PepsiCo’s emphasis on a broader array of fitness-minded consumers appears to be paying off for Muscle Milk, which PepsiCo acquired in early 2019. The brand grew by about +15% in 2021, compared to...
Royalties Possible to Orange Bang, Monster as Arbitrator Challenges ‘Creatine’ Formulation
April 19, 2022
The legal rancor in recent years involving Bang Energy and Monster Energy took a surprising turn last week after a California court filing revealed an arbitrator’s $175 million ruling against Bang maker Vital Pharmaceuticals (VPX). The development has implications as well for Bang Energy distributor PepsiCo.
At-home Demand Fueled Sports, Water Categories. Pricing Accelerated
March 17, 2022
The plain bottled water, enhanced water, and sports drinks categories all posted volume, dollar and pricing gains at US retail in 2021 as the global pandemic continued to spur at-home consumption. Pricing in all non-carb retail categories tracked by BD posted accelerated growth for the full year, compared to the first-nine months of 2021. The higher pricing was triggered in part by escalating input costs for beverage makers, who took pricing actions to protect or recover profit margins. The table provides a snapshot of the non-carb categories tracked by BD for the full-year 2021. The Green Sheet on the following page provides further detail.
This week’s issue covers important discussions swirling within the US bottling systems for Coca-Cola and PepsiCo. One story relates to Coke’s new alcohol beverage strategy (pg. 6). The other involves to PepsiCo’s distribution strategy for Gatorade (pg. 2). Make sure not to miss them. Separately, recent product launches including Coca-Cola Starlight (pg. 15) and Nitro Pepsi (pg. 16) got me thinking about how important it is for snack and beverage brands to reach young consumers. As a beverage writer, I am fortunate to have a built-in focus group...
Brand ‘Turns The Page’ On Bolt24. Retains Watermelon Juice, Sea Salt
February 23, 2022
Gatorade will officially announce tomorrow the introduction of a new electrolyte drink called Gatorade Fit, which began reaching store shelves nationally this month. Gatorade Fit targets “nutritionally discerning athletes,” who avoid ...