The May 2017 issue of Beverage Industry includes our cover story on Navigating the next generation of consumers as well as articles on fleet graphics, protein drinks and more. Check it out today!
Whether it’s social media platforms, mobile pay apps or an increasing acceptance of RFID chips in humans, technology has transformed everyday life for consumers.
The growing desire among consumers to lead more healthful lifestyles has placed an emphasis on functional beverages that feature a variety of benefits. Among them, sports and protein drinks have experienced steady growth as consumers engage in more active lives and are proactive about their health and wellness.
Maintaining overall fitness used to be considered a niche interest. Founded in 2004, Boca Raton, Fla.-based Celsius Holdings Inc. has experienced the impact of the growing demand for health-and-wellness products in the mainstream market.
Although more than half of consumers have purchased milk, juice and/or carbonated soft drinks in the past 30 days, sales were stagnant during 2014-2015 with top categories struggling to grab consumer attention, according to Chicago-based Mintel’s June 2016 “Beverage Packaging Trends” report.
There’s an idiom that talks about listening to one’s gut as a way to ward off something that doesn’t feel right. After the brain, the gastrointestinal tract, or gut, is the nervous system’s second-biggest network of closely interconnected neurons that greatly impacts overall health and well-being, experts say.
Advertising and marketing essentially are story-telling. Short stories by necessity but nonetheless story-telling. One of the first lessons taught about creating a story in many composition and creative writing classes is to show, don’t tell. The audience more likely will remember a story when they’re shown a picture in their mind’s eye, than if the story merely is told.
It’s no secret that consumers are demanding more from their food and beverages. More and more beverage-makers are answering this call by developing new products that blur category lines. Although these hybrid drinks are fulfilling the functional and refreshment needs of consumers, research from Mintel sheds light on what might be next for these emerging beverage options.
The Pabst Brewing Co., Los Angeles, announced the official opening of Pabst Milwaukee Brewery, the company’s first craft brewery. A firkin keg tapping and blue ribbon-cutting ceremony took place April 12 with Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele, Pabst Chairman Eugene Kashper and Pabst Chief Executive Officer Simon Thorpe.
Nestlé Waters North America (NWNA), Stamford, Conn., announced that Fernando Mercé has been named president and chief executive officer of the company. He assumed the position May 1.
The 2017 Women’s March, International Women’s Day and Equal Pay Day are some of the recent national events that have highlighted women’s contributions to society. These events also got me thinking about diversity and women in the beverage industry.
Cheribundi partners with Olympic medalist Aly Raisman
May 15, 2017
Community Coffee has brought its coffee portfolio to the board game scene with the Community Coffee Family Game. The board game, set up like Monopoly, invites consumers to imagine they are the new owners of Signature Blend Dark Roast, Porch Breeze Iced Tea or the Coffee Roasting Facility.
Although category management and merchandising commonly are associated with shelf resets and assortment rationalization, for White Plains, N.Y.-based HEINEKEN USA, it is much more than that. The global beer company works to thoroughly understand its consumers’ beer-drinking occasions while building relationships with retailers that will drive long-term, sustainable customer loyalty, says Vikas Satyal, senior director of category development.
Today’s consumers arguably are more engaged with a beverage’s packaging than ever before, increasingly reading ingredient lists and Nutrition Facts labels and researching products on their mobile phones before purchasing in the store, while at the same time engaging with brands on the Internet. This interaction, along with the proliferation of products on store shelves, continues to solidify the relationship between a beverage brand and its packaging.
Companies streamline operations with digital technology, automation
May 15, 2017
Nearly 40,000 industry professionals from more than 110 countries participated in ProMat 2017, April 3-6 at McCormick Place in Chicago. Presented by MHI, a record number of 950 exhibitors represented all segments of the material handling and logistics industry, according to MHI.
Shock Top, Wicked Joe Organic Coffees announce new packaging
May 15, 2017
“Shock Top is known for its laid-back, carefree vibe, but this year, we’re growing up without letting go of being young. We’re turning up the volume with a vibrant, new energy and look that’s ready to shake things up,” said Jake Kirsch, vice president of Shock Top, in a statement.
Kerry launched ProDiem, a plant-based protein solution optimized for nutrition, taste and texture. ProDiem uses a proprietary processing technique and the company’s flavor-masking technology to address the grainy, chalky texture and mask the characteristic offnotes and bitterness traditionally associated with plant-based proteins, the company says.
Chef Roger Mooking loves giving traditional dishes an exotic twist on his Food Network Canada TV show “Everyday Exotic.” Consumers’ desire for exotic flavors also has helped push tropical fruits into mainstream beverage formulations. Yet, ingredient suppliers note that the growing demand for exotic fruits also taps into broader, mainstream trends.
Increased SKU counts, tight warehouse and retail spaces, and delivery personnel who manage heavy cases and kegs are driving the proliferation of new mobile carts and hand trucks designed to improve ergonomics and enable warehouse staff to safely stack, retrieve and deliver products.
An overall view of the beverage arena immediately highlights the fact that beverage packaging is dominated by logistics: moving materials in some form or another from point A to point B and beyond.
Temperature and humidity conditions have profound effects on beverages such as beer, bourbon and wine; yet, maintaining ideal conditions in large production facilities, distribution centers and cellars can be costly. Craft breweries face particularly unique challenges, as they often occupy non-traditional spaces with outdated doors and windows, and little insulation.
Douglas Machine Inc. offers the TriVex SL top loader, which is designed to pack pouches and bags in a standup configuration into retail-ready display cases with one or two product facings, the company says. With a quick and simple changeover, it packs pouches and bags flat with two or three products for each layer and has the ability to run vertical and flat packs on the same machine, it adds.
I have been a fan of Pandora for years now. I have a station for driving, driving with my parents in the car, working and running. Because I use the free service, I am accustomed to the targeted advertisements. So, when Pandora For Brands released an article titled “3 Ways to Personalize and Customize an Ad Campaign,” it caught my interest.