Over the past few years, I’ve become more aware of the “enhancers” that are taking a larger role in our industry. “Enhanced beverages” have been a major part of the industry for many years now. From the original SoBes and Vitaminwaters to present day functional products, these drinks now dominate the retail landscape and are the major drivers of volume in many categories.
Inspired by the emergence and popularity of the so-called “Paleo diet,” Amara has reformulated and repositioned its detox and recovery product into a “raw” superfruit drink. The revamped beverage, a carbonated blend of raw CoffeeBerry and Maqui berry extracts, caffeine, B-Vitamins and antioxidants, now undergoes a first-of-its-kind co-packing process in order to maintain a raw liquid and a long shelf life without the use of high pressure processing (HPP) or pasteurization.
We're just three weeks away from BevNET Live Summer '13, and now is the LAST CHANCE for beverage companies to apply for New Beverage Showdown 5, which takes place June 4 and 5 at BevNET Live Summer 2013 in New York City. The winner of the Showdown, presented by Venturing & Emerging Brands, an operating unit of Coca-Cola North America, will receive $10,000 in cash and prizes.
Evolve is Muscle Milk’s new “naturally flavored protein shake” that is geared towards female consumers. All in all, what they’ve put inside the carton is a credible and enjoyable formulation, with 12g of protein, 20 vitamins and minerals, 5g of fiber, and Tonalin, an ingredient that is marketed as helping reduce body fat. We think they’ve got a nice start that, with a few packaging tweaks, could certainly be a formidable offering.
Robberies, vendettas and crude language… it’s just another run-of-the-mill week for the beverage industry.
Less than 18 months since the brand’s debut, Golazo, which markets a line of soccer-inspired energy and sports drinks, has more than tripled the number of retail locations where its products are sold. The company today announced that Golozo drinks are now sold in 1,600 stores in eight states throughout the West Coast, including all Safeway and Whole Foods locations in the region.
Peter Lescoe, the founder of snack chip brand Food Should Taste Good, will join coconut water category leader Vita Coco's co-founder Michael Kirban and veteran food and beverage marketer Greg Fleishman, currently the CMO of Sambazon, for a discussion of the role their companies’ distinct cultures have had in their ability to grow and be profitable.
High-end water continues to grow as Smartwater and Fiji strongly outpaced gains for the rest of the category. That said, evian appears to have slowed ahead of new bottle innovation and other varieties that Symphony IRI lumps into the category, like the Vitaminwater family, SoBe and Capri Sun are also showing some share erosion.
More than just a business conference, BevNET Live Summer ’13 offers a range of networking options with dozens of distributors, retailers and investors that will be in attendance at the show. To get a better sense of what BevNET Live is all about, here’s a brief look at the range of speakers and content-driven opportunities that we’ve featured at past events.
Adapting to the millennial generation’s desire for variety and convenience (dubbed “the chill hustle” by MTV trendspotter Nick Shore at BevNET Live Winter 2012), a multitude of brands have altered their approach to beverages. It’s not just what the beverage is—it’s what you can add to the beverage. As a result, powder and liquid enhancers have further cemented their positions in the beverage industry, symbolizing the new-age thirst for portable interaction and healthy products.
Motto is a new brand of sparkling matcha teas made with honey, agave nectar, lemon juice and apple cider vinegar. The brand has done well to hit the ground running with an excellent flavor profile and a minimalist, yet striking, label and bottle.
Sparkling Ice, the core brand of TalkingRain Beverage Co. and one of the fastest growing non-alcoholic beverage lines in the country, has expanded its lemonade portfolio with three new flavors: Raspberry Lemonade, Strawberry Lemonade and Lemonade with Tea.
One week after Monster Beverage Corp. sued San Francisco City Attorney Dennis Herrera over his demands that the company reformulate its energy drinks and stop marketing to minors, Herrera has countered with a lawsuit filed this morning in San Francisco Superior Court.
BevNET has released the preliminary agenda for BevNET Live Summer ’13, which will be held at the Metropolitan Pavilion in New York City from June 3-5. The conference will be packed with expert speakers and panels on cutting edge beverage trends, emerging channels for investment and distribution, and captains of some of the most successful brands in the beverage industry, including AriZona Beverages Chairman Don Vultaggio, Vita Coco CEO Mike Kirban, and many more.
