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It’s hard to know when inspiration will strike. During an interview for this month’s Beverage R&D article on flavor trends, Cathianne Leonardi, flavorist at Allen Flavors, Edison, N.J., discussed how she developed a line of beverage prototypes inspired by the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art’s exhibit dedicated to late fashion designer Alexander McQueen. The “Savage Beauty” exhibit featured McQueen’s garments along with the audio and video presentations that accompanied the designs during their respective runway shows.

Last month, market research firm Nielsen outlined its new platform of 12 criteria for new product success during an “Innovation Revelation” webinar. In addition to outlining the dozen steps, Vicki Gardner, senior vice president of product innovation North America for the New York-based company, noted that traditionally successful product launches often offer benefits previously unavailable in the marketplace.

When visiting the nation’s capitol last month, in addition to enjoying the museums, monuments and memorials, I couldn’t help but take notice of the popular beverage of choice on those hot July days — bottled water. Vendors carried around coolers and walked up and down the streets selling water, and tourists flocked to them.

Whenever holidays or birthdays roll around, time sometimes gets the best of me. To save myself the hassle, I find myself turning to the Internet for a quick shopping trip. Before, I only used to shop online for things I couldn’t find in stores, but now it is becoming more the norm for my regular shopping — and I’m not the only one. The Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) and PwC US 2011 Food, Beverage, and Consumer Products financial performance report “Thriving in a Connected World” indicates that digital transformation is empowering consumers while allowing consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies to manage their enterprises effectively and efficiently to drive growth.

Somewhat serendipitously, I opted to read the May 16 edition of The New Yorker featuring an in-depth profile on PepsiCo’s food and beverage innovation plans while traveling to last month’s IFT Annual Meeting & Food Expo in New Orleans. The “Snacks for a Fat Planet” article by John Seabrook details PepsiCo’s plans for innovation across its portfolio of products with insight from senior PepsiCo executives, including Jonathan McIntyre, senior vice president of R&D global beverages, who was featured in Beverage Industry’s April cover story.

In a way, The Coca-Cola Co., Atlanta, approached the occasion of its 125th anniversary with a celebration of change. The company has gone through a multitude of overhauls in its century and a quarter history that represent the evolution of its business and the industry, such as the following: Until 1955, The Coca-Cola Co. offered one product in one package. Today, the company owns a stable of 3,500 products globally.

When it comes to innovation, Charles Gibb, president of Belvedere Vodka, knows how important it is to do something new and different. That approach helped the company to develop its newest variety, Bloody Mary flavored vodka. While many flavored vodkas are formulated around sweet combinations, Belvedere wanted its focus to be on something different.