Canopy Growth Chief Innovation Officer Julian Cohen says the company views cannabis as a consumer product, just like beverages and snacks. He sees an opportunity for cannabis to play in a “beneficial” beverage space in which cannabis and other functional ingredients such as vitamins, antioxidants and adaptogens are blended to “deliver on the promise of what we call total mood management.” In a separate interview, Canopy Chief Product Officer Tara Rozalowsky provided an update on the company’s US business and Quatreau’s launch.
La Colombe Co-founder Todd Carmichael recently stepped down from his role as CEO of the company to spend more time with his newest venture, Rebel Beverage Labs. His first launch under that entity..
Hemp Rockstar, Plant-Based Starbucks Energy, Snapple Elements Reboot
October 12, 2021
This year’s NACS trade show in Chicago offered an early glimpse at innovation being sold into US convenience channel retailers for 2022. This story includes a BD slideshow of products featured at the show by Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Keurig Dr Pepper, and Monster. Below are select highlights based on details provided by the companies and NACS....
Talking Rain Executives Discuss Decision to Expand Flagship Beyond Sucralose
July 29, 2021
Talking Rain, maker of sucralose-sweetened Sparkling Ice, is testing an extension of its flagship brand sweetened with stevia. The new Sparkling Ice Superfruit, which the company describes as “full flavored” with “sweetness from nature,” contains...
Company Shares 2022 Marketing, Product Innovation for North America
July 29, 2021
Riding a wave of increased investment and momentum, PepsiCo’s North American bottling system convened in June to discuss marketing and distribution plans for 2022. Bottling executives from the independent Pepsi system and company-owned operations attended the virtual meeting. Despite supply issues in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, the mood was upbeat, representing an optimism unmatched in recent years, sources told BD. This story is based on information from people who attended the meeting. This year...
North America CEO Shares Post-Covid View of On-Premise, Discusses Brand Reach
June 23, 2021
Fever-Tree, the UK-founded mixer brand, has added a cola to its US lineup of premium carbonated offerings. Named Distillers Cola, the new drink was formulated to mix with...
BluePrint HPP Juice Founders Provide Primer on Newest Mushroom Passion
April 1, 2021
Mushrooms have been used medicinally in Asia for centuries. In the US, mushroom extracts have become a go-to functional ingredient within the wellness community. Often referred to as adaptogenic, functional, or medicinal mushrooms, the ingredient now is... To better understand functional mushrooms as an RTD beverage ingredient, BD turned to Zoe Sakoutis and Erica Huss. Last year, they launched Earth & Star, a line of canned mushroom-infused oat milks and coffees.
While Boxed Water is Better represents a small fraction of the packaged water category, the company has captured an outsized share of social media and celebrity attention since its founding in 2009. That’s in large part due to the purified water brand’s strikingly plain carton within a premium water category dominated by sculpted plastic bottles. With a package made mostly of paper, Boxed Water has helped drive the consumer conversation around packaging sustainability, an issue that will only grow in impact and importance during this decade. We spoke to Boxed Water’s Chief Marketing Officer Robert Koenen about growth prospects and how the company is coping with the COVID-19 pandemic...
Rivera Addresses North America Bottlers, Shares Vision for ‘Moonshot’
December 1, 2020
Franchise bottlers for Coca-Cola’s North America Operating Unit recently met virtually to review innovation and system execution plans for 2021. Those plans will center on growing the base business, relaunching innovation that was disrupted in 2020, and introducing “purposeful” innovation, according to multiple sources who attended...