Exclusive Interview: BA Sports Nutrition CMO Matthew Dzamba
February 21, 2023
BodyArmor leaders will look to double the brand’s awareness and make it a household name now that they have completed an integration with Coca-Cola’s Powerade, BodyArmor Sports Nutrition CMO Matt Dzamba told BD in an exclusive interview. “We can't just be a brand that athletes of the Nth degree understand,” he said of BodyArmor. “So we're widening...
Fewer Price Hikes Expected in 2023. Promotional Activity to Remain Highly Selective
February 16, 2023
Plus: Updates on Alcohol Expansion, BodyArmor, SodaStream
A pressing question for 2023 is whether Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and Keurig Dr Pepper will face a more challenging consumer and pricing environment later this year, especially in the US. Goldman Sachs estimates that by mid-January Americans had spent down...
Brand Looks to Capitalize on ‘Rapid Hydration’ Trend Without Going Into 'Hole.'
February 16, 2023
’We’re Not Desperate,” Co-founder Says, Thanks to Military Focus.
Military-focused isotonic brand Hoist is on the hunt for outside investment capital to help fund a deeper and eventually wider push into traditional retail markets, according to the brand’s founders. Hoist currently derives more than half of its revenue from US military sales, Co-founder and President Kelly Heekin told BD in an interview. Outside of the armed forces, Hoist’s traditional retail footprint comprises about...
Decades-Long ‘Hobby’ Looks to Capitalize on Consumer Desire for Canned Water
February 1, 2023
Brand Backed By Former Hedge Fund Owner, Major League Pickleball Founder
Richard’s Rainwater has spent the last couple of years making sure the brand won’t be ignored. Fresh off a 2021 Series A funding round that was north of $10 million, the Austin, Texas-based packager of actual rainwater has been expanding shelf presence at retailers including Kroger, Albertson’s and HEB, adding production capacity, and executing an aggressive publicity campaign. If you hadn’t heard of the still nascent brand previously, you’d be...
Pepsi and Dr Pepper bottler Buffalo Rock has added 10 east Alabama counties to its landmark 2020 deal with Keurig Dr Pepper to pick up brands including...
During last year’s bear market, the S&P 500 index fell nearly -20%. Still, the share prices for both Coca-Cola and PepsiCo outperformed the broader market to end the year at +7.4% and +4.0%, respectively. Monster Beverage’s +5.7% gain also beat...
Until Then, Brand Targets C-store Channel for Fountain Agua Fresca, Soda, Frozen Drinks
January 12, 2023
CEO Says Tractor ‘Not Looking to Get into Any Battle’ With Soda Giants.
Tractor Beverage, the maker of organic, non-GMO bubbler drinks for fast-casual restaurant chains such as Chipotle, has its eye on the ready-to-drink beverage market as part of its new partnership with Keurig Dr Pepper, Tractor CEO Kevin Sherman told BD. Initial internal discussions could begin as early as this quarter, although a timetable for any RTD decision or launch..
Category Pricing ‘Still Has Some Legs,’ Bottler Says. Category ‘Still Affordable,’ Says Another
January 12, 2023
The big story of 2022 was surprisingly low price elasticities in the US for carbonated soft drinks as manufacturers raised prices to offset runaway costs for everything from labor to packaging. At retail last year, CSD pricing jumped almost +14.8% last year, driving category dollar sales up more than...
During an interview at Future Smarts last month, a Wall Street analyst said he would have been laughed off the stage several years ago had he predicted US carbonated soft drink pricing growth of +15% without a troubling pullback in volume. No one is laughing now. Consumer acceptance of significant pricing growth across major beverage categories has shocked even the most seasoned industry watchers. Despite the price escalation, CSD volumes declined at a manageable -1.4% last year. Energy drink makers, who are generally slower to boost prices in a booming category with lots of new entrants, raised pricing by +6.3% and still added +3.5% more volume. While Sports drink category ...