On April 28, PepsiCo announced an exclusive agreement with Vital Pharmaceuticals to distribute Bang Energy in the US (BD News Alert 4/28/20). The alliance gives PepsiCo access to a brand that has surpassed Rockstar as the third largest energy drink, and to a performance energy category that has attracted new competitors including...
In late April, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo and Keurig Dr Pepper reported first-quarter earnings. Those results, however, were less interesting that the outlook for the second quarter and the rest of the year. Below is a synopsis, culled by BD from earnings call transcripts, of actions the three companies are taking to adjust to market conditions during the crisis.
The COVID-19 disruption extended through last week’s important Easter holiday sales period. Large family gatherings and community egg hunts were shut down across the country. The holiday also came on the heels of a month of extreme grocery stock-up in April. BD took a look at...
A sports drink brand backed by cannabis producer Canopy Growth and with potential access to the beer distribution network of Constellation Brands is preparing to launch its first ready-to-drink product next month. Toronto-based BioSteel Sports Nutrition, known for its powdered pink beverage, wants to...
Given triple-digit percentage growth rates for hard seltzers and the increasing trend
toward ultra-low-calorie beers, BD decided to take a look at calorie counts for alcoholic
beverage segments and brands...
On March 11, PepsiCo announced an agreement to buy Rockstar Energy for $3.85 billion plus $700 million worth of tax benefits payable over 15 years (BD Email News Alert 3/11/20). Aside from the opportunity to grow Rockstar...
Any Sale of Brand ‘Shouldn’t Have Substantive Ramifications,” for PepsiCo, CFO Says.
February 21, 2020
During PepsiCo’s Feb. 13 earnings conference call with analysts, CEO Ramon Laguarta and CFO Hugh Johnston appeared to throw cold tea on the idea of the company acquiring Unilever’s Lipton tea brand. Unilever has said it is considering a sale of the global brand as demand for...
Costa Coffee Accelerating Express Machine Expansion. Plus, 4Q Coke Revenue Jumps +7.0%. Shares Hit Record High.
February 7, 2020
During a Jan. 30 conference call with Wall Street analysts to discuss Coca-Cola’s fourth-quarter earnings report, CEO James Quincey was asked about potential impacts from the Coronavirus outbreak in China. And in an interview, he discusses plans for Costa Coffee in the US...
Pricing Gains in Most Categories. Coke, PepsiCo, Keurig Dr Pepper Lose LRB Share
February 7, 2020
BD will soon publish 2019 all-channel sales data for the US liquid refreshment beverage (LRB) market, including both packaged and fountain products. The tables below and on page 2 provide a preliminary look at the results for last year...
‘Never Say Never’ On Coke Brand Experiments, Non-Monster Energy Plays. Sees Coffee Growth. Says Femsa Relationship ‘Strong.’
December 17, 2019
Coke CEO James Quincey joined Future Smarts after a visit that morning to the New York Stock Exchange, where he and other executives celebrated Coca-Cola’s 100th anniversary as a public company by ringing the opening bell. Quincey now is in his third year as CEO of Coke. He was additionally named chairman of the board in April. Quincey joined Coke in 1996 and has spent the majority of his career in Latin America and then Europe before becoming COO under former CEO Muhtar Kent in August of 2015. Quincey’s focus as CEO has been to grow brand Coke while diversifying the company’s portfolio to everything from coffee drinks to plant-based offerings. Early this year, he closed on the acquisition of UK-based Costa Coffee, a chain of cafés stretching across Europe...
This story is a recap of highlights from his Future Smarts conference appearance Dec. 9 in New York.