CEO of Talking Rain Beverage Co. Added to BevNET Live Winter 12 Lineup CEO of Talking Rain Beverage Co. Added to BevNET Live Winter 12 Lineup

CEO of Talking Rain Beverage Co. Added to BevNET Live Winter 12 Lineup

by BevNET.com Staff,

BevNET is pleased to announce that Kevin Klock, the president of the Talking Rain Beverage Co., will be joining the BevNET Live event taking place on Dec. 3 and 4 in Santa Monica. Klock will present a case study on the key choices the company has faced in formulating the astounding growth of the Sparkling ICE brand, which has erupted over the past two years to become one of the country’s most impressive beverage stories, going from $10 million in sales to more than $100 million in less than 18 months.

It’s in the Cards It’s in the Cards

It’s in the Cards

by Barry Nathanson,

I’m from the old school. I’ve written, many a time, my aversion for much of modern technology, although often it’s not in longhand anymore. Friends, both personal and professional, are aghast that I still haven’t embraced a smart phone and the world that it opens up. My colleagues kid me about it, although they seem to accept that they’ll never see me log into our Sales Force system anytime soon. I just turned 64, and, somehow, I’ve been able to get by and stay connected to the industry just fine.

Review: Coco-Libre Coconut Water + Chia Review: Coco-Libre Coconut Water + Chia

Review: Coco-Libre Coconut Water + Chia

by BevNET.com Staff,

It had to happen…The combination of coconut water, which has made its way into virtually every beverage category, and chia, an up and coming ingredient that’s trending in the natural…

Expo East 2012 Booth Check-In: Runa Expo East 2012 Booth Check-In: Runa

Expo East 2012 Booth Check-In: Runa

by Ray Latif,

Fresh off a $3 million round of financing, Brooklyn-based Runa showcased its line-up of ready-to-drink and loose Guayusa products at last week's Natural Products Expo East show. In this quick video, BevNET CEO John Craven speaks with Runa co-founder Dan MacCombie about the company's rapid growth over the past year, plans for new distribution on the West Coast, and supporting Runa current retail presence, which is based mostly in the Northeast.

Too Productive? Too Productive?

Too Productive?

by Jeffrey Klineman,

Beverage marketers discovered the produce section more than a decade ago, and produce buyers went along with them, knowing that the margins those products offered made the space investment worthwhile. The prices it could command, the prominent positioning, the lack of slotting and the familiarity with fast-expiring products made the section a natural for the fresh squeezed, lightly processed, high-turnover juices that emerged in the late 1990s.

BevNET TV: A First-Hand Look at Expo East 2012 BevNET TV: A First-Hand Look at Expo East 2012

BevNET TV: A First-Hand Look at Expo East 2012

by Ray Latif and John Craven,

While Natural Products Expo East often gets overshadowed by its massive sister shows, this year's edition, which featured dozens of entrepreneurial beverage brands, certainly held its own. Offering a mild glimpse of post-recession recovery for natural beverage brands and the industry as a whole, Expo East featured a strong showing from beverage suppliers, distributors, and manufacturers, with many showcasing innovative ingredients and sweeteners seen for the first time at the show.

Bai Quietly Discontinues Original Line in Favor of Bai5 Bai Quietly Discontinues Original Line in Favor of Bai5

Bai Quietly Discontinues Original Line in Favor of Bai5

by Ray Latif,

Sharpening its focus on growing trends of health and wellness, Bai Brands has quietly phased out its original line of coffee fruit-infused drinks in favor of its five-calorie Bai5 line. According to Bai Brands founder Ben Weiss, the company ceased production of the original line "about three months ago," and has set sights on careful expansion of the Bai5 brand with a goal of national distribution by the first quarter of 2014.

Shots: Small Package, Big Universe Shots: Small Package, Big Universe

Shots: Small Package, Big Universe

by Jeffrey Klineman,

Sure, 5-Hour Energy gets all the attention.It should: the company is one of the new millennium’s most impressive meatspace success stories, taking the rising tide of energy drinks and rethinking them into a smaller package. If energy drinks are the mega-version of the soda, then 5-Hour Energy is almost a reimagining of the very same morning espresso that has powered Europe for centuries – a tiny shot that, rather than coming hot and bitter, is in a sweet, portable, oh-so-American package.

Review: Monster’s New Flavors Review: Monster’s New Flavors

Review: Monster’s New Flavors

by BevNET.com Staff,

The ever expanding line of Monster Energy drinks has just been given two new flavors. First up is Cuba-Lima, a non-alcoholic of the “Cuba Libre” cocktail that features a unique…

Crafting a Field Marketing Strategy? Beverage School Can Help. Crafting a Field Marketing Strategy? Beverage School Can Help.

Crafting a Field Marketing Strategy? Beverage School Can Help.

by BevNET.com Staff,

Having a potential consumer sample a product and enjoy it enough to buy it is a key step in the successful launch and development of a new beverage brand. However, few entrepreneurial beverage companies fully understand how to most effectively generate the kind of buzz and excitement that is so important to a brand's success. BeverageSchool.com can help and offers crucial guidance on how to create and execute a successful field marketing and sampling strategy.

Review: Mission Root Review: Mission Root

Review: Mission Root

by BevNET.com Staff,

Mission Root is a new line of “ayurvedic refreshment” beverages that hails from Cambridge, MA. Their products, which are best described as herbal teas, are USDA Organic and are currently…

Can the Clothes Make the Brand? Can the Clothes Make the Brand?

Can the Clothes Make the Brand?

by Gerry Khermouch,

As I write this column, summer is easing off and soon it will be time to stow the t-shirts away. (At least it will be for those of you for whom t-shirts don’t qualify yet as year-round “business casual” attire.) So I thought it might be fun to riff on t-shirts, given their inextricable role in the beverage business. After all, folks’ reception to t-shirts can be a great gauge of brand health, particularly in image-driven categories like beer and energy drinks.