In the summer of 2021, Dave Burwick’s career path collided with itself. That’s when Boston Beer, the maker of Sam Adams craft beer and Truly Hard Seltzer, announced a partnership with PepsiCo to create Hard Mtn Dew. Burwick was President and CEO of Boston Beer. Earlier in his career, he spent 20 years at PepsiCo, where he once managed the Mtn Dew brand before eventually becoming...
Have you heard about “crispy” Diet Coke? I dismissed this TikTok driven trend until my daughter mentioned it the other day.
As readers of this newsletter know, my adult son and daughter, ages 27 and 22, are an important window for me. What I see and hear from them has been valuable to my understanding of how young consumers digest media and consider brands. My kids and their friends are an antidote to the skepticism that can infect a 53-year-old brain.
It turns out my daughter and her friends are fans of “crispy” Diet Coke. And there is ritual around the drink. First, a Diet Coke goes into the freezer to get near the tipping point to ice. Next, ice is added to a reusable cup. On top of the ice goes a sachet of True Lime, which is a crystallized Lime powder (that I hadn’t heard of). The near-frozen Diet Coke is then poured over the ice and lime powder, creating the desired “crispy” effect. As my daughter explains: “It’s cold, carbonated, and super refreshing. Lime makes it even more crispy.” So young people do drink Diet Coke?
That wasn’t all she surprised me with. I’ve often...
Introductions of powdered single-serve water enhancers continue to roll in, with significant extensions this month coming from both a notable emerging brand and a well established brand. This week, fast-growing canned water maker Liquid Death...