Coke system bottlers in the US have warned of a retail customer backlash and expressed frustration at Coca-Cola for speaking out about a new voting law in the company’s home state of Georgia. In recent statements...
Higher Costs Signal Pricing Actions to Ease Burden
April 20, 2021
As Covid Subsides, Challenges Remain for Coke and Pepsi Bottlers. Since the US outbreak of the COVID-19 virus more than a year ago, BD has tracked the crisis through the eyes of beverage executives in the Coca-Cola, Pepsi, and independent bottling systems. Our latest informal survey asked bottlers what has improved and what they continue to grapple with on the way to a new normal that has yet to be defined. The following is a synopsis of contributions from more than a dozen bottling executives...
Executives Update Investors on Distribution, New Capacity, Innovation
April 1, 2021
Executives Update Investors on Distribution, New Capacity, Innovation. Keurig Dr Pepper participated in an investor webcast on March 26 hosted by Goldman Sachs Managing Director and Beverage Analyst Bonnie Herzog. Chairman and CEO Bob Gamgort, CFO and International President Ozan Dokmecioglu, and Cold Beverages President Derek Hopkins took questions on topics that included distribution efficiency, production capacity, cost inflation, and innovation. The following are highlights.
Coke Confirms Pre-Acquisition Notice Filed With FTC
February 19, 2021
Updated Feb. 19, 2021 at 2:15 pm
Coca-Cola has notified US anti-trust regulators that the company plans to acquire a controlling stake in fast-growing sports drink brand BodyArmor, Coke has confirmed to BD. Timing and terms of the pending transaction have...
Sports drink category challenger BodyArmor has launched the brand’s first caffeinated offering. BodyArmor Edge, available nationwide this week, contains...
Tomorrow marks the start of a new presidential administration, which will bring a new set of policy priorities with implications for the US beverage industry. As with all administrations, there will be industry alignment on some priorities, and uncertainty when it comes to others. President Donald Trump, for example, relaxed truck driver restrictions that eased the burden for beverage distributors, while also posing aluminum tariffs that increased costs for some manufacturers. Looking ahead, BD reached out to...
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...
With the global COVID-19 pandemic continuing to spread, Beverage Digest held the first ever virtual version of its annual Future Smarts conference. The Dec. 7 live streamed event featured 11 speakers, including executives from Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Keurig Dr Pepper, Nestlé Waters and Molson Coors Beverage. Speakers from Coca-Cola United, Kitu Life, Lemon Perfect, and PureCircle offered insights on everything from distribution to consumer trends. Much of the day’s conversation...
Pepsico Has Said It Remains the Exclusive Distributor of Bang in the US.
December 4, 2020
Following Bang Energy’s termination of its 10-year distribution deal with PepsiCo and subsequent lawsuit, BD requested interviews with Bang Founder and CEO John H. “Jack” Owoc and other company officials. Owoc, on behalf of Bang Energy, agreed to answer written questions by email.
Given the high interest in the sudden dispute between Bang, one of the most important energy brands to emerge in recent years, and PepsiCo, a multinational food and beverage company, Bang’s emailed responses to BD’s questions have been included below in full, unedited.