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In his 2003 hit song “Celebrity,” country crooner Brad Paisley sings about the perils of celebrity and “acting like a fool just ’cause you’re on TV.” Yet, many alcohol and non-alcohol beverage brands recognize that the star power of athletes, musicians and actors often equates not only to deeper consumer connections but also to increased brand recognition that translates into sales.

As urban legends go, the belief that retreaded tires aren’t safe or practical ranks up there with the idea that one can find an honest politician during an election year. The reality is that a retreaded tire produced by a top-quality retreader will perform as well as a comparable new tire and at a lower price.

Which beverage package will consumers buy, under what conditions, when will they buy, how many will they buy and why will a purchase occur? These types of challenging questions confront most sales and marketing managers as they attempt to maximize sales and profit under many variable conditions.

Scrolling through Facebook nowadays can sometimes seem like scrolling through a virtual cookbook, with video recipes appearing in almost every other post. As consumers have gained a greater interest in their health and wellness, a “foodie” lifestyle also has gained traction in the United States. With this, food- and beverage-inspired holidays have exploded whether it’s National Green Juice Day Day (Jan. 26) or World Water Day (March 22), inspiring clever marketing and increased consumption.

The start of a new year is a popular time in which people and businesses will reflect on what did and did not work in the previous year. For those involved in the consumer packaged goods (CPG) industry, much attention is directed at the holiday shopping season.

As the new year begins, most of us reflect back on the past year and look to the future with anticipation. The same rings true in the beverage industry as beverage-makers launch new products to engage consumers while paying attention to the latest trends.

Walking through the retail marketplace, observing the myriad beverage packages and visualizing the process that created what now is being observed, the magnitude and complexity of the process becomes evident.

While the new year is a good time to plan for the future, it also provides an opportunity to look back at the accomplishments of the past year. At the end of 2016, Just Capital and Forbes released their inaugural “Just 100 List,” which ranks publicly traded companies in the United States that best perform the priorities of American consumers.