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!

Doing Business By Doing Good

April 1, 2007


Doing Business By Doing Good

Sarah Theodore  
Editor

During the past month, I had conversations on two separate occasions regarding corporate social responsibility and whether or not consumers care if a company is socially conscious. The first was with someone outside of the industry who wondered whether I believed beverage companies are a socially conscious group, and to that end, a number of examples indicate they are. Beverage companies, particularly following the Natural Products Expo in Anaheim, Calif., last month, are eager to share their efforts to reduce their environmental impact and give profits back to charitable causes.
In this month’s “Up Close With…” profile on Hint Inc. (see page 31), Hint’s Chief Operating Officer Theo Goldin explains his company’s strategy for supporting charitable causes by saying, “We feel strongly that if you’re going to spend money around marketing, that money ought to do something good for people.”
“Social responsibility is huge,” said Joan Holleran, editor of Stagnito’s New Products Magazine and former editor of this publication, during another conversation on the topic. Holleran recently worked with Schneider & Associates, Boston, and Information Resources Inc., Chicago, to develop a comprehensive study of the most memorable new products of 2006 and the factors that led consumers to notice and purchase new products. The group shared their findings at the IRI Summit, held at the Wynn Hotel in Las Vegas.
Joan is not someone easily won over by do-gooder claims, so her assertion surprised me. According to the group’s research, consumers last year were bombarded with about 5,000 marketing messages a day, compared with the approximately 500 messages they heard each day in 1970. And they heard those messages across a spectrum of 32,624 consumer packaged goods introduced in 2006.
“Social responsibility,” Holleran says, “has emerged as a way for consumers to cut through the clutter of too many choices.” If a consumer cares about breast cancer research, for example, she can find products out there that support her cause. If an organic consumer wants his purchase to have even deeper meaning, he can look for Fair Trade-certified products that guarantee a fair wage to farmers in Third World countries.
Interestingly, I’ve also been hearing a lot about today’s teen and twentysomething populations who have been described in such seemingly contradictory terms as “entitled,” “altruistic” and “idealistic.” There might be something to the idea that social responsibility has a sort of badge effect, allowing consumers, especially the younger, influential set, to tell the world what they care about through what they drink. It will be interesting to see if there is a limit to the premium consumers are willing to pay for socially responsible products. In addition, like any marketing tie-in, social responsibility marketing runs the risk of being overdone. If every company throws a logo or colored ribbon on a bottle, the cause will quickly lose its effect.
Sneak Peek
MAY
Cover story — Honest Tea
Category Focus — Wine and spirits
Beverage R&D — IFT preview
Packaging — Packaging trends survey
Distribution — “Summerizing” trucks

JUNE
Special Report — Top 100 Beverage Companies
Category Focus — Sports drinks
Global Report — Mexico and Central America
Packaging — Secondary packaging
Beverage R&D — Formulator’s Roundtable

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

  • top 100 beverage companies

    Top 100 Beverage Companies of 2024

    For the global beverage market, mergers and acquisitions...
    Beer
  • 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...
    Wine & Spirits
    By: Lauren Sabetta
Manage My Account
  • 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

Celsius Fizz Free

CELSIUS launches new Fizz-Free flavors

PepsiCo.jpg

PepsiCo advances AI agenda

Narragansett Beer 1975 cans

Narragansett Beer celebrates 50 years of ‘Jaws’

Top 100 Beverage Companies of 2024

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.

July 15, 2025

Understanding the Best Material Type for Your Conveyor Systems

Leveraging decades of beverage production expertise, join Regal Rexnord’s Jeremy Fryman, Beverage Industry Marketing Manager and Tom Eure, Senior Account Executive as they dive into the landscape of plastic conveyor belt materials on the market and how to select the proper material type by application.

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

  • Operations: Control costs by doing it yourself

    See More
  • Doing what comes naturally Fetzer leads organic change in the wine industry

    See More
  • Doing It All

    See More

Related Products

See More Products
  • small gin.jpg

    Lessons from Gin: Business the Four Pillars Way

See More Products
×

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