Check out BD’s podcast this week if you haven’t. Former Beverage Digest Editor and Publisher John Sicher and I had a compelling discussion about gut sodas like Poppi and Olipop.
While the two products and a host of similar prebiotic and probiotic sodas represent only a share point or so of the carbonated soft drink category, they are grabbing an outsized share of attention on social media and at retail. Both Poppi and Olipop have been the subject of M&A rumors, which haven’t panned out and were likely premature. Poppi grabbed headlines early this year when it snagged a last-minute Super Bowl ad spot to cast the drink as “the future of soda.”
The question we explored on the podcast is whether the gut soda category has the kind of staying power that would make it attractive for companies like Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and Keurig Dr Pepper. We ended up seeing
The following is transcript of Beverage Digest's podcast, The Breeze, Episode 9. In today's episode, industry expert John Sicher joins Beverage Digest Editor and Publisher Duane Stanford to break down Tuesday's Coca-Cola earnings report, and PepsiCo's results earlier this month. Industry insiders have been surprised by the resilience of soft drink volume sales given the fast pace of rising prices. As pricing returns to normal, what does this mean for beverage makers? Can they stoke demand? Will "the other shoe drop," and if so, how should they prepare?...
The following is transcript of Beverage Digest's podcast, The Breeze, Episode 8. PepsiCo's announced investment in online grocery delivery service Instacart begs a question: Isn’t PepsiCo essentially competing now against some of its most important retail customers? Take Walmart, for example, which is aggressively expanding an online grocery delivery business of its own. There was a time when such a customer conflict would have been avoided. But PepsiCo isn't alone in tossing conventional wisdom these days. Coke is doing it, too. So what's going on?...
The following is transcript of Beverage Digest's podcast, The Breeze, Episode 7.
Bang Energy went from boom to bust within just five years. After mounting a successful challenge to the supremacy of Monster and Red Bull and capturing the attention of PepsiCo, Bang unraveled and went bankrupt. Now in the hands of archrival Monster and its distribution partner Coca-Cola, will Bang rise again? New challengers like Celsius may have something to say about that question.
Duane Stanford invites regular Breeze contributor and industry expert John Sicher to discuss the recent wild and crazy days of energy drinks. They also unravel what happens next in this epic competition.
The following is transcript of Beverage Digest's podcast, The Breeze, Episode 4. Today we talk with Sigi Hale, Principal Neuroscientist and Director of Research at market research and consulting firm Alpha-Diver. Sigi's work takes him deep into consumer behavior to understand why brand purchase decisions are made and how companies can act on that learning. Alpha-Diver, in partnership with Beverage Digest, just released the world's first ranking of beverage brands by consumer psychology. The Bev50 report and webinar are available for download here. During the episode, Duane and Sigi discuss the research findings and the ways neuroscience is illuminating consumer research.
The following is transcript of Beverage Digest's podcast, The Breeze, Episode 5. In this episode, industry expert John Sicher joins Beverage Digest Editor and Publisher Duane Stanford to break down their top takeaways from the just-released 28th Edition of Beverage Digest’s Fact Book. The Fact Book captures performance results for the full non-alcoholic drinks market, not just what’s measured by store scanners. That includes everything from groceries to the fountain channel, where a lot of brand activity happens. Listen in as they talk shop.
The following is transcript of Beverage Digest's podcast, The Breeze, Episode 4. Duane Stanford invites beverage industry expert (and former Beverage Digest publisher) John Sicher to discuss soda pricing power.
Today we chat with long-time industry expert and former Beverage Digest publisher John Sicher to discuss soda pricing power. The carbonated soft drink category is a significant value driver in the ready-to-drink refreshment beverage market. Products like Coca-Cola, Pepsi, and Dr Pepper are important to retailers in generating store traffic and contributing to overall profitability. We explore how the recent surprising period of pricing growth in the category has evolved and whether this trend will continue in 2023 and beyond.