Rivera Addresses North America Bottlers, Shares Vision for ‘Moonshot’
December 1, 2020
Franchise bottlers for Coca-Cola’s North America Operating Unit recently met virtually to review innovation and system execution plans for 2021. Those plans will center on growing the base business, relaunching innovation that was disrupted in 2020, and introducing “purposeful” innovation, according to multiple sources who attended...
PepsiCo Executive Calls Decision ‘Confusing’ Given Progress
November 17, 2020
Updated: Bang Energy has cancelled its master distribution deal with PepsiCo without cause, according to a termination letter released by Bang this morning. PepsiCo's SVP of Energy Integration Eric Hanson spoke to BD about the termination in an exclusive interview ...
LaCroix maker National Beverage turned in the top stock price performance so far this year among beverage companies tracked by BD. As of the Nov. 9 market close, National Beverage’s per-share stock price grew almost...
Coca-Cola’s Aha sparkling water launch has fallen behind the pace set in 2018 by PepsiCo’s Bubly introduction, according to US retail data tracked by BD. Following its March launch, Aha reached a ...
Sales of US carbonated soft drinks at retail surged during the first nine months of this year as consumption shifted from restaurants, convenience stores and workplaces to home during the ongoing pandemic lockdown. Keurig Dr Pepper led gains and was...
Canned Water Startup Adopts Edgy Style of Energy, Beer To Create Unique Appeal
November 11, 2020
Liquid Death, the canned water startup with heavy metal branding that promises to “Murder Your Thirst,” is getting traction. BD interviewed Cessario to delve into his unique approach to the bottled water category. While the brand might be easy to dismiss as gimmicky, Cessario is a serious entrepreneur who is looking to take sales not only from PET-packaged bottled waters, but from energy drinks and beer, too. The following has been edited for clarity and space...
Top Leaders From Coke, PepsiCo, KDP and Nestle Among Presenters
November 10, 2020
The speaker lineup for our Dec. 7 virtual Future Smarts conference is set. And it’s top-notch. We’ve recently confirmed our final addition, Henrik Jelert, who is EVP for ReadyRefresh at Nestle Waters North America. This direct-to-consumer unit has navigated higher demand for at- home beverage delivery and a slow-down in workplace consumption during the COVID-19 crisis. He and I will discuss challenges and opportunities, while looking ahead to what comes after the pandemic. We’ll also bring Molson Coors Beverage into the Future Smarts fold for the first time. . .
Industry's ‘Every Bottle Back’ Initiative Reaches 10 Cities After Year of Work
November 2, 2020
Consistent recycling messages on PET plastic bottles distributed by competing US beverage companies is now expected to rollout by early next year, according to American Beverage Association President and CEO Katherine Lugar. The effort is part of the Every Bottle Back plastic waste reduction initiative announced one year ago by Coca-Cola, PepsiCo and Keurig Dr Pepper under the direction of the ABA. The voluntary on-pack language will...
Earlier this month, PepsiCo CEO Ramon Laguarta announced a set of initiatives and related spending aimed at Hispanic businesses, consumers, communities and employees. Some of that work will pass through the relatively new Hispanic Business Unit of PepsiCo Beverages North America (PBNA), which is now in its third year. In 2020, the company added a similar unit for PepsiCo Foods North America. BD reached out to Esperanza Teasdale, the VP and GM who leads the Hispanic Business Unit for beverages, reporting to PBNA CMO Greg Lyons. Teasdale discussed her team’s work to capture a greater share of the $2.6 trillion in annual spending in the US by Hispanic consumers. As she put it, that market would be equivalent to the eighth largest country in the world. The following has been edited for clarity and space:
CEO Says Efficiency Beats Ownership When It Comes To DSD System
November 2, 2020
As BD has reported on extensively, Keurig Dr Pepper has made a series of moves this year in its direct-store-delivery system that hinted of a broader strategy at play. In June, KDP bought back production and distribution rights for RC Cola, A&W Root Beer, Sunkist, 7Up, Snapple and Big Red from Indiana-based Royal Crown Bottling of Evansville. At about the same time, KDP transferred ...