-free formulations. While Afterparty is not positioned as an energy drink, the visual and flavor similarities to products in that category will be challenging for the brand, not to mention the lack of real success in the “recovery” or “hangover” categories.
Kevin McClafferty, who presided over a highly successful launch and rapid growth of Marley’s Mellow Mood, has resigned as president and CEO of Viva Beverages, which markets the Marley brand, according to a report in Beverage Business Insights (BBI).
Beverage School attendees will have a chance to learn what it means to get their product out into stores -- and online, as well, when they hear from social media marketing master Darrell Jursa during the Sept. 12 event.
Cocotein is a coconut water-based beverage that touts whey protein isolate as its key functional ingredient. While we've seen a few similarly positioned products on the market, it's certainly a niche category. Nevertheless, Cocotein is a well-executed beverage.
For L.A. Libations, the introduction of its Aloe Gloe brand in 2011 marked a significant turning point for the three-year old beverage incubator. Until then, the company had developed sales and distribution strategies for a host of other entrepreneurial beverage brands, including Zico and Neuro, and had little experience with manufacturing.
Arin is a brand of Thai-inspired drinks that made its U.S. debut at the recently held 2013 Summer Fancy Foods Show. The line-up includes a black tea, a hibiscus drink and lemongrass-infused beverage. While the company did a good job with the formulation of the drinks, branding and packaging is a significant issue.
While overall sales of carbonated soft drinks (CSDs) remain weak, plummeting sales of diet CSDs represented perhaps the most intriguing revelation from a rather gloomy Wells Fargo Securities report covering Nielsen xAOC (expanded all outlets combined) sales data over a four-week period ending on Aug. 13.
A finalist in the recently held New Beverage Showdown 5 at BevNET Live Summer '13, Jin+Ja is a non-carbonated beverage made with fresh ginger, cayenne, water, sugar, lemon juice, green tea and mint tea. Positioned as a product with a variety of use occasions, Jin+Ja is nicely formulated and features some pretty solid packaging.
With a deep and established presence in the Los Angeles market and having recently gained a toehold in New York City, Activate is now setting its sights on broader awareness of its cap-dispensing water brand and is prepping to launch a number of line extensions designed to reach a wider swath of consumers.
The introduction of Zola Coconut Water with Espresso follows the launch of a number of coconut water and coffee blends seen over the past year. In the case of this product, Zola has done a good job formulating a balanced beverage in which the coffee does not overwhelm the coconut water, something that offers a distinct point of differentiation from competing products.
BevNET is delighted to announce the addition of Chris Fenster of Propeller Industries as a speaker at Beverage School in San Francisco on Sept. 12. Mr. Fenster will be speaking about the best ways to structure an early-stage beverage company financially with a focus on clear record keeping, accurate forecasting and a true understanding of sales channel margins as tools for avoiding common pitfalls and improving strategic decision-making.
