We tried it. My family assembled at the house this past weekend to sample one of the oddest examples of social media targeted collaboration we’ve seen. I’m talking about Empirical’s Doritos Vodka.
This is the nacho cheese flavored spirit that made the rounds of lifestyle publications, blogs, and social media feeds last December. We took the bait and bought a bottle. All in, the $65 vodka cost us $81.50 for 750-ml after fees and taxes. It arrived in March.
You likely didn’t get a bottle yourself unless you acted fast — the limited run sold out immediately. After all, this bit of laboratory fun by an avant-garde Danish distillery was taken to the masses by PepsiCo’s Frito-Lay to generate free media attention and TikTok level excitement. Guilty as charged.
The first thing I can say is that Doritos Vodka absolutely tastes like Doritos nacho cheese. Empirical describes the flavor as “nacho cheese, corn tostada, umami, hint of acidity.” No disagreement here.
PepsiCo has now launched a sweetened sparkling water called Bubly Burst, an answer to Talking Rain’s popular Sparkling Ice. Bubly Burst is an extension of PepsiCo’s flavored sparkling water brand, Bubly, which debuted in 2018. BD previously reported the expected Bubly Burst launch when PepsiCo gave a sneak peek to convenience retailers in October at the NACS show. Bubly Burst will be available nationally starting next week. Flavors are ...
PepsiCo Moves Blue Cloud from Alcohol Distribution to Brand Licensing
March 7, 2024
PepsiCo Unit Renamed Blue Cloud National.
Hard Mtn Dew Producer Boston Beer, Lipton Hard Iced Tea Maker FIFCO to Retain Roles.
In May, Boston Beer will begin expanding Hard Mtn Dew to 50 states using its beer distribution network, the brewer said last week. As BD reported last week in an exclusive news alert, PepsiCo is shifting its...
Hard Mtn Dew Producer Boston Beer, Lipton Hard Iced Tea Maker FIFCO to Retain Roles
February 27, 2024
PepsiCo is shifting its alcohol business strategy from distribution to brand licensing as the company looks to expand Hard Mtn Dew and Lipton Hard Iced Tea nationally at a faster pace, PepsiCo has confirmed to BD. Blue Cloud Distribution will be renamed...
Last week, I was a panelist for a National Beer Wholesalers Association webinar about non-alcoholic beverages. As you know, there’s tremendous crossover between the alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverage sectors. Each wants to supplement its distribution network with products from the other, especially as sales volumes decline for massive legacy categories such as light lagers and colas.
The discussion began with a chart depicting the entire US packaged beverage landscape at retail by category market share. I included the chart on page 7 with permission from...
Kraft Heinz Adds Functional and Mixer Lines to Crystal Light
February 20, 2024
Introductions of powdered single-serve water enhancers continue to roll in, with significant extensions this month coming from both a notable emerging brand and a well established brand. This week, fast-growing canned water maker Liquid Death...
PepsiCo’s Blue Cloud Names New Leader Amid Stalled Expansion
January 31, 2024
Coca-Cola and the company’s US bottlers are negotiating a possible new compensation agreement for alcohol beverage extensions as the company pushes further into the sector with its Red Tree Beverages subsidiary, according to BD sources. The revised...
Plus, Subscriber Bonus: Transcript of Future Smarts Influencer Economy Panel.
Red Bull topped a list of non-alcoholic beverage brands that reaped the highest return on investment on influencer marketing in 2023. That’s according to CreatorIQ, which helps brands track and manage influencer marketing programs. The firm developed a proprietary metric called Earned Media Value (EMV) to benchmark and evaluate the effectiveness of influencer campaigns in engaging consumers. Red Bull’s