Beverage Industry logo
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Beverage Industry logo
  • NEWS
    • R&D News
    • Supplier News
  • PRODUCTS
    • New Products
    • Reader's Choice Poll
  • CATEGORIES
    • Alternative Drinks
    • Beer
    • Bottled Water
    • Cannabis Beverages
    • Carbonated Soft Drinks
    • Energy Drinks & Shots
    • Juice & Juice Drinks
    • Plant-Based Beverages
    • Sports Drinks
    • Tea and Coffee
    • Wine & Spirits
  • R&D
    • Beverage R&D Features
    • Ingredient Spotlight
  • PACKAGING
    • New Packages
    • Packaging Equipment
    • Packaging Material
  • OPERATIONS
    • Distribution
    • Plant Focus
  • TOP LISTS
    • Beer Market Report
    • Executive of the Year
    • State of the Beverage Industry
    • Top 100 Beverage Companies
    • Truck Report
    • Wholesaler of the Year
  • MEDIA
    • eBook
    • Podcast
    • Polls
    • Videos
    • Webinars
  • DIRECTORIES
    • Annual Manual
    • Contract Packaging Guide
    • Take a Tour
  • MORE
    • Classifieds
    • Channel Strategies
    • eNewsletters
    • Events
      • Membrane Technology Forum
    • Interactive Product Spotlights
    • Market Insights
    • Sponsor Insights
    • Store
    • White Papers
  • EMAG
    • eMagazine
    • Archived Issues
    • Advertise
  • SIGN UP!

Brand It Like Apple

February 1, 2005

Brand It Like Apple
Sarah Theodore  
Editor
What do Apple computers, Starbucks and Target stores have in common? Fabulous branding, according to branchannel.com, brand consultancy Interbrand’s online publication. Brandchannel recently released the results of its 2004 Reader’s Choice Awards, and those companies were among the firms thought to have the most global brand impact.
Thanks to the iPod, Apple achieved 300-percent sales growth last year. According to brandchannel, there are now more than 10 million “pod-addicts” in the world, and the company created the iTunes music store to further boost its appeal to music lovers.
Starbucks is both a beverage industry and retail phenomenon, and it continues to fire on all cylinders. It opened more than 1,300 new locations in 2004, and consistently innovates in both its product lineup and the services that make its stores so popular.
The Seattle-based coffee company was the only beverage firm to make it on the Top 5 list in North America, but Corona, Bacardi (this month’s Beverage Industry cover company) and winemaker Concha y Toro all made the list for most influential Central and Latin American companies. Café de Colombia, the group that created Juan Valdez, slipped from the Top 5, but still is considered quite influential by branchannel.
Beverage Industry readers who work with Target won’t be surprised to learn that branchannel’s assessment of the mass merchandise retailer was that it makes people feel “smart, savvy and sexy” for being Target shoppers. Minneapolis-based Target excels at the concept of upscale, often exclusive products at a reasonable price. I’d have to add that it’s the same concept that has made Costco club stores such a success.
So what’s relevant to beverage manufacturers about the iPod? And why did more big beverage brands not make the short list? As a recent Cannondale Powe-Ranking survey pointed out, branding and innovation strongly affect the way retail customers think about food and beverage companies.
The survey reported one retailer’s frustration: “Food companies are very good at what they do. But we’re in a period of relative stagnation where there isn’t anything really exciting taking place in the market. The best example of this is the whole low-carb phenomenon. We’ll look back on this as one of the biggest wastes of manufacturing resources and time that has happened in the last 10 years. If the hundreds of millions or perhaps billions of dollars spent to introduce low-carb items were invested in other areas to create some really innovative new products, just think of the long-term effect on the food business.
“On the other hand, if you look at what is happening on non-foods, these manufacturers have had to innovate because their categories were stagnant... If you want to know where innovation is coming from right now, it’s coming from non-foods.”
Do you have an iPod in your lineup? What are the areas of the beverage industry that still have potential for true brand impact? Perhaps a look at another industry can be a great source of inspiration.

Sneak Peek
March
Dr Pepper/Seven Up Bottling Group’s
Jim Turner
Category Focus — Annual soft drink report
Packaging — Mass merchandiser packaging
Marketing — Seasonal marketing
Beverage R&D — R&D testing equipment
April
Category Focus — Wine & spirits
Marketing — C-store strategies
Packaging — Annual packaging report
Beverage R&D — Sweeteners

Share This Story

Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!

Recommended Content

JOIN TODAY
to unlock your recommendations.

Already have an account? Sign In

  • Chocolate, Strawberry, Vanilla shakes

    Classic flavors provide reliable, consistent results for beverage-makers

    Classic flavors of chocolate, vanilla and strawberry...
    Ingredient Spotlight
    By: Chloe Alverson
  • Free Spirits Instant Bar Bundle

    Lifestyle trends drive growth for non-alcohol category

    As lifestyle trends continue to drive growth for the...
    Alternative Drinks
    By: Lauren Sabetta
  • Younger generation displays unique habits when it comes to beverage consumption

    Generation Z shakes things up in beverage

    Experts share that Gen Z is changing the standard on what...
    Beverage News
    By: Chloe Alverson
Subscribe For Free!
  • eNewsletters
  • Online Registration
  • Subscription Customer Service
  • eMagazine Subscription
  • Manage My Preferences

More Videos

Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content is a special paid section where industry companies provide high quality, objective, non-commercial content around topics of interest to the Beverage Industry audience. All Sponsored Content is supplied by the advertising company and any opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily reflect the views of Beverage Industry or its parent company, BNP Media. Interested in participating in our Sponsored Content section? Contact your local rep!

close
  • Fourpeople toasting with cocktails made with low-sugar ingredients, celebrating healthier drink options.
    Sponsored byCargill

    What’s Hot in Sugar Reduction: Beverages

  • chocolate milk
    Sponsored byCargill

    Sweetening the Future for Dairy and Dairy-Alternative Beverages

  • woman pouring a drink
    Sponsored byFFP

    Building a Beverage System: Meeting Consumer Demand for Precision Wellness

Popular Stories

halfday sodas

Beverage-makers turn to fiber, prebiotics and more to support consumer needs

Anheuser-Busch Brewing Futures

Anheuser-Busch announces $300 million investment in US manufacturing

Alani Nu

Alani Nu surpasses $1 billion in retail sales

Vote for your favorite new product

Have your say in what makes it to the top this month!
Vote for your favorite new product and help us celebrate excellence.


VOTE NOW!

Events

April 16, 2025

2025 State of the Industry Series: Alcoholic Beverages

On Demand In Beverage Industry’s annual State of the Industry: The Alcohol Beverage Market, analysts at S&D Insights LLC delve into these trends and how they’re shaping the industry.

June 5, 2025

Heat-Resistant Molds 101: Fundamentals and Prevention Strategies for Better Beverage Quality

Learn about the spoilage challenges and operational bottlenecks that ascospores can pose to your quality program if detection is delayed, or worse – not detected at all. Subject matter experts will cover the basics of these bugs and real-world impacts of insufficient quality methods to help you beat the heat … resistant mold.

View All Submit An Event

Poll

Retail Coffee Segment

What retail coffee segments will fare well into the next year?
View Results Poll Archive

Products

Milk and Dairy Foods Nutrition, Processing and Healthy Aging

Milk and Dairy Foods Nutrition, Processing and Healthy Aging

See More Products

Related Articles

  • bollocks

    Telling it like it is

    See More
  • Some Like it Hot

    See More
  • jenn

    Facebook bans Like Gates on brand pages

    See More
×

Elevate your expertise in the beverage marketplace with unparalleled insights and connections.

Join thousands of beverage professionals today. Shouldn’t you know what they know?

JOIN NOW!
  • RESOURCES
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    • Directories
    • Store
    • Want More
  • SIGN UP TODAY
    • Create Account
    • eMagazine
    • eNewsletter
    • Customer Service
    • Manage Preferences
  • SERVICES
    • Marketing Services
    • Reprints
    • Market Research
    • List Rental
    • Survey/Respondent Access
  • STAY CONNECTED
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
    • X (Twitter)
  • PRIVACY
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • TERMS & CONDITIONS
    • DO NOT SELL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION
    • PRIVACY REQUEST
    • ACCESSIBILITY

Copyright ©2025. All Rights Reserved BNP Media.

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing