For The Coca-Cola Co., Atlanta, marking the 125th anniversary of when Coca-Cola was first served is less an opportunity to look back at the brand’s storied history, but an opportunity to highlight its momentum for the future.
The economy and the environment are at the top of many minds lately. Consumers don’t simply want to save a buck, but they also want to feel like they’re doing some good in the process.
As with last year, the popularity of craft beer continues to have an impact on the list with new entries from a few craft brewers nationwide. Also similar to last year’s list, the cut-off point for the Top 100 list remains $20 million in global net beverage sales. The median standards of the list continue to rise as last year’s midpoint ranked at $285 million, and this year energy shot-manufacturer Living Essentials ranks halfway on the list with an estimated $325 million in sales.
One of the six pillars of The Coca-Cola Co.’s 2020 Vision is dedicated to sustainable goals organized under its Planet initiative. The company aims to attain global leadership in sustainable water use as well as industry leadership in packaging, energy and climate protection.
The history of The Coca-Cola Co. is integrally tied in with the iconic marketing campaigns that made Coca-Cola the worldwide brand it is today. Although technological advances are changing the way it interacts with consumers, the company still sees a common goal for its outreach, explains Clyde Tuggle, senior vice president of global public affairs and communications for The Coca-Cola Co.
With a portfolio of more than 500 beverage brands that offer more than 3,500 beverages, The Coca-Cola Co., Atlanta, has expanded greatly since its first product 125 years ago. But even with this vast portfolio, The Coca-Cola Co. continues to search for what new trends are taking place in the beverage industry and the company stays on top of it with its Venturing and Emerging Brands (VEB) business unit.
Consumers are refining their tastes when it comes to tea. Product launches and sales data suggest that organic positioning for teas and ready-to-drink (RTD) teas are helping to sustain and grow certain aspects of the category.
Organically growing business: Maine Root sees lineup expand, ready for more
June 20, 2011
Maine Root, Portland, Maine, has evolved a lot since the day 11 years ago when Founder Matthew Seiler decided to brew his own organic soda. Seiler was restoring boats on the waterfront in Portland, Maine, in the summer of 2000 when a high school friend opened up Flat Bread Pizza Co., an organic pizza company, just a few wharfs down from where Seiler was working. Seiler was hired by his friend to build the clay oven and stayed on to wait tables. But Seiler realized that the organic restaurant didn’t have the beverages to match, so that’s when he went home and mixed up his own batches of root beer.
The grocery store segment consists of equal parts of decline and optimism. According to a grocery store retailing study published in July 2010 by Chicago-based Mintel International Group, the grocery products market grew by just 0.6 percent in food, drug and mass merchandise outlets. This market includes bakery, dairy, deli, edible, frozen foods and drinks, general merchandise, health and beauty items, and non-edible products, but excluding alcohol beverages.
The health and wellness trend has sweeteners top of mind for consumers. In an effort to moderate their caloric intake, consumers are surveying products and purchasing according to their personal priorities.
Throughout the world, coffee is consumed for its caffeinated benefits, for its social connotations and because it offers rich and delicious flavors. While the reasons for drinking coffee have remained the same through the years, coffee itself has experienced quite an evolution. Today, consumers enjoy their blends bottled, canned, decaffeinated, instant or even in their favorite dessert.
In the tea category, some of the most unique new innovations are not just offering consumers new flavors, but creating entirely new drinking occasions for tea as well. “Breakfast tea” has been a common tea variety for years, but some tea companies are creating new drinking occasions with products targeted at other specific times of day. Tea Forté Herbal Retreat Teas, for example, are going after the cocktail hour, while the Republic of Tea’s Cuppa Chocolate Teas are designed as dessert drinks.
In recent years the United States soft drink market has seen beverages sweetened with a single sweetener supplanted by those using a multi-sweetener blend. Contrary to most other markets worldwide, the United States has historically been a single sweetener market — products have either been 100 percent sweetened with sugar or high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) or 100 percent sweetened with a single high potency sweetener, such as aspartame.
Following a rather lackluster 2009, when new beverage introductions plummeted nearly by half, the number of new beverages appearing on U.S. store shelves increased slightly in 2010.
In Zone Brands announced new package formats of its current beverage line. Value Packs, also known as “Plus 1 Packs,” are ideal for consumers, the company says. BellyWashers’ Value Pack contains five 8-ounce bottles of BellyWashers 100 percent juice fruit punch and one free mess-free character topper.
From Préventiv Waters to EVR, brand alters its positioning
June 20, 2011
For the past two decades, researchers have been extensively studying resveratrol, a naturally occurring compound commonly found in the skin of red wine grapes that is said to have anti-aging, cardiovascular and anti-cancer benefits. Looking to hone in on those benefits, Jonathan Straub, a sales executive, put together a team of experts to help him launch a functional beverage that contained the powerful antioxidant.
The MillerCoors brewery in Wisconsin is located on a 90-acre campus in the heart of Milwaukee, in what used to be the corporate headquarters for Miller Brewing — MillerCoors now has its headquarters in Chicago.
There are certain things you’ll see in most beer commercials on TV: attractive women, endearingly lunkheaded guys, streams of golden brew. And there’s one thing you’ll see in commercials for Miller Lite, Coors Light and other MillerCoors products: A reference to the packaging. “In all of our commercials, you will see a package featured,” says Curtis Babb, MillerCoors’ director of packaging materials and development. “It’s not just talking about the brand esoterically. It talks about the brand with the package, specific to that particular communication.”
No matter who you ask or which study you read, consensus suggests that constraint and resourcefulness are the new norms in grocery shopping. Given the still less-than-robust economy, a tight consumer credit market and sluggish consumer confidence, Americans have changed the way they shop. Moreover, many agree that these new behaviors are here to stay. The so-called new consumer — one who is slower to spend and always looking for ways to make $2 buy what $4 once did — is still out there.
New platforms drive innovation, opportunity in retail engagement
June 20, 2011
Technology has made nearly everything shoppable in recent years, from billboards to social media sites. If the 2010 holiday shopping season was any indication, it’s serving as an increasingly important tool for consumers making purchasing decisions. This past holiday season marked the point when smartphones and other interactive technologies switched from “novelty to something that the average shopper [was] excited about because of the utility that technology affords,” says Alexandra Smith, a global analyst at Chicago-based market research firm Mintel International Group.
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.
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.
Members of the vending industry helped the National Automatic Merchandising Association (NAMA) break its previous attendance record at its OneShow, which took place April 27-29 at McCormick Place in Chicago. At the annual trade show, NAMA announced its new plan to appeal to generation Y and drive consumers of all ages to use and prefer vending.
To stay competitive in the beverage world, multiple factors need to be considered. Is your product filling a need? Is it well received? Are you producing it in the most cost-efficient way possible? How’s the delivery?
A timely topic for a safety meeting is about working in excessive heat and humidity. The reason being is workers need to take special precautions because such weather conditions can result in a variety of adverse health effects, from discomfort to serious illness, and even death. The body reacts to heat by increasing the blood flow to the skin’s surface and by sweating. This results in cooling as sweat evaporates from the body’s surface and heat is carried to the surface of the body from within by the increased blood flow. Heat also can be lost by radiation and convection from the body’s surface.
As part of its Video Education Series, Tate & Lyle has released two new videos about global fiber trends and the benefits of synbiotics for digestive health on its fiber website, promitorfiber.com. The first video, “Use Fiber to Boost Your Bottom Line,” provides commentary from Krista Falon, senior analyst at Mintel International, and Tate & Lyle fiber experts David Lewis, health and wellness product manager, and Andy Hoffman, director of health and wellness innovation.
T&R Chemicals Inc.’s Resina 8/RE is a glycerol ester of rosin (distilled rosin) and is manufactured specially for use in oil-based citrus flavorings for beverages. The ester gum is derived from the pine resin.
iTi Tropicals offers its coconut water ingredients for incorporation into 100 percent juice blends. Coconut water can be formulated to make up to 75 percent of a blend, which provides calorie reduction benefits while still offering 100 percent juice content.
ADM Nutrisoy Proteins offers the Clarisoy line of vegetable-based protein. Clarisoy ingredients are designed to enable beverage manufacturers to meet the demand for great-tasting, nutritionally enhanced beverages targeted to health and wellness-minded consumers, the company says.
Martin Bauer Inc. introduced its “Be Fit – Extracts for Body Brain” in the United States. The concept, which was unveiled at Health Ingredients 2010 in Europe, incorporates natural tea and herbal extracts for formulation in three health categories: energy, vitality, and mental and physical strength. Its energy concept includes an energy shot formulated with green maté, guarana and cola nuts for energy without additional caffeine or artificial energy boosters, the company says.
Döhler-Milne Aseptics and Milne Fruit Products offer a range of products for beverage applications. Döhler partnered with PureCircle to offer stevia-based sweetening systems under the MultiSweet Stevia ingredient range that is suited for carbonated soft drink, still and juice beverage applications.
Tate & Lyle launched Purefruit monk fruit extract, which is a fruit-based, calorie-free sweetening ingredient. The product is part of a five-year strategic partnership with New Zealand-based BioVittoria Ltd. for the exclusive global marketing and distribution rights for BioVittoria’s monk fruit.
The Jack Daniel Distillery made minor refinements to the familiar Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7 bottle to accentuate the bottle’s square shoulders and also to simplify the front and side labels.
Inspired by the mystery of the ancient Mayan “Long Count” round calendar, Stevens Point Brewery’s brewmasters have developed Point 2012 Black Ale, a dark, robust brew. Point 2012 Black Ale is available in six-packs and 12-packs of 12-ounce longneck bottles, kegs, and will now be available in 12-ounce cans.
In its latest cross promotional agreement, Hint Water released limited-edition Watermelon Hint featuring “Kung Fu Panda 2.” Po, also known as Kung Fu Panda, the main character in the DreamWorks film, makes a cameo on the bottles, which will be distributed at fine grocery stores and retailers nationwide.
Monster Energy drinks with services from Chromatic Technologies Inc. launched worldwide commemorative cans earmarked for the U.S. armed forces. As the cans are chilled, the color of the uniforms transition from a neutral desert camouflage color to a cold-weather arctic blue color.
Rooibee Red Tea now comes in 4-packs. The new packaging design displays the total calories for each container as recommended by the American Beverage Association’s Clear on Calories initiative in support of First Lady Michelle Obama’s efforts to help families make informed choices as part of an active, healthy lifestyle.
Arizona Beverages USA LLC has extended its packaging mix for Arizona Iced Tea to include 12-packs of 11.5-ounce cans from Rexam. The addition will help the tea company further expand into the mass market, it says.
Brands of Crown Imports LLC, Chicago, began new national multimedia advertising campaigns. Modelo Especial launched its campaign entitled “Descubre lo Especial” (“Discover What’s Special”) and Corona Extra released its “Refresca Como Somos” (“Refreshes How We Are”).
Made with real sugar, 7UP launched its 7UP Retro with nostalgic packaging designed by “The Celebrity Apprentice” finalists Marlee Matlin and John Rich. The packaging designs celebrate the Dr Pepper Snapple Group brand’s heritage from the colorful decades of the 1970s and 1980s, and are available nationwide for a limited time only, the company says. The show’s finalists were given authentic 7UP logos from the 1970s and the 1980s to develop brand packaging and in-store marketing campaigns. The brand also has released limited edition six-packs of 7UP Retro in green glass bottles at select retail locations.
Resulting from Middlebury, Vt.-based Woodchuck Hard Cider’s Facebook Global ReLeaf campaign American Forests will plant 13,618 trees in Northern California. Woodchuck Cider committed to planting two trees for every Facebook fan gained during Earth Week 2011 by donating to Global ReLeaf, which is American Forest’s tree planting initiative.
Coney Island Brewing Co., Brooklyn, N.Y., has teamed up with the New York Public Library to create a beer fit for a founding father. To toast the 100th birthday of the library’s landmark Stephen A. Schwarzman Building on 42nd Street, the two institutions are brewing a very limited amount of “Fortitude’s Founding Father Brew,” a porter based on George Washington’s handwritten “small beer” recipe, which can be found in the library’s extensive collections.
Jones Soda Co., Seattle, announced it has teamed up with winter sports brand K2 Sports to pursue new snow-inspired initiatives. As part of the partnership, K2 will wholly integrate the Jones brand throughout its marketing initiatives as well as create a selection of Jones Soda skis and snowboards.
Wat-aah!, New York, partnered with National Association of Broadcasters Education Foundation (NABEF) and Grammy winning artist Beyonce for the “Let’s Move! Flash Workout” event that encourages children around the world to get moving, stay healthy and to support First Lady Michelle Obama’s initiative to combat childhood obesity.
Newcastle Brown Ale, a brand of Heineken USA, White Plains, N.Y., is serving up summer fun with the return of its “Your Beer. Your Glass.” summer retail program. Adult consumers can participate for the chance to claim their own Newcastle Geordie Schooner — the authentic British-style brown ale glass — in Newcastle, England.