With consumers increasing their scrutiny of what’s in the consumer packaged goods (CPGs) that they consume, beverage-makers are responding by providing more products made with recognizable ingredients, like domestic fruits. As more consumers look for simplicity and transparency, these ingredients have garnered more attention.

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.

As the bottled water market has ridden a high tide of success in the past several years, many players in the market have experienced likened success. Founded in 2001, New York-based Voss Water of Norway established itself as an ultra-premium bottled water brand that was exclusively offered in high-end on-premise accounts.

Innovation seems to be the key to success within the beverage industry. As with any other aspect of new product development, beverage-makers are looking for innovative caps and closures to seal and protect their products while also being appealing to consumers, both aesthetically and in their ease of use.

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.

As consumers demand more better-for-you products, experts note that the juice and juice drinks category has been challenged in a unique way and struggled to maintain its share of the beverage market. “The juice/juice drinks sector has struggled during the past year,” says Susan Viamari, vice president of Thought Leadership at Chicago-based Information Resources Inc.

Sometimes, what happens in Vegas doesn’t always stay in Vegas. For Alison Zarrow and Caleb Cargle, what happened in Las Vegas influenced the creation of an increasingly successful beverage company and a new full-time career.

Innovative beverage ideas can come from many places. For Steve Fortuna, the idea for a beverage brand might have been whimsical, but his approach to bringing the idea to fruition certainly was not. Instead, the computer engineer and Wall Street financier has taken a carefully considered, highly strategic approach to every aspect of the process, from product development to market expansion, when founding Blossom Water LLC, Westwood, Mass.

Packaging is a key marketing element for any beverage brand when launching a new product, a package redesign or for a marketing campaign.