Coca-Cola will put Sprite Zero Sugar on center stage today, widely publicizing a new package design and the brand's first global marketing campaign. The overhaul comes as PepsiCo spends to promote its new lemon-lime soda, Starry, which is targeted to...
PepsiCo Looks to Close the Zero Cola Gap Versus Coca-Cola
January 13, 2023
PepsiCo is rolling out an updated Pepsi Zero Sugar formula in the US to be accompanied by an NFL Super Bowl campaign and a 10-million-unit sampling giveaway, according to the company. The formula and marketing program will be announced this morning. The tagline for the new product is...
Incoming Coke North America President Mann Sets Leadership, Structure for 2023. Key Changes Include Focused Fountain and Retail Customer Teams.
Incoming Coca-Cola North America Operating Unit President Jennifer Mann has announced her leadership team and key organizational changes for 2023, according to an internal staff announcement today. Mann said the changes will “accelerate our growth, improve speed and capabilities, and make it easier to get work done.” The new structure includes the separation of foodservice/on-premise operations (known also as fountain) from operations related to retail customers including groceries and convenience stores. “We are intentionally splitting...
Investment to Fuel Athletic’s North America Growth, Company Says
November 9, 2022
Keurig Dr Pepper has taken a $50 million minority equity stake in Athletic Brewing, the US-based non-alcoholic craft beer brand that has propelled interest in the growing segment. The companies will announce the investment this morning. KDP’s stake is on par with other lead investors in the brand, including TRB Advisors and Alliance Consumer Growth. “We’re thrilled to welcome Keurig Dr Pepper as an investor and strategic partner,” Athletic Co-founder and CEO Bill Shufelt told BD in an email. “...
Bang Energy owner Vital Pharmaceuticals (VPX) filed for bankruptcy protection in Florida on Monday, Oct. 10. According to a court filing, VPX's top 30 non-insider, unsecured creditors are owed more than $700 million. Some of the creditors' claims are under dispute by VPX or in litigation. According to the court document (available here), VPX's creditors include:
Hard Mtn Dew distributor Blue Cloud Distribution, set up last year by PepsiCo, is currently delivering products in nine states, according to the company. The states are Florida, Tennessee, Iowa, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, and Virginia. To date, Blue Cloud Distribution has secured federal alcohol wholesale permits in 31 states. The permits come from the US Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), which collects federal excise taxes on alcohol and regulates labeling and marketing for alcohol products. Depending on the state, additional alcohol distribution permits could be required by state and county governments. In the US, alcohol beverages are regulated under a “three-tier” system made up of a state-by-state patchwork of regulations that generally prohibit vertical ownership of producers, wholesale distributors, and retailers. PepsiCo’s arrangement with Boston Beer for Hard Mtn Dew, as well as the company’s foray into alcohol distribution has generated tension with US beer distributors and confusion as to the entity’s operating model under the three-tier system. BD spoke with Blue Cloud General Manager Emiliano Di Vincenzo to seek additional clarity and to update progress with both Hard Mtn Dew and Blue Cloud...
‘Magic Weekends’ Partners with Delivery Aggregators Like DoorDash
April 1, 2022
Coca-Cola is partnering with food delivery companies across its nine operating units for a new global meals campaign focusing on Coca-Cola, with a particular emphasis on...