J U LY – A U G U S T 2 0 0 6
HIGHTEA THE NEXT GREAT BREAKOUT CATEGORY STEPS UP.
// ALSO THIS ISSUE //
The New New Age Coffee Comeback PUBLISHED BY
JULY – AUGUST 2006
6
Cover Story
18 // TEA ASCENDING RTD tea has taken off; where does
vol.
4 // no. 6
18
Features
28
28 // MAGIC BEANS Crazy for RTD Coffee
it go next? 34 // THE NEW NEW AGE What happens when the birds
Departments
8 // BEVSCAPE
leave the nest?
Beer’s back on top // Coke
PLUS: The return of
gets robbed
Clearly Canadian
10 // CHANNEL CHECK More tea and coffee 14 // NEW PRODUCTS
Columns
4 // THE FIRST DROP Too much Kung Fu
MD Drinks 6 // PUBLISHER’S TOAST Barry likes Fancy Foods
40 // CONVENTION SCRAPBOOK Fancy Foods Roundup:
32 // GERRY’S INSIGHTS
Manhattan Sampler
Making coffee a 2-horse race 42 // PROMOTION PARADE The Red Stripe Ambassador keeps on frontin’
Cover Photography by Donna H. Chiarelli Studio Loose leaf tea provided by The Republic of Tea JULY – AUGUST
2006
\\ BEVERAGE SPECTRUM
THE FIRST DROP
he phrase “That’s it” is one of the key punch lines of the media campaign behind Snapple’s new line of white teas. During the ads, a Snapple fan infatuated with the teas heads overseas to learn what comprises white tea. The response, from a Zen master-ish tea farmer, is “baby tea leaves….That’s it.” The use of the Zen or Kung Fu Master as a comedic device in beverage ads is nothing new; last year, for example, Bud Light got great traction from an over-the-top abusive Mr. Miyagi-type who tortures a young drinker. And while both of these ideas use a touch light enough not to offend, those hoping to capitalize on the growing Ready-to-Drink tea category would be wise to avoid overusing a hackneyed Asian stereotype. Teas aren’t so exotic a product that they need to be associated with faroff lands and Eastern mysticism, particularly versions of this mysticism that are bastardized for cheap levels of brand identification. In preparing for this story, it seemed that a lot of products were hitching their wagons to the idea that painting a dragon on the bottle or otherwise aping
4
Asian culture was the key to grabbing the tea market; occasionally, they went far enough to distort Chinese or Japanese history as a sales pitch. Retailers who are sensitive to the topic might want to mention it to their distributors. It’s not like Asian cultures are the only ones available with regards to tea, anyway. After all, the spark of independence in this country came from a rabid protest against an excessive tax on that very product. It’s got a deep root of cultural influence here, from the sweet iced teas of the South to the growing tea room culture of the Northeast. Tea is a special part of certain unfamiliar cultures, to be sure, but that doesn’t mean we need to belittle those cultures to sell product. Not when something like Revolution Tea could – with just a little thought – easily refer to the American Revolution. Don’t think it could work? Bet the Boston Beer Company could tell you differently. All we ask is a little sensitivity. That’s it.
BEVERAGE SPECTRUM // JULY – AUGUST
2006
PUBLISHER’S TOAST
ADVERTISING 1123 Broadway Suite 301 New York, NY 10010 ph. 212-647-0501 fax 212-647-0565
Fancy Foods:
You’ve Just Got to Try This!
EDITORIAL 1 Mifflin Place Suite 300 Cambridge, MA 02138 ph. 617-715-9670 fax 617-715-9671
PUBLISHER
hen the calendar turns to July, the Fancy Food Show makes its appearance in the Big Apple. That’s where I just spent two hectic, exhilarating days. It was an event to behold and savor, literally and figuratively. The show is a feast for the mind and for the stomach. Pates, truffles, cheeses, chocolates, really any kind of food or drink is there for the sampling. I may, indeed, have over-savored a bit this year. In between bites, I like to marvel at the thousands of marketers, each with their own vision and inspiration. It’s terrific that they’re sharing their labors of love with the world, and turning a profit while they do. It is fast becoming a responsibility – not just an opportunity – for retailers to attend a show like this to find new, exciting products for consumers. The shows are an easy way to stay relevant, to go beyond your particular channel for trends, selection and innovation. I often advocate giving the boutique, category-pioneering brands a chance. The Fancy Food Shows, along with the Expo East and Expo West Shows, reinforce my fervor for the new and the different. New products are the life blood of retailing. As beverage people, we can look to the tea, water, and energy categories for inspiration. Now, organic, natural and functional beverages are creating the excitement and filling your shelves. Many of the exhibitors were representatives of these innovative markets. Thinking “outside the box” is their signature. They should be considered for your mix. I was impressed with the number of traditional channel retailers that I saw in attendance. Representatives from Target, Costco, Harris-Teeter, Wegmans, Safeway, Wal-Mart, and others, were a major presence in the aisles. I commend them for having the insight to realize that there is so much to be gleaned from the show. Along those lines, the beverage distributors, wholesalers, and brokers who showed were also an important set of attendees. That these retailers and distributors would come speaks to the blurring of channels, and the product selection in their stores will reflect that. They understand: when you give the customer Barry J. Nathanson, choice and excitement, you’ve got a Publisher customer for life.
BEVERAGE SPECTRUM // JULY – AUGUST
2006
Barry J. Nathanson bnathanson@bevspectrum.com EDITORIAL DIRECTOR
John Craven craven@bevnet.com EDITOR
Jeffrey Klineman jklineman@bevnet.com ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER
John McKenna mckenna@bevnet.com ART DIRECTOR
Matthew Kennedy mkennedy@bevnet.com PRODUCTION MANAGER
Adam Stern astern@bevnet.com BUSINESS MANAGER
John Schinn jschinn@bevnet.com SUBSCRIPTION INQUIRIES
Adam Stern astern@bevnet.com 617-715-9679 ARTICLE REPRINTS
500 copies or more FosteReprints Kelly Ganz kganz@fostereprints.com 800-382-0808 x142 BEVERAGE SPECTRUM PUBLISHING INC. CHAIRMAN & CEO
John F. (Jack) Craven jack@bevnet.com PRESIDENT
John Craven craven@bevnet.com Beverage Spectrum is published 9 times a year by Beverage Spectrum Publishing, Inc. Beverage Spectrum Publishing, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of BevNET.com, Inc., 1 Mifflin Place, Suite 300, Cambridge, MA 02138
BEVSCAPE
WHAT’S HAPPENING ACROSS BEVERAGES
GENERATION GAP HITS CSD’S
CRISTAL SHUTS ITSELF OUT OF THE CLUB Well, if nothing else, the war of words between rapper Jay-Z and Frederic Rouzaud, the managing director of Louis Roederer Cristal, has introduced us to a great new word: “Blingosphere.” The battle began in mid-June, when a spin-off of the magazine The Economist featured an interview with Rouzaud in which he indicated he would prefer if hiphop artists and fans would lay off his famous bubbly in favor of Krug or Dom Perignon, calling rappers’ name-checking of Cristal “unwelcome attention.” Jay-Z – who has rapped about the virtues of this high-end Champagne – responded quickly by making it clear that he wouldn’t be paying any attention to Cristal at all in the future. In fact, he said, he’d stop serving it at his nightclubs and stop mentioning it in songs. Unfortunately, that might actually cut into Cristal’s sales – the stuff is so popular now that few city nightclubs could afford to be without it. But not for long – the Blingosphere is abuzz with talk of the search for a new beverage, be it Krug or any number of varieties of tequila. Whatever it is, it will likely be a bit stronger than Crunk.
One of the beverage industry’s top analysts continues to beat the drum of decline for carbonated soft drinks. In June, Morgan Stanley drinks guru Bill Pecoriello issued a report predicting a doubling in the rate of decline of CSD consumption, from .75 percent last year to 1.5 percent in 2006. Who is impacting the bottom line for Coke and Pepsi? Pecoriello blames the youth, calling the latest generation of teens a “lost generation” for the CSD category due to their burgeoning interest in non-carbonated products like bottled water, sports drinks, tea and coffee. Pecoriello and Co. took to the streets for the report, surveying 1500 consumers aged 13 to 65, and found, unsurprisingly, that health and calorie concerns topped the list of reasons all consumers are moving away from CSDs. But the teen segment – normally as sweet a spot for soda makers as twentysomethings are for beer – is putting a double whammy on the category. The kids aren’t as interested, because they like sports drinks and energy drinks, Pecoriello found, while the relevant adult demographic – their parents! – is also steering them away from CSDs. A later note on the possible spread of a non-carb experiment at the restaurant chain McDonald’s bodes poorly for Coke, according to the analyst, but it could be even more so for soda companies overall. That’s because if teens, a top customer group at “Mickey-D’s,” find they don’t have to drink Coke there, they likely won’t. And that would put the triple whammy on CSD’s. Would you like an iced Latte with your fries?
CONFERENCE CALENDAR SEPT. 17-20 NBWA Annual Convention Orlando, Fla. OCT. 3-6 International Bottled Water Association Convention and Trade Show Las Vegas, Nev. OCT. 4-7 Natural Products Expo East Baltimore, Md. OCT. 8-11 National Association of Convenience Stores Show Las Vegas, Nev. OCT. 23-25 InterBev 2006 Las Vegas, Nev. AUGUST 2006
8
BEVERAGE SPECTRUM // JULY – AUGUST
2006
It’s a rare thing to imagine that the Coca-Cola Co. would be thanking PepsiCo for anything short of suddenly discontinuing Mountain Dew, but there it was, for all to see, shortly after Independence Day. Yep, there was Coke CEO Neville Isdell issuing a hearty gracias to PepsiCo for the role it had played in helping the FBI and the US Attorney’s Office conduct a sting operation to catch three people (one of whom, Joya Williams, was a Coke employee, and another one, Edmund Duhaney, had opened an account with Williams) who allegedly attempted to steal and sell some of Coke’s trade secrets to Pepsi. Reports immediately flew that the secrets had been everything from the original formula for Coke Classic (supposedly bequeathed only to CEO’s of the company and a few other people as part of a fizzy initiation rite) to a new coffee or dairy drink. Videos showed Williams stuffing a bottle of a “test beverage” into her bag, according to federal prosecutors. Regardless of the product, PepsiCo executives were quickly lauded for doing the right thing when they were approached by the group via a letter from a mysterious Coke executive named “Dirk.” The executive – believed, in fact, to be one of Williams’ accomplices, a Bronx ex-con named Ibrahim Dimson – offered secrets and products seen by few executives in exchange for up to $75,000 in cash. Dimson eventually received a girl scout cookie box filled with $30,000 in exchange for the bottle, according to FBI agents. Eventually, according to the FBI, “Dirk” had planned to feed PepsiCo information on a regular basis in exchange for another $1.5 million. All three suspects have been arraigned; Williams is out on bail. PepsiCo executives said they were happy to help, and that “competition can be fierce, but it must also be fair and legal.”
JOSE CANSECO’S JUICED
VS
SEPTEMBER 2006
ROCKSTAR JUICED
TALE OF THE TAPE
GALLUP POLL: BEER BACK ON TOP It probably won’t stop all the whispering, but just one year after American consumers keyed beer industry trucks by picking wine as their beverage of choice, the old “oat soda” is back on top. Gallup’s annual poll shows that adult consumer consumption of beer increased five percent since July, 2005, pulling it back to the top of the drinkers’ pyramid. Of Americans who drink, 41 percent say they choose beer most often, 33 percent choose wine, and 23 percent choose hard alcohol – a highly inebriated 3 percent said the three were all the same to them – a big swing from wine’s 39 to 36 advantage over beer last year. The beer industry – spearheaded by Anheuser-Busch’s “Here’s to Beer” campaign – has fought back since that
PSSST...WANNA BUY THE C2 FORMULA?
poll, and some other external factors, like the peak and decline of Sideways movie-mania are likely to have played a role in the reversal. Regardless, if Americans have decided once again that it is their patriotic duty to drink beer, they’re certainly not sold on the fact that it’s good old premium American beer that they should be drinking – domestics are still dropping, while even in Bud country, Missouri, import sales were up 21 percent. One theory posited by observers is that the fast-growing Hispanic population is drinking more Latin American imports: that means it might not be “Here’s to Beer” so much as it’s “viva la cerveza!” but either way, retailers might want to tweak their mix accordingly.
OCTOBER 2006
The beverage world was rocked – well, maybe nudged – recently by the revelation that former baseball slugger Jose Canseco was planning to launch an energy drink. An even larger revelation, however, might come from the lawyers at Rockstar energy drink, who will likely let the outfielder-turnedtell-all author know that they’ve already got a product called “Juiced” – the same name Canseco’s planning for his own beverage. We’ve gone to the trouble of sorting out the competition.
Product made by someone who once romanced Madonna
Product made by Russ Weiner, who once danced to Madonna – at Bar Mitzvah parties
Product made popular by association with decadent former baseball star
Product made popular by association with decadent Vegas lifestyle
Admitted steroid abuser
Aligned with Coke distributors
Pump up with a mix of deca-durabolin and tasty human growth hormone Owner’s twin brother was second-rate outfielder in same organization
JULY – AUGUST
2006
Wake up with a mix of guarana, caffeine and juice Owner’s mother is organization’s second-incommand
\\ BEVERAGE SPECTRUM
9
Channel Check
july – august 2006
SPOTLIGHT CATEGORY
Dollar Sales
Change vs. year earlier
Category Total
$829,501,100
22.6%
100%
AriZona
$242,495,800
38.1%
29.2%
Snapple
$102,469,300
8.8%
12.4%
Lipton
$96,751,930
271.3%
11.7%
Diet Snapple
$87,242,430
5.9%
10.5%
Lipton Brisk
$79,602,470
-2.1%
9.6%
Nestea Cool
$46,701,320
-27.0%
5.6%
Lipton
$45,364,470
12%
5.5%
Private Label
$29,161,150
14.5%
3.5%
Nestea
$16,925,260
37.1%
2.0%
SoBe
$15,328,240
15.8%
1.8%
SoBe Lean
$6,887,860
290.0%
0.8%
AriZona RX Health Elixers
$6,848,020
-6.3%
0.8%
Fuze
$6,454,579
111.7%
0.8%
Tazo
$4,873,386
34.1%
0.6%
Ssips
$4,840,189
9.8%
0.6%
Honest Tea
$4,572,322
70.5%
0.6%
Le Natures
$4,321,765
2,485.6%
0.5%
Tradewinds
$3,564,266
76.1%
0.4%
Tejava
$2,878,935
3.2%
0.3%
Sweet Leaf
$2,382,291
159.7%
0.3%
Community
$1,878,618
20.4%
0.2%
Ocean Spray
$1,837,708
-87.5%
0.2%
Crystal Light
$1,737,109
-33.6%
0.2%
Country Time
$1,129,457
-27.0%
0.1%
RTD Tea
RTD TEA AND COFFEE 52 Weeks ending 6/18/2006 leading brands As you might detect from our cover story, we’re bullish on RTD tea and coffee, and the numbers show the reason why: mad volume increases across the board. Coke’s got to be happy it’s shutting down Nestea Cool – it will be interesting to see where Gold Peak places in a few months. Meanwhile, we’re not sure that even our numbers are truly illustrative of the growth of the coffee category – and they show it as being up 23 percent anyway. With lots of new beverages rolling in, Coffee is a space to watch. SOURCE: Information Resources Inc.Total food/drug/mass excluding Wal-Mart RTD Cappucino/ Iced Coffee
Dollar Sales
Change vs. year earlier
Category Total
$208,952,700
23.2%
100%
Frappuccino
$168,762,100
17.8%
80.8%
Doubleshot Cappucino
$27,442,930
34.1%
13.1%
Wolfgang Puck
$5,158,309
101.7%
2.5%
Bolthouse
$2,274,149
N/A
1.1%
Doubleshot Light
$1,259,064
N/A
0.6%
Private Label
$1,052,137
-6.3%
0.5%
Starbucks
$845,237
N/A
0.4%
Kahlua
$785,829
-2.6%
0.4%
Havana
$359,497
-26.4%
0.2%
Caffe D Vita
$222,924
15.8%
0.1%
Arnold Palmer Lite Half & Half
$1,005,343
27.7%
0.1%
Cinnabon
$168,128
88,455.1%
0.1%
Teas Tea
$982,555
392.5%
0.1%
Hillside
$138,780
N/A
0.1%
Capri Sun
$785,599
-51.2%
0.1%
Mr. Brown
$129,656
33.4%
0.1%
The Republic of Tea
$766,650
4.6%
0.1%
Main St. Cafe
$92,803
-27.6%
0.0%
Revolution
$713,947
192.0%
0.1%
AriZona
$69258
3.7%
0.0%
Nantucket Nectars
$622,208
9.6%
0.1%
TOPLINE CATEGORY
VOLUME
52 Weeks ending 6/18/2006
Share of Market
Share of Market
CSD’s $13,394,370,000 -0.9%
ENERGY DRINKS $536,122,000 +54.2%
BOTTLED WATER $4,278,715,000 +17.9%
SPORTS DRINKS $1,502,433,000 +19.1%
BEER $8,752,958,464 +1.6%
TEA/COFFEE $1,038,454,000 +22.7%
BOTTLED JUICES $3,465,031,000 -0.2% 10
BEVERAGE SPECTRUM // JULY – AUGUST
2006
SOURCE: Information Resources Inc.Total food/drug/mass excluding Wal-Mart
RISING TEMPERATURES MEAN SOARING PROFITS WITH CORONA EXTRA AND CORONA LIGHT. Imported beer sales continue to outpace domestics, and Corona Extra and Corona Light, two of the top-three selling imported beers in the U.S., are leading the way.* Together, Corona Extra and Corona Light represent 34% of imported beer sales, with Corona Extra outselling its nearest competitor by 62%.* So stock up this summer, and watch the profits come pouring in. Because when the going gets hot, the hot reach for an ice-cold Corona. Relax Responsibly *IRI Total US Grocery Dollar Sales 52 wks ending 3/19/06. ©Imported by Barton Beers, Ltd., Chicago, IL
Channel Check
july – august 2006
CSD’s
Dollar Sales
Change vs. year earlier
0.9%
Red Bull
$248,721,300
27.9%
Pepsi
$1,591,695,428
0.7%
Monster Energy
$66,270,220
147.6%
Diet Coke
$1,200,448,846
3.2%
Rockstar
$57,146,500
86.3%
Diet Pepsi
$808,126,963
1.2%
Full Throttle
$33,679,430
258.1%
Mountain Dew
$734,523,517
4.7%
SoBe No Fear
$27,317,530
100.4%
Dr Pepper
$596,998,941
4.3%
Amp
$21,703,940
26.4%
Sprite
$606,166,937
3.8%
SoBe Adrenaline Rush
$20,536,700
11.5%
Caffeine Free Diet Coke
$364,299,376
-6.7%
Tab Energy
$6,037,725
N/A
Diet Dr Pepper
$273,968,277
0.3%
SoBe Lean
$4,637,515
469.2%
Diet Mountain Dew
$235,277,986
9.0%
Rip It
$4,136,793
115.5%
SPORTS DRINKS
Dollar Sales
52 Weeks through 6/17/06
Change vs. year earlier
Heading Up: Full Throttle
52 Weeks through 6/18/06 SOURCE: Information Resources Inc.Total food/drug/mass excluding Wal-Mart
CONVENIENCE/PET STILL WATER
Dollar Sales
Change vs. year earlier
Gatorade
$681,661,400
19.5%
Aquafina
$463,166,900
20.4%
Powerade
$189,575,700
18.6%
Private Label
$422,452,100
23.9%
Gatorade Frost
$138,530,700
11.5%
Dasani
$379,705,700
24.6%
Gatorade Fierce
$98,465,630
1.4%
Poland Spring
$222,770,700
25.5%
Gatorade All Stars
$97,888,670
31.1%
Propel
$193,618,300
24.9%
Gatorade X Factor
$96,821,740
18.7%
Dannon
$160,866,100
11.4%
Gatorade Rain
$50,590,950
N/A
Arrowhead
$157,577,400
20.7%
Gatorade Xtremo
$20,454,800
-11.7%
Deer Park
$121,265,000
29.3%
Gatorade Ice
$16,165,180
-58.8%
Glaceau vitaminwater
$107,799,700
175.8%
Gatorade Endurance
$11,964,230
130.5%
Ozarka
$86,113,930
24.7%
Heading Up: Gatorade Endurance
52 Weeks through 6/18/06 SOURCE: Information Resources Inc.Total food/drug/mass excluding Wal-Mart
Heading Up: Glaceau vitaminwater
BOTTLED FRUIT DRINKS
BEER
Dollar Sales
Change vs. year earlier
Hawaiian Punch
$102,412,800
2.9%
V8 Splash
$54,357,790
Private Label
$52,230,230
Tropicana Twister
52 Weeks through 6/18/06 SOURCE: Information Resources Inc.Total food/drug/mass excluding Wal-Mart
Dollar Sales
Change vs. year earlier
Bud Light
$1,346,753,280
1.1%
-10.6%
Budweiser
$782,950,400
-7.3%
-9.0%
Miller Lite
$713,175,680
0.7%
$49,847,020
-28.3%
Coors Light
$603,865,280
3.0%
Kool Aid Bursts
$40,186,080
-4.4%
Corona Extra
$467,633,248
10.1%
Snapple
$38,161,040
-5.8%
Heineken
$289,937,760
10.5%
Welch’s
$37,488,090
-8.6%
Natural Light
$285,951,616
-0.1%
HI C
$24,736,870
-19.8%
Michelob Ultra Light
$208,512,176
-14.6%
Welch’s Light
$19,556,290
102.9%
Busch Light
4203,824,256
3.1%
Old Orchard
$19,316,610
-27.6%
Miller Genuine Draft
$178,441,024
-9.7%
Heading Up: Welch’s Light
52 Weeks through 6/18/06 SOURCE: Information Resources Inc.Total food/drug/mass excluding Wal-Mart
2006
Change vs. year earlier
$1,956,664,395
SOURCE: AC Nielsen/Citigroup Total U.S. food/drug/mass
BEVERAGE SPECTRUM // JULY – AUGUST
Dollar Sales
Coca-Cola Classic
Heading Up: Diet Mountain Dew
12
ENERGY DRINKS
Heading Up: Heineken
52 Weeks through 6/18/06 SOURCE: Information Resources Inc.Total food/drug/mass excluding Wal-Mart
JULY – AUGUST
2006
\\ BEVERAGE SPECTRUM
13
BEVERAGE SALES NOT WHERE THEY SHOULD BE?
NEW PRODUCTS and will retail for between $1.29 and $1.49, is launching in the mid-Atlantic states this summer. It uses a licensed aromatic cap technology to supply taste via the consumer’s sense of smell. For more information, call (800) 896-4777. PepsiCo’s Aquafina has debuted a pair of fruit-flavored sparkling waters, Berry Burst and Citrus Twist. Both have artificial sweeteners, zero calories, and are available nationwide in 20 oz. bottles and 16.9 oz. 6packs. They are line-priced with other Aquafina products. For more information, call (914) 253-2000.
Enhanced Waters Out of Santa Monica, Calif. comes physician-founded MD Drinks, Inc., the maker of Function Drink’s three varieties: Youth Trip, Urban Detox and Braniac. Taken together, they form a new line of enhanced waters that, according to founder Alex Hughes, work well “whether consumed as part of your daily health regimen, as a mixer, as a nightcap before going to bed after a night out, or as a morning refreshment.” In other words, they’re for drinkers. So far, the product is largely available in Southern California retail establishments ranging from high end places like Fred Segal, Cuvee Beverly Hills and Famima!! to local grocery stores and AM/PM. For more information on this 20 oz. plastic product, call (323) 337-9042. The Coca-Cola Co. has introduced Dasani Grape as part of its lineup of flavored water beverages. Dasani Flavors, including Lemon, Raspberry, Strawberry and now Grape, are naturally flavored and lightly sweetened with Splenda to provide a water beverage without calories or carbohydrates. Grape will be priced in line with other flavors is available nationwide in 20 oz. plastic bottles and in 6-packs of 500 ml. plastic bottles. For more information, call (404) 676-1070. If you don’t like grape, try a new philosophy – or at least a new mantra, with Aquamantra, a new line of “Frequency” waters that are straight out of California. Each bottle features a mantra for drinkers to meditate upon – “I am lucky,” “I am loved,” or “I am healthy” – as they enjoy their refreshment. This product is available in several California cities. For more information, call (949) 910-4510. If your mantra doesn’t work, how about some aromatherapy? That’s the promise of new Aroma Water, which uses aromatic closures to deliver a refreshing fruit-flavored taste. Initial flavors include Lemon Lime and Mandarin Orange with Peach. Aroma Water, which comes in a 16.9 oz. plastic bottle
14
BEVERAGE SPECTRUM // JULY – AUGUST
Smoothies Sure, it makes sense. Minnesota and fruit. Well, here they come, a pre-packaged 16 oz. bottled Sola smoothie line in four flavors: Zen Potion, Scuttle Berry, Big Green and Quite Citrusy. They are locally produced, packaged and shipped on a daily basis, and, while they are now in limited distribution, plan for a national profile in deli and graband-go sections. For more information, call (612) 677-1717. Sports Drinks They must have gotten a good price on grape flavoring at Coke, because as of this spring they started offering up Powerade Grape and Powerade Option Grape to appeal to sports drink consumers. Sold in easy-to-grip, proprietary 32 oz. and 20 oz. single bottles and 6-packs, both brands are competitively priced with other sports drinks on the market. For more information, visit www.coca-cola.com.
LET
FIXYOURMIX Are you having trouble deciding to stock your cooler with Red Bull or Rolling Rock, Honest Tea or Tequiza, Snapple or Sprite? Just drop us a line and you could have the next store featured in Fix My Mix! Just call 617.715.9678 or email fixmymix@bevnet.com and explain what part of your mix could use some fixin’! We’ll come take photos of your store, look at the demographics, and talk about your goals. Then, Beverage Spectrum’s hand-picked industry experts will go to work, offering you and your store the best kind of makeover there is: a free one!
Beer Anheuser-Busch’s Michelob ULTRA and Michelob ULTRA Amber have joined the company’s popular collection of brands available in aluminum bottles. Available in 16 oz.
2006
OUR EXPERTS ARE STANDING BY
JULY – AUGUST
2006
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bottles featuring high-gloss graphics and visually striking designs, both beer packages are now on sale in bars, clubs, restaurants and supermarkets across the United States in 4-packs, 15-packs and 24-packs. For more information, call (314) 577-7222. From way down in Carrolton, Tex. comes a near-beer with a Longhorn flavor – Texas Select. Available nationwide, Texas Select comes in 12 oz. cans and 12 oz. bottles for prices that can be determined by calling the company at (214) 357-0248. For fans of berry beer, Leinenkugel’s has announced it is making making the once-seasonal Leinenkugel’s Berry Weiss a year-round offering.Typically offered April through September, the product is now available in 12 oz. cans and 12 oz. glass bottles throughout the year and is line-priced with other Leinenkugel’s offerings. For more information, call (414) 443.0850. On the other hand, for fans of really BIG beer, here comes the 24 oz. Pacifico from Barton beers, which will be available in single-serve glass bottles nationwide starting this summer. The new package will cost between $2.49 and $2.99 per beer. Barton is also adding a 24 oz. package to its Modelo Especial beer, in single serve cans and bottles. The new 24-oz. packaging is scheduled for a three-phase market introduction: an August roll-out in Southern California, a September introduction in Northern California, Nevada and Arizona and all remaining markets in Barton’s western import territory in October. For more information, call (312) 873-9279.
Root Beer and Virgil’s Cream Soda. The new product was developed by Reed’s to quench consumers’ thirst for authentic, all-natural fruity flavors. Like Virgil’s Root Beer and Cream Soda, the new Black Cherry Cream Soda contains no artificial ingredients, caffeine or preservatives. Virgil’s Black Cherry Cream Soda is available in colorful fourpacks and has a suggested retail price of $5.99. For more information from the folks at Reed’s, call (651) 228-9141. Spirits From Northern California comes Square One Organic Vodka, which is, as you might guess, organic vodka. It begins with North Dakota-grown certified organic rye and includes “pristine” water from the Teton Mountains. Square One is certified organic by Oregon Tilth, which holds the industry’s most stringent requirements, far exceeding those of the USDA. The vodka is packaged in dramatic square bottles. The vodka has distributors in California, New York, Connecticut and New Mexico and will be available by mid-summer in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Montana, Utah, Washington, Washington, DC, and Wyoming. With an MSRP of $30-$35, it’s available to you by calling (415) 701-9463. Excelsior Imports, LLC, is now bringing in Agua Luca, a sugarcane-based rum from Brazil known as “cachaca.” With a $30 MSRP for a 750 ml. bottle, it is available in Chicago, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, New York, Atlanta, Denver, Miami, and Boston. For more information, call (212) 255-6717 or check out www.agualuca.com. There’s a new addition to Daily’s line of ready-to-drink cocktails hitting the market this September – the industry’s first Readyto-Drink Bloody Mary in a convenient Bag-in-
CSD’s Reed’s, Inc., has introduced a Black Cherry Cream Soda to its all-natural line of Virgil’s
BevNet.com
NEW DRINK REVIEWS Ben & Jerry’s Milkshakes New Leaf Blue Tea XO Energy Jump Beverages Pepsi Jazz Hydrive Energy Drink Ito En Sri Lankan Tea
From May 3 to press time; to see reviews, log on to www.BevNET.com
Virgil’s Cream and Blackberry Green U Energy Drink Purity BE WELL Drinks Black Opium Energy Drink Nu South Lemonade Diesel Energy Drink Sum Poosie
Café Sepia Pickle Juice Sport Froid Sex Kola “Thrust” Blox Energy Drink Tea Scene Aquafina Sparkling
Druther’s Sodas Hint: New Flavors CurrantC Beaver Buzz Saskatoon Taste Nirvana Sol Maté ...and more
Box format. They have alcohol already added and are available in an easy-to-use 1.75 L bag-in-box size that is perfect for enjoying at home or anywhere. To support the launch of the Bloody Mary Bag-in-Box, Daily’s is planning a “Get into the Red Zone” promotional display program and consumer sweepstakes program. For more information, visit www. dailysreadytodrink.com. MSRP is $12.99. From The Heartland Spirits Group comes the oh-so-wholesome Bad Juanita’s Mexx Mixx, a ready-to-consume tequila beverage that combines premium imported tequila with sweetened, carbonated grapefruit and lime flavors, all in a 12 oz. Rexam slim can. The product is distilled, rather than malt-based, and is available for distribution nationwide. MSRP is $1.99 for a single, $5.99 for a 4-pack. Call Heartland at (937) 743-2444, and ask about how to get your hands on Bad Juanita.
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Juice Pacific Organic Produce has introduced Be Well drinks, the latest product under its Purity Organic label. Be Well drinks is an organic hydration line of enhanced juice drinks offering low sugar, vitamins and antioxidants. The line kicks off with two flavors, Healthy Energy (pomegranate and raspberry) and Restore (orange, mango and tangerine). Available in select large markets in the Northeast, West Coast, and Chicago, Be Well drinks will retail for $1.99 per 16 oz. PET bottle. For more information, call (415) 673-5555. Energy Drinks From the ever-inquisitive Mike Weinstein at INOV8 Beverage Company comes HYDRIVE, a non-carbonated energy drink made with spring water. HYDRIVE is available in three flavors – Acai Berry, Dragonfruit and Casaba Lime, and is packaged in 11.2 oz. “skinny bullet” plastic bottles. HYDRIVE has 25 calories and is available in New England for between $1.69 and $1.99 per bottle. For more information, call INOV8 at (212) 826-8790.
Available in 8.3 FL. OZ., Original & Sugar-Free
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773.864.3634 or email blastinfo @ ballyfitness.com www.ballyblast.com call
©2006 Bally Total Fitness Corp.
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B
By Jeffrey Klineman tea photos courtesy of Tea Forté, Concord, MA
ut for beverage retailers, the hot stuff isn’t the only game in town. It’s taken several years to gather momentum, but tea is now everywhere: in its iced form in bottles and cans of all levels of quality, but also in sodas, energy drinks, juices, lemonade, and even booze. Tea, even if it’s served cold, is hot. Tea’s ascension – and it is an ascension, make no mistake about it – achieved liftoff through a base of consumers who were retreating from carbonated soft drinks to products that they perceived to be healthier and lower in calories. It was propelled upward by the innovative marketing strategies of independent companies who perceived the badge value of a slightly exotic, mildly upscale product. And it’s stayed in orbit through America’s ongoing love affair with caffeine. Now, with the adoption of a half-dozen new colors of tea and a growing number of hybrid drinks, tea is going where few beverages have gone before: north of eleven figures in sales. Whereas previous stories about tea have dealt with the growing pipeline of innovative, gourmet products, this year, the story is that the behemoths of the beverage industry, the Coca Cola Co., PepsiCo and even Cadbury Schweppes (which owns Snapple) are so swept up in the tidal wave of tea that they’re looking to re-tool their approach to the beverage. They’re doing so in an attempt to catch up to the category leader, AriZona, and to take the lions share of the trade-up tea market before one of the leading companies in that segment – such as an Honest Tea or Tazo – can do it on its own. For beverage marketers, the opportunity they see in tea means they are willing to depart from their core brand strategies just to get a toe hold. The Coca-Cola Co. has just launched Gold Peak, a gourmet-style glassbottle RTD tea that will sell at a premium to its other offerings, and it’s reconsidering a decades-old relationship with Nestle, its partner in Nestea. PepsiCo, which touted tea sales to great stock market returns during the last financial quarter, has labeled its products with an antioxidant badge to further capitalize on tea’s health-enhancing reputation. This summer, Cadbury/Schweppes-owned Snapple has gone all in on white tea, a product known for its delicate taste and appearance, rather than its usual boldly-flavored fruit-and-sugar based drinks, as well as green tea, another product which until lately has not had mass appeal. “It is a departure, but consumers are changing,” says Holly Mensch, Snapple’s vice president of marketing. “We built the brand on bold taste, but we’re setting up a whole tea platform here. There’s so much buzz about teas right now, why not take advantage of it?” That buzz is coming from a massive growth rate – upwards of 23 percent last year, according to AC Nielsen (see chart). And it’s coming in all channels. In drug stores, teas were up
31 percent. Convenience stores sold $770 million in tea last year. In supermarkets, even the once-neglected gallon jugs in the dairy case turned into a $200 million business last year. What’s amazing about the growth, according to Coke’s John Stowell, the company’s tea brands leader, is that, like coffee, RTD teas put a premium on a product that most people already make for themselves. “It might be up 30 percent this year, but iced tea will always be a third of the size of what’s brewed at home,” Stowell says. And that’s different from almost every other beverage product – soda, sports drinks, energy drinks, beer and wine, even juice, are rarely, if ever, Holly Mensch, VP, Snapple produced from scratch. The only similar products, bottled water and coffee, are also growing. And that’s got Stowell, and the rest of Coke, thinking about where tea might fit on their vaunted “Need States” chart. It’s the close-to-home nature of tea that Coke is banking on with Gold Peak. Born of a classic Coca-Cola Co. marketing survey that identified “homemade flavor” as something that consumers were looking for, the Gold Peak teas, with their lemon flavoring and sweet, fullbodied appearance, are designed to evoke what Stowell calls “idyllic tea drinking pleasure.” “We believe there’s a place in the market for gorgeous packaging, great flavors, and a consumer option on the high end,” says Stowell. “We’re hearing from retailers, and seeing, when we do our research, is a lot of activity from the middle to the lower tier in the marketplace.” Such a statement might be pounced on were it related to the high-end tea producers like Honest Tea, Tea’s Tea, Sweet Leaf, or the Republic of Tea. Many of these companies have traveled quickly through natural foods channels into more mainstream distribution – Honest Tea, in fact, recently was selected as the “Best Tasting” RTD Tea from Consumer Reports. Regardless, a look at new products reveals that the purity of tea is only part of its appeal. As the popularity and diversity increases, tea is becoming important as a functional element, flavor accent, and all-around key ingredient. Datamonitor indicated there were 191 new RTD tea sku’s last year, an increase of nearly 50 percent, but it’s still hard to de-
“There’s so much buzz about teas right now, why not take advantage of it?”
H
ot tea has been an important cultural and ritual touchstone for centuries. To drink tea that has been properly prepared, some say, is one gateway to a higher, more spiritual world. 18
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“...be prepared to tell green tea from white, and red tea from Oolong.”
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TOWERING TEA SALES Is it any wonder tea is starting to find itself into every possible kind of product? Marketers know a popularity surge when they see one. You can see it too, by looking at the chart below:
$1,200
$1,000
$800
$600
0
$1,057,703,470
$854,279,882
$7156,055,861
$200
$715,070,046
$400
$701,418,868
DOLLARS IN MILLIONS
cide whether tea’s major growth will be as an element in other products or as a stand-alone beverage. Retailers would be wise to consider and prepare to accomodate additions in both areas. For an example of a company that is covering both ends of the spectrum, look to the growth of Ferolito, Vultaggio and Sons’ AriZona Iced Tea – it’s probably sitting in your cooler right now. The company has not only seen amazing (48 percent for the past two years) sales growth in producing tea, but also in using tea to develop saleable new products, as well. Which brings us to the fact that tea’s popularity – be it from the antioxidant health properties it claims to bring or the extra calories people assume it eliminates – has led it back to one of the most calorie-dense soda alternatives on the market, energy drinks, with its release of Green Tea Energy this summer. “It’s what we’re known for,” says Paul O’Donnell, who runs AriZona’s energy drinks business. “It’s a way to leverage tea’s popularity into expanding the energy drink category.” “Tea is such a strong motivator, it can be extended,” O’Donnell adds. “But having a name like AriZona doing the extending also makes a lot of sense.” The uptake has been rapid, O’Donnell says. So rapid, he adds, that there are already plans to extend the line by September with a new product: Pomegranate Green Tea Energy. AriZona’s understanding of tea’s value-added power makes it apparent that retailers might want to consider the unlikely combination of tea and guarana and taurine and other energy products. It’s even managed to convert tiny Inko’s, known as a purveyor of high-end, delicate white teas, into an energy drink company, as well. Don’t believe these products can benefit your bottom line? Look at how quickly the manufacturers have shown a willingness to retool and retrofit their teas to take advantage of the trend. Coke took a product it had advertised heavily, Nestea Cool and flat-out junked it; PepsiCo’s Lipton sales have helped make it the talk of Wall Street. And Snapple is seriously marketing a line of products known for their delicate flavors – albeit with a healthy dose of fruit flavoring and sugar thrown in. Seeing these elephantine companies make a beeline for the tea plant should mean one thing for retailers: be prepared to tell green tea from white, and red tea from Oolong. For what could lift your spirits more than lifting the bottom line?
June '02 June '03 June '04 June '05 June '06
Source: AC Nielsen, Total Food/Drug/Mass Merchandiser (excluding Wal-Mart)
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:N B
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Coca-Cola Co. — Coke began a revamp of its RTD tea line by introducing four new flavors in its NESTEA line, including new lemon and diet lemon formulas, and a green tea line with peach and diet peach flavors. NESTEA is now available in 12-packs of .5 L PET bottles, as well as 20 oz. bottles, 12 oz. cans and 12-packs, and 2 L bottles. Additionally, this summer Coke launched Gold Peak, an upscale line that comes in four different flavors. Sweet Leaf — Sweet Leaf Tea Company has launched a new 4-pack carrier, one of the first organic single-serve iced tea multi-packs on the market. The carrier holds four 16 oz. glass bottles and has a grab-and-go handle. Designed with Sweet Leaf ’s folksy feel in mind, the 4-packs are available in four of the eight flavors Sweet Leaf Tea offers: Original, Diet Original, Peach and Mint & Honey Green Tea. It will retail for between $3.99 - $4.49. Tonic Scene — Tonic Scene has launched an unsweetened line, Tea Scene, a set of five different 16 oz. RTD unsweetened organic iced teas bottled in glass. Tea Scene is distributed by Nature’s Best and can be found in Whole Foods in LA and surrounding areas. The Tea Scene flavors are Rooibos, Lemon Myrtle, Yerba Mate, Chamomile and Lavender Mint. Tea Scene unsweetened teas average around $1.99 per bottle. AriZona — AriZona Iced Tea recently took its tea experience and used it to produce the first energy drink based on green tea – AriZona Green Tea Energy, available in diet and regular versions in a 16 oz. can. With no artificial colors, preservatives or flavors, Arizona Green Tea Energy is available nationwide. T42 — Starting in May, T42 became available in 4-pack carriers in its most popular flavors. The teas, which carry a suggested retail price of $4.99, are available in Wegmans and independent markets from New York to Virginia; the
22
BEVERAGE SPECTRUM // JULY – AUGUST
2006
company expects to go into a major natural foods store chain in the West this summer, as well. The 4-packs are available in 24bottle cases, as well. ITO EN — ITO EN, Inc., has introduced Tea Mango, Tea Raspberry, Tea Peach and Tea Blueberry to their sweetened line of ready-to-drink Sri Lankan black teas. The new flavors join the previously introduced Tea Apple and Tea Lemon varieties. The new products are authentically brewed from premium whole, loose tea leaves with the added infusion of a touch of fruit. Each variety is available in a 16.9 oz. PET bottle, contains 120 calories per serving, and has 40 percent of the suggested daily requirement of Vitamin C. The suggested retail price is $1.99. New Leaf — This month, New Leaf will release its oneand-only line of blue tea in two new flavors: Blue Tea with Lemon and Blue Tea with Raspberry. The new Blue Tea line continues with New Leaf ’s all-natural tradition, sweetened with evaporated cane juice, containing 70 calories per serving. As for the origin of blue tea, according to New Leaf, the Tea Masters of Ancient China Recognized six tea families each classified by a different color. Oolong Tea is known as blue tea because in its dried leaf form it has a bluish reflection. Oolong tea is partially fermented for greater flavor. Packaged in a glass bottle with leaf embossment at the neck, New Leaf has used a Shrink Sleeve label for its latest offering. New Leaf Blue Tea will be available at specialty, gourmet, health and fine retail stores throughout the East Coast. Kalahari USA — For Kalahari the news is mainly about growing placement versus anything product-related. The product is gaining presence on shelves in Whole Foods stores in New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Jersey, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina and California, as well as in Shaws’ Wild Harvest sections and Meijer in their natural foods areas. The product is also in all UNFI warehouses on the East Coast as well as Nature’s Best on the West Coast. Millbrook and Kehe are
two additional distributors carrying the line. The company’s focus right now is primarily the natural trade and is spread across the Northeast and California. Adagio — Adagio Teas has unveiled three new varieties of its bottled Anteadote tea: Black, White, and Jasmine. Similar to the Green original, the new products marry the convenience of bottled tea with the sophisticated taste of its gourmet full-leaf variety. Its only ingredients are water, tea leaves and vitamin C. Anteadote is made with a progressive bottling process developed in Japan. Oxygen is extracted from each bottle, preventing oxidation – the cause of food spoilage. With oxygen gone, so is the need to laden the product with artificial additives or preservatives. For the past three years, the US Tea Association has awarded Anteadote top honors in a blind tasting of unsweetened teas. Republic of Tea — The Republic of Tea has announced the addition of new organic Pomegranate Green Tea to its line of Sip and Go Bottled Iced Teas. Available August 1, Pomegranate Green Tea is a premium ready-to-drink iced tea. It offers an unsweetened, yet flavorful, blend of organic China green tea and pure pomegranate juice. This variety is the latest addition to The Republic of Tea’s line of Sip and Go Bottled Iced Teas, comprised of eight flavors. Each Sip and Go Iced Tea is available in a 12 oz. recyclable plastic bottle. Kombucha Wonder Drink — Kombucha Wonder Drink, a tangy and tart sparkling beverage made with fermented tea, offers the uplifting kombucha tea experience in five flavors, is certified organic, and comes in 8.5 oz. bottles and 4-packs. The two latest Kombucha Wonder Drinks are Jasmine Niagara Grape Blend and Rooibos Red Peach. Both flavors blend kombucha with fruit and flower notes. KWD is carried by natural foods co-ops and grocery store chains, as well as independently-owned coffee shops and fine vegetarian restaurants.
BEVERAGE SPECTRUM // JULY – AUGUST
Pacific International Trading Group — Pacific International has brought Tao Tea, a top-selling green tea in Hong Kong, to the United States. Domestically, it sports a new label but contains the same great taste. Tao Tea combines naturally-brewed green tea leaves from Taiwan with a dab of real cane sugar and fruit juice, with no artificial flavoring, color, or preservatives. In addition to its plastic PET line of green teas, Pacific International is also selling a set of 12 oz. canned teas, Assam Milk, Assam Black, and Oolong. UrbanZen Tea — UrbanZen Tea uses its own high-quality hand-picked tea leaves from the winter and spring seasons. According to the company, the teas are grown at a high altitude, and the plantations’ exposure to the sun in the daytime and ideal moisture in the evening set the best growing conditions in Taiwan. These leaves are then brewed with spring water, jasmine flowers, and honey as the base for all flavours. UrbanZen adds juice, natural flavor, and cane sugar for its lemon, green apple, and ginger flavors, while honey jasmine is the original. UrbanZen only uses natural ingredients. The bottle is filled right to the top and is vacuum sealed air-tight, with no liquid movement, keeping the real tea product fresh for up to one year’s dry storage. Inko’s — Inko’s, one of the original white tea companies, is launching the country’s first White Tea Energy drink this summer. Additionally, the company’s multi-pack is currently being sold at all locations in Costco’s Texas and San Diego divisions. Inko’s recently moved into Dierbergs in the St. Louis area and A&P and Food Emporium supermarkets in the tri-state area. Delta Blues — Delta Blues Iced Tea invites drinkers to “Sip and Chat” to the tune of the Delta Blues, created to commemorate the songs, the drinks, and the romance of the South. True to its name, Delta Blues has a regional focus, and is targeted below the Mason/Dixon line and in
Tradewinds — This spring Tradewinds introduced a 3flavor plastic bottle variety pack to offer a superior non-breakable and convenient package. They designed their new plastic bottle to be an exact replica of their traditional glass bottle with
24
the same bottle shape, clear permanent label and colorful neck sleeve. The technology allows them to hot fill in a smooth walled plastic container without side heat expansion joints. Tradewinds can now be enjoyed places glass isn’t: poolside, on the golf course and at the game
2006
the Colony States. It comes in two glass-bottle sizes: 16 oz. and 700 mL. Delta Blues is available through Lipman Brothers Distributors, Nashville, Tenn. Honest Tea — The best-selling brand of organic bottled tea launched its the first organic diet drink this spring, 10Calorie Tangerine Green Tea. Tangerine Green is loaded with antioxidants from organic green tea. Its sweetness comes from organic agave syrup (from the cactus family) and a fermented organic cane sugar called erythritol, marking the first time organic erythritol has been used to sweeten a beverage. Additionally, the magazine Consumer Reports recently named Lori’s Lemon Honest Tea its besttasting RTD black tea, and ranked Heavenly Honey 2nd in green teas. Teany — Teany started at a tea shop of the same name on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. The product was started by Moby (a bald mu sician) and his ex-girlfriend Kelly, because they found most bottled teas to be either too sweet or not sweet enough. There is a small drawing under the cap of every bottled of Teany called “The Little Idiot,� which was first drawn by Moby. Teany white, green and black brewed teas contain blends of ingredients from around the world, like hibiscus, elderflower or ginseng. They are naturally low in calories and carbohydrates, and have no preservatives or high fructose corn syrup. Jones Soda — Launched in Spring, 2005, Jones Soda rolled out its Jones Organics line of bottled teas earlier this year. Its six flavors are currently available in 500 Safeway locations, Albertson’s Capers, and Whole Foods. With two red, two white and two green teas, all with light fruit flavoring, Jones Organics are available in 14 oz. glass bottles individually or in 12-bottle cases. The teas have 60 calories per serving. Top Shelf Foods, LLC — Top Shelf recently introduced a new, ready-to-drink Rooibos red tea, Z Red Tea. Wellknown in its native land for its healing and rejuvenating
26
BEVERAGE SPECTRUM // JULY – AUGUST
2006
properties, Rooibos red tea has been called the “New Miracle Brew� because of its many health benefits. Z Red Tea contains no calories, carbohydrates, sugar or caffeine, and also contains iron, magnesium and calcium. Z Red Tea is available in six flavors: Unsweet, Sweet, Lemon, Peach, Raspberry, and Mango. It comes in 16 oz. glass bottles, 64 oz. PET bottles, and will be in tetra-packs in time for back-to-school. Z Red Tea is currently available in limited markets and at www.getredtea.com. Liberty Imports USA — Owned by a mother-daughter team, Brazil Gourmet has combined two hot categories -- exotic tropical nectars and premium gourmet black and green teas -- to develop a tremendously refreshing and delicious line-up of Brazil Gourmet Nectar Teas. Available in Mango, Guava, Passion Fruit and Mango-Passion Light Nectar Teas. They are all made with all-natural juices, flavors, & colors and are vitamin-added. All are available in 16 oz. glass bottles. Tempest Tea — From the Organic/ Fair Trade Certified tea maker Tempest comes the newest wave in green tea: U. U is an energy drink with all the health benefits of green tea, which it gets from a blend of green tea extract and natural herbs. The product is being carried in Whole Foods and Eatzi’s restaurants. U was introduced at Tempest Tea’s retail location in Dallas late last year, and it sold out within the first two weeks. Tempest Tea offers a full line of tea blends and healthy beverages including Organic/Fair Trade Certified teas, chai teas and herbal boosts. The WBC — From Tuff Guyz sports drink maker Brad Wiedman comes Golf Tea, a light black tea/lemonade mix designed for thirsty golfers. Golf Tea is available in single serve 16 oz. glass bottles and 20 oz. plastic bottles in four flavors: Light Black Tea Lemonade, Black Tea Lemonade, On The Green (Green Tea with Lemonade), and Delicious Raspberry (Black Tea with Raspberry). It retails for $1.49 - $2.49 at select golf pro shops and at retail mass merchandisers.
!UTHENTICALLY 2EFRESHING 9ES WE REALLY BREW OUR TEA IN KETTLES AND YES THIS REALLY MATTERS 9OU CAN ACTUALLY TASTE THE WAY IT S MADE FRESH BREWED JUST BEFORE BOTTLING "Y STEEPING TEA BAGS PACKED FULL OF THE FINEST TEA LEAVES IN OUR SMALL BATCH KETTLES WE DELIVER A DISTINCTIVE FRESH BREWED TASTE
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Magic Beans?
Coffee sales are jumping.
28
BEVERAGE SPECTRUM // JULY – AUGUST
2006
Tea Energy Drink on the market, according to Paul O’Donnell, an AriZona executive. Meanwhile, smaller companies are also getting noticed enough to the point where a retailer might reap a bit more interest: Shock Coffee, for example, continues a broad media campaign based on its high caffeine content. Given the growing knowledge of the potent power of caffeine via energy drinks, could Shock’s super-caffeinated products send sales bouncing off the walls? It’s time to put on a pot, wait and see.
COFFEE’S CAFFEINATED GROWTH It’s off of a small base, so you might not have noticed, but look at the sales of liquid (i.e. RTD) coffee over a five-year period, and it’s enough to make any retailer kind of jumpy. They’ve almost doubled, and that’s been with just one major venture throwing marketing weight behind it. Beverage sellers might want to pay attention – the stampede is coming.
$250
$200
$150
$100
0
$226,126,216
$182,395,895
$157,495,038
$142,717,599
$50
$114,402,607
DOLLARS IN MILLIONS
They’re practically screaming it from Wall Street rooftops: there’s opportunity in that there bean. And the numbers are starting to prove it. For years, ready-to-drink coffee products have languished behind cola, teas, waters, and practically anything else that takes up cooler space. But coffee is slowly turning into a growth crop within the cold beverage lineup, and there are several reasons why, according to a recent survey by the investment firm Deutsche Bank Securities: 1) Coffee consumption is growing overall, and two of its fastest-growing sectors are among Hispanics and teenagers – two of the most desirable beverage-purchasing groups. Teenagers, in particular, are deserting CSD’s in droves for the confines of the coffee shop, according to Deutsche Bank. 2) RTD coffee was up last year – 22 percent, according to Port Washington, NY-based NPD Group – and is projected to grow 12 percent per year until 2009, according to Datamonitor. 3) As a flavor, coffee is growing everywhere, according to Mintel International. Burger King and McDonalds have both upgraded their coffee offerings to compete with Starbuck’s stores, and it’s likely that retailers will have to at least stock a cold coffee product or two to stay in the game. For years, RTD coffee has been a one-horse race. Frappuccino, the first product launched by PepsiCo and Starbuck’s joint venture, North American Coffee Partnership, has a market share north of 80 percent in the category – but has had little or no competition since the Coca-Cola Co. wound down its Planet Java experiment. One decent competitor could juice the whole field. A few potentially heavy hitters are stepping into the game, and might be worth considering as the category grows. Coke, which pushed into the coffee cola-market with its Coca-Cola Blak earlier this year, is also launching a line of indulgence beverages via a partnership with Godiva. If it performs well, don’t be surprised to see the company move into a more mainstream coffee product in the future, as it already owns several brand names that could be applied to an RTD. Coke has also loosened the bolts on its ties to Nestle in its Beverage Partners Worldwide deal, meaning it might be able to develop and market coffee products independently. A Coke/Brain Twist partnership recently launched a line of Cinnabon-licensed coffee drinks in the Southeast – yet another sign that the company is waking up to at least sniff the coffee. Japanese tea giant Ito EN is launching its first coffee-based beverage in the U.S. later this summer. Given the taste for creative packaging in Japan, according to one observer, the possibility that more unique shapes and sizes of RTD coffees has serious potential. “I’ve walked into so many Japanese stores, and when you see the coffees, they give you a variety,” says Keith Chamish, who recently launched IceSpresso, a diet coffee drink. “People think it’s hip and cool, rather than a 9.5 oz. lab bottle.” AriZona Iced Tea, which already has a coffee product on the market, will take a stronger look at coffee after it finishes establishing its Green
June '02 June '03 June '04 June '05 June '06
Source: AC Nielsen, Total Food/Drug/Mass Merchandiser (excluding Wal-Mart)
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The Source of Energy for Over 1,000 Years
C B N:
ITO EN INC. — ITO EN is brewing up its first ready-to-drink coffee with the introduction of Café Sepia. Available in re-sealable 6.4 oz. steel cans, Café Sepia carries a suggested retail price is $1.79 - $1.99. The name was inspired by the mystic quality of sepia-toned photographs that, like Café Sepia, evoke a sense of timelessness and luxury. All beans are roasted in-house, which adds to the coffee’s distinctive taste. Packaged in a convenient demitasse sized container, they can be found pre-heated in ITO EN display units for ready-to-drink convenience on the go, or they may be purchased cold and then poured into a cup to be heated. Café Sepia coffees will be available in two flavors, both of which are produced in Japan: Café Sepia House Blend and Café Sepia Mocha. BibiCaffe — BibiCaffe, the bubbly espresso, has secured distribution by UNFI, Rainbow, and Nature’s Best for the West, the Rockies, and the Southwest. BibiCaffe also went into the Southwest and Rocky Mountain regions of Whole Foods last month, and the company recently acquired broker representation in the Southeast. The all-natural product features carbonated water, Neapolitan espresso, sugar, caramel and vanilla. Trader’s Island Group — The manufacturer of Icespresso, Trader’s Island Group is introducing its first no-fat, no-sugar-added RTD coffee later this summer. The 9.5 oz. PET plastic bottles will be available in single-serve and 4-packs. Icespresso is a blend of Colombian coffees, sweetened with Splenda, that have been whipped into a low-calorie latte. Shock Coffee — Capitalizing on continued media exposure, Shock Coffee is now distributed in more than 30 states and is still growing. The world’s first hyper-caffeinated gourmet coffee, Shock includes a pair of RTD chilled beverages, Shock Triple Latte and Shock Triple Mocha, as well as a new, chocolate-covered coffee bean candy, Shock-a-Lots. Coca-Cola Co. — Coca-Cola North America launched Coca-Cola Blak, a sophisticated, premium blend of CocaCola, natural flavors and coffee essence, earlier this spring.
The effervescence and rich flavor of Coca-Cola Blak provide the perfect pick-me-up for people looking for new ways to stay refreshed any time of the day or night, according to Coke. First introduced in France, for its U.S. launch, Coca-Cola Blak has been specially formulated to appeal to American tastes and features a unique logo treatment and packaging as well. Designed to appeal to adult consumers looking for an indulgent and revitalizing alternative to other beverages, Coca-Cola Blak is a midcalorie beverage, with 45 calories per 8 oz. bottle. It is packaged in a resealable version of Coca-Cola’s signature glass contour bottle enveloped in sophisticated and stylish graphics, and is available in singles and 4-packs. JavaVoo — JavaVoo, LLC has developed and patented the industry’s first disposable Ready-To-Pressure-Brew cup of Espresso or other hot beverages using any standard microwave oven. The Micro-Brew Personal Barista is a disposable coffee unit that can pressure-brew a fresh cup of 6-8 oz. Espresso or Latte in the microwave oven in 2 minutes. The product is completely self-contained, and is packaged to include cup, lid, water, ground coffee, and all the necessary ingredients. JavaVoo welcomes private label uses for the product, as well as licensing opportunities. To learn more about JavaVoo and the Micro-Brew technology, visit www.javavoo.com. Skylar Haley — Skylar Haley continues to manufacture AchieveOne, a protein-enhanced coffee drink that comes in four flavors: Mocha Java, Hazelnut, Vanilla and Cappuccino. Each RTD 9.5 oz. bottle contains 20 grams of protein, 5 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fat, 19 essential vitamins and minerals, high calcium, low calories, and is made with premium Columbian coffee. Kan-Pak LLC — Kan-Pak’s RTD Cool Java is continuing its strong growth in the New York metro area and Long Island through distributor Big Geyser. The company recently signed an agreement with Cornerstone Promotions, NYC, for a broad based sampling and awareness program, and plans to target adding six or seven Northeast distributors by year-end. Cool Java is available in 11 oz. plastic bottles and in bulk format.
Then
Now
Traders Island Group introduces the First No Fat, No Sugar Added, Ready To Drink (RTD) coffee, available in single serving and four packs. Recent research has found many added health benefits associated with coffee consumption. Experience a blend of pure Colombian coffees, whipped into a delicious low calorie iced latte. We left out the sugars and fat, and filled it with flavor instead. Additional Flavors, and the best looking bottles in the beverage aisle, are coming third quarter 2006.
Coffee was first discovered in Eastern Africa in an area known today as Ethiopia. A popular legend refers to a goat herder by the name of Kaldi, who observed his goats acting unusually frisky after eating berries from a bush. Curious about this phenomena, Kaldi tried eating the berries himself. He found that these berries gave him a renewed energy. The news of this energy laden fruit quickly spread throughout the region. Soon, people from his group began boiling the beans and using this new liquid to stay awake during all-night ceremonies.
"RTD Coffee will never be the same" Traders Island Group 455 Route 306 Suite 180 Wesley Hills NY 10952 • 888 ICE (423) 4141 • 323-229-2000
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GERRY’S INSIGHTS Looking for the
Second horse in a 1-Horse Race o what’s with ready-to-drink iced coffee? If you’ve been around beverages for a while, like me, you regard it as a long-standing mystery. First, it took forever for the segment to get going – way longer than tea, even though this is more of a coffee-drinking country. Entries came and went but never stuck. Then, once Starbucks’ Frappuccino finally nailed it via its alliance with Pepsi, it remained pretty much a onehorse race. This in a beverage industry that almost always has managed to support two or three major entries in every segment. Like I said, weird. So why did it take so long to start? Years back, a fellow working on iced teas at Coke offered me a theory: Since lots of folks drink hot coffee in the U.S., it would have been harder to devise a cheap-to-produce RTD product that passed muster with them. But, since fewer American consumers drink hot tea, the entry barrier in that segment was lower. In other words, folks won’t reject a cheap, cold-filled iced tea for not tasting like real tea if they don’t drink tea in the first place. The situation was reversed in the tea-drinking nation of Japan, where it was iced coffee, not iced tea, that took off. Make sense? Well, it’s not completely satisfying. (For one thing, in pre-Starbucks days, most Americans drank such lousy coffee that it’s hard to see them as rejecting any kind of iced coffee as not up to their standards.) But leave it at that. So, once the category was established with a strong performer like
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the Frappuccino, why haven’t other folks – particularly Coke? – been able to become meaningful players, too? What we have now is the expanding Starbucks lineup, and then a bunch of niche players. I suspect the answer to that second question partly lies in how Starbucks changed the game. To me, part of the brilliance of what it has accomplished is that it’s placed such an alluring veneer of cosmopolitan sophistication on its coffee when, in truth, straight coffee – which it makes ridiculously well – is the least of its business. Of late, most of Starbucks’ beverage business consists of frothy indulgences in which the taste of the coffee is overwhelmed by the cream and sugar and flavorings. What Starbucks is really purveying is milk shakes for adults, and the genius in its branding is how the coffee-culture atmospherics and Italian nomenclature and rhetoric of connoisseurship provide cover for what otherwise would seem to be a childish pleasure. It’s a bit like the success of Corona beer, in which an easy-drinking pilsner that is no more challenging than Bud or Coors becomes more socially acceptable because its import status puts it on the same plane as more challenging European brews like Heineken or Beck’s. If I’m right about most of this, then that suggests some strategies for the future. For now, I wonder whether Coke’s latest effort to participate in the segment via the licensed Godiva brand can really become a big business. Go-
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diva is too nakedly positioned as an indulgence product, unmoored to the adult sophistication of a brand like Starbucks. Yet for all its strength overseas, the brand that Coke has access to via its Nestle alliance – Nescafé – is too much an old person’s supermarket brand. For Coke, then, the route to success would seem to require renegotiating its Nestle deal so that it can instead bring in a brand that, like Starbucks, melds gourmet indulgence with a more adult focus on quality coffee. Great hot-coffee brands like Caribou or Peets might fit the bill here. Then, maybe we’ll finally have the two-horse race we’ve been expecting all these years.
Longtime beverage-watcher Gerry Khermouch is executive editor of Beverage Business Insights, a twice-weekly e-newsletter covering the nonalcoholic beverage sector.
THE
When a M category’s hatchlings take flight, what’s left in the nest? by Laurie Russo
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uch like patchouli, peasant skirts and yoga, New Age just refuses to go away. Not the beverages themselves, but the seemingly dated term. Say “New Age” and most of us imagine the artistically-packaged, funky potions of the 80s and 90s whose amusing properties (who could forget SoBe’s aphrodisiac Eros, marketed as “Viagra in a bottle”?) recall the prevailing time, when anything was possible beverage-wise. Also known as “Alternative Beverages,” the New Age category has traditionally encompassed such offerings as bottled water (still, sparkling and enhanced), energy drinks, sports drinks, RTD tea/ coffee, single-serve fruit, soy-based and nutraceutical (now “functional”) beverages and even energy drinks. But as the years have passed, and these segments have grown up and flown into their own individual categories, the question must be posed: is the New Age category now an empty nest? In short, whither New Age? Those who are recognized category pioneers have a host of interesting takes on that question. One company that still strongly believes in the category is
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SoBe, which works hard to combine functional and natural-sounding components within its offerings. “In my opinion, the ‘New Age’ category (which can be otherwise defined as ‘enhanced juice drinks and teas’) is still alive and well,” says Nicole Flavin, a senior category manager at SoBe. “That’s how we define our competitive set when looking at data trends.” The success of products that combine attributes of established categories keeps the category’s moniker relevant, she adds. “As we see more enhanced products emerge, we’ll see them fit into either New Age, or a subset of a larger, more established category (like enhanced water). Water, sports drinks and energy drinks each have become their own categories by the nature of their size, functionality or other reasons.” Snapple VP Holly Mensch says that New Age was “a convenient name for a wide assortment of different types of beverages that were just entering a business previously dominated by CSDs. Calling them New Age was convenient for retailers, distributors and manufacturers to discuss the
category as a collective whole, giving it critical mass versus culling it down into the individual parts.” Innovation stepped in and stepped up, as did consumer recognition—growing the category, but ultimately blurring the lines. “As the categories within traditional New Age started to get bigger and more mainstream (i.e. iced tea), the category continued to be defined by unique news, new segments (like energy) and new ingredients within each category,” explains Mensch. “I don’t believe that New Age in its past definition exists anymore; however, I definitely believe there is a premium segment that many of the New Age brands or offerings continue to fall within despite the segment definitions expanding.” She cites ready-todrink teas as an example of a product that is now commonplace, “yet there exist premium teas with high-quality ingredients and value teas in CSD-type packaging with preservatives.” The “premium” aspect is what Hansen’s Mark Hall, a senior vice president who runs that company’s energy offerings, believes is what really drives the issue. “Is it still New Age? Not in our customers’ lingo,” Hall says. “The distributors I sell to don’t call it New Age anymore, they call it Premium Beverage—basically because it sells at a premium to CSDs.” Typically, he notes, they look at this category in terms of the way it is merchandised and marketed, “which is more c-store and single-unit intensive, as opposed to CSD, which tends to be grocery and multi-pack driven. But this is changing.” This change, in particular, shows how important a thriving New Age category can be for retailers, given premium’s higher ring. “Depending on where you live, you can probably buy a case of water for four dollars. There’s no money in that for anyone,” Hall says. “As Premium Beverage’s share in grocery continues to grow, we’re looking into grocery-type packages, like multipacks. With our own Monster Energy, two years ago I don’t think we could have sold a 4-pack, now 4-packs are booming. Red Bull has come out with a 12-pack.” No one, he believes, would have thought that was possible. “Even bottlers are flabbergasted. I don’t want to say it’s easy money, but let’s face it, these Premium Beverage items do scan much higher in c-stores.” And whether multi- or single-serve, it’s a profit bonanza previously unimagined in the nonalcoholic segment. “The Premium Beverage segment, for most of the customers we sell to, is growing significantly, where most of their CSD portfolios are flat or down,” Hall adds. It also tends to generate more margin, as single-serve doesn’t come under the same multiunit price-pressure as CSD. Also, he points out, as these categories are still relatively new, “the parent
companies in the category haven’t really gotten into the down and dirty price-gouging, expect perhaps with water.” Part of the New Products confusion is that data providers need to create more distinct categories and segments, Hall says. “If you look at how (Industry Analyst Collective) Beverage Marketing breaks down the world now, they segment Premium Beverage into water, sports drinks, energy drinks, shelf-stable juice, teas, RTD coffee.” he explains. “They break it into broad descriptors which are really now viewed as categories unto themselves.” The New Age descriptor, he insists, “is pretty much dead. The industry really doesn’t speak of it any longer; rather, of the individual categories they’re in, or Premium Beverage as a whole.” SoBe’s Flavin says she would be “surprised if any retailer viewed water, energy or sports drinks as part of a New Age set.” She believes more subcategories such as enhanced water will emerge, as well as hybrid products (like sport-energy). “The success of these products, their positioning and how the retailer and consumer use them will help establish where they fit in the long run,” she says. “At the end of the day, innovation drives the beverage business. With the sheer volume of new products hitting the shelves and the speed at which they’re being introduced, categories and definitions will continue to evolve.” John Balboni, President of AriZona, believes that the category, “originally used to describe noncarbonated ready-to-drink beverages that were coming to market.” As such, it still exists, but it has changed a bit. “We think the beverages that are New Age now trend toward healthy, premium products, products without artificial colors and flavors and no preservatives.” However, if he had his druthers, he would rename New Age “Profitability-Based Beverages.” One company with an undisputed claim to spawning an entirely new category on its own is glacéau, whose VitaminWater, FruitWater and SmartWater products helped create the booming enhanced water segment. Founder and CEO Darius Bikoff is a longtime proponent of healthy hydration. “New Age started out as a place-holder category for every beverage that was not a CSD,” he says. “As segments such as bottled water took off, they became categories on their own, but ‘New Age’ is still a place-holder for all products that don’t otherwise fit elsewhere—like carbonated juices and ready-to-drink coffee.” While New Age always had “the image of being healthier,” he believes today it is increasingly seen by consumers as having the same ingredients as CSDs without the carbonation. “As a category,” Bikoff says, “New Age is less and less relevant.”
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SoBe Lizards
Wendy the Snapple Lady
Monster’s Mark Hall
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Honest Tea also knows a little about healthy beverages. After all, it was only fairly recently that its products even began containing sweeteners of any description. Says ‘TeaEO’ Seth Goldman, “New Age pretty much meant ‘something that’s not soda.’ But unfortunately a lot of it was just sugary drinks dressed up in a swami outfit. They were perceived and marketed as healthier, but in reality they just had fewer artificial ingredients.” Growth-wise, he points to distribution changes that have altered the landscape. “Beer distributors used to be the biggest distributors of non-alcoholic brands,” he says, “but over the years, a lot of them got out of that business. Now they’re coming back into it.” “There was a little overselling going on with the functional products,” Goldman adds. “People aren’t buying beverages as much for those aspects anymore. And they’re more skeptical now than they were a few years ago; they’re no longer to likely to say ‘Oh, this beverage will improve my sex drive or my memory? Let me buy a case!’” However, says Snapple’s Mensch, “people are becoming more educated about their health and
FRUITOPIA
IF
...if he had his druthers, he would rename New Age “Profitability-Based Beverages.” are looking for better-for-you alternatives and functional benefits in what they drink.” Changes in consumer awareness and education is something everyone points to as a key driver in the evolution – and possible eventual phase-out of “New Age.” “These beverages are being chosen more by consumers than in the past,” says Hall. “It used to be a boutique thing… now it’s mainstream, it’s fragmented into all these categories and subcategories. The evolution of consumer buying trends is accelerating volume growth. I don’t think anyone five years ago could have projected the volume we see today.” The ubiquity of those attributes doesn’t mean the pipeline needs to be shut down, however, says Mensch. “A premium, higher-quality product still remains in the traditional definition of New Age,” she says. “In addition, New Age is still where new ingredients still seem to start.” Not to mention “old” ingredients.
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you close your eyes, you can probably still hear the wah-wah pedal music and visualize the psychedelic, kaleidoscopic imagery. Fruitopia, while sadly gone, is not likely to be forgotten. Originally the brainchild of Coke marketing guru Sergio Zyman (who also, it must be said, conceived New Coke) New Age poster child Fruitopia was launched with major marketing muscle behind it in 1994, at the peak of New Age Beverage mania. The “Total Fruit Integration” line, which inundated TV screens across the U.S. with its bohemian flair, sported monikers such as Lemonade Love & Hope, Strawberry Passion Awareness and Raspberry Psychic Lemonade, and the groovy packaging of these simple juice drinks offered pearls of wisdom to live by. “Things that are still right in the cosmos: The perfection of a circle, Beethoven’s 9th, white t-shirts and baseball,” The Grape Beyond counseled us. Heavy. But like the New Age culture of the 90s, Fruitopia apparently ran its course. After making a final push–some might say a last gasp—in 2002 with revamped packaging and new flavors, it became clear that sister brand Minute Maid was always going to rule the juice roost, and Fruitopia was quietly phased out. It was, after all, simply a fruit-flavored drink, with no herbal enhancements and certainly no mystical powers. Besides, Coke already had a successful, nattily-attired fruit drink in its portfolio. “Fruitopia still had a consumer following, but we determined that the Minute Maid brand has more staying power, so we brought out a new line of fruit drinks to replace [Fruitopia],” explains Coke/Minute Maid spokesperson Ray Crockett. “It was simply a decision of moving forward with a single juice-drink brand that we felt gave us the most strength.” But the New Age didn’t completely end. A niche following (it had fallen below even Fresca in case sales, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution) has enabled the brand to remain in at least some form in the U.S., where it can still be found at the fountain. In other countries it’s moved into more conservative packaging, but keeps breathing on store shelves. From a purely societal standpoint, the New Age counterculture that was already beginning to dissipate in the heyday of Fruitopia waned relatively quickly. Meanwhile, as with many Coke products, a marketing-based approach to a dated trend eventually gave way to a desire for authenticity and familiarity, as overwhelmed, confused consumers began to tire of the chaos of the beverage aisle. Duly simplified, the wild child grew up to become the more sensible Minute Maid. And Zyman? He’s a consultant. Radical. Laurie Russo
2006
812.5820. (617) 715-9671.
3. What is your primary business type?
(check only one) A—N Convenience Store B—N Supermarket/Grocery C—N Club/Warehouse Store D—N Mass Merchandiser/Dollar E—N Drug Store F—N Liquor Store G—N Wine Store H—N Wholesaler/Distributor/Broker I —N Beverage Only/Beverage Specialty Store X—N Other (please describe):
4. What is your title? (check only one) A—N B—N C—N D—N E—N X—N
Owner/President/CEO/COO/VP/Director Buyer Merchandising Manager Regional/District Manager Store Manager/Supervisor Other (please describe):
5. Do the locations that you are responsible for sell: (check all that apply) A—N Carbonated soft drinks B—N Non-carbonated soft drinks C—N Bottled water D—N Beer E—N Wine F—N Liquor
BS0506 BS0806 BS03O6 BS0406
“What exists of New Age now,’ says Hall, “you’d probably have to look in health food stores to find—fresh juice, organic and functional beverages.” Organic wasn’t there at all before, “so that’s the creation of a brand-new category,” says Goldman. “And you’ll continue to see organic across all existing categories. There’s also a trend away from sugar, and that’s going on all over food and beverage.” But most of all, he believes, “consumers now want authenticity, and that’s a real change.
Before, beverages could get away with claims of ‘consciousness’ and all that, but people have been given enough hot air, enough fluff, that they see through products that aren’t walking their talk.” With all the ways in our culture that people have been disappointed and misled, he explains, “companies that make false claims do so at an increasingly greater risk. The stakes for misrepresenting what you’re doing are higher now.” “Even the term itself sounds false now,” he says. “The New Age era has come and gone.”
DEAD or CANADIAN?
IT
used to be a great favorite part of the MTV game show “Remote Control” – the one that launched careers like Adam Sandler, Carmen Electra and Colin Quinn. It was surprisingly hard. Jack Lord? Dead. Rick Moranis? Canadian. Clearly Canadian? Believe it or not, after years in which it seemed to fall into both categories, these days, it’s just Canadian. After years of flirting with bankruptcy and being consigned to the back shelves of the New Age beverage ranks, it looks like the original product is back with some of its earlier optimism. That might be hard to believe for a product that went from the leadership group of the still-nascent category in 1992 to a recent de-listing from NASDAQ (the result of an anemic share price) and a near-disappearance from shelves on both sides of the border. But Clearly Canadian is back, powered by a few key distribution deals, a trimmed payroll, and the optimism of a pair of youthful turnaround specialists: attorney-turned-CEO Brent Lokash, and new spokesman Steve Nash, a two-time National Basketball Association Most Valuable Player. It’s building off core distribution in the center of the U.S. and plans to attack the coasts as soon as possible. If seeing Clearly Canadian back on the shelves is a return to the past, so are the bottles and products themselves. After years of futzing around with products like the colored-floating-tapioca water “Orbitz” and all kinds of odd packaging combinations, the brand is getting back to the basics. “Our initial strategy has been to take the core product, which really has been the sparkling flavored waters, the mainstay for 17 years, and to revamp, rejuvenate and relaunch it in a form the customer is familiar with,” says Lokash, a Canada native who, at only 34, has handled several bankruptcies and workouts. “After the cobalt, the shrink-wrapped, we’ve taken
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it to the old, clear, glass format. It looks like what it started out as – a different type of water product.” Nash, whose Canadian origins are almost as well known as his floppy hair, would seem to be the perfect face to put on a product that had fallen on hard times, given the fact that his insertion into the Phoenix Suns’ lineup immediately helped take it from losing team to contender. “It was a great brand growing up, they made great products, and it was part of my childhood,” says Nash, who believes bringing it back also exhibits a bit of Canadian pride. “The company kind of ran itself down, and to have a whole new strategy, to see it re-branded, is exciting. I’m excited about the new team.” Of course, as exciting as a new team might be, there’s still the legacy of the old one that’s been pretty hard to shake. It’s a mixed opportunity for one of those “whatever-happenedto” products that helped usher in the idea that soft drinks didn’t need to be sodas, but one that quickly disappeared from view as that notion rolled into areas where a sugary beverage like the original Clearly Canadian couldn’t go. Now, however, the pendulum seems to be swinging back, as waters, and even more importantly to this company, “water beverages,” are on their way to becoming the most popular items on the shelves. “It’s very crowded out there, especially with respect to water,” Lokash says. “But in going around, people are talking to us and giving us meetings because of the brand. It’s well recognized, and gives us an in. If we can make this succeed, it would be pretty exciting.”
CONVENTION SCRAPBOOK
We can’t possibly explain how fancy the Fancy Food Show was this year, but perhaps by looking at the MetroMint crew below, you’ll understand. People were in ties. We felt underdressed. Fortunately, we had our camera, to demonstrate that they let us into classy joints like that one. What a great time… we’re all looking forward to next year.
fancy food show
fancy food show
The Metromint Crew: Brian Bland, Art Greenwald, Patrick Crowe, Scott Lowe, Rio Miura, Michele Thorne, Adam Hertel. Always freshly dressed. Michele Dunn, Abbie Leeson, Evan Leeson – the ginger-haired Ginger People.
Fizzy Lizzy folks Lizz Marlin Morrill, Amy Drown and Lauren Golden show off their new style. Chris Testa and Anthony Monroe tested the waters for Wild Waters.
Andy Schamisso, Alex Reist, Inko’s White, what a feast!
Hey, dude, don’t steal all the Steaz!
Greg Holzman and Cindy Richter, the face of Purity (Organic, that is.) Adina’s Magatte Wade-Marchand was there to show two fancy new flavors. Even Barry Nalebuff (r) drove down from New Haven to join Seth Goldman at the Honest Tea booth!
Jack Wattanaporn once again invites you to Taste Nirvana.
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Emily Suttles and Scott Witucki represent for the Sweet Leaf.
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The Eurobubblies team, Arthur BenoiskGironiere and Jonathan Elazar.
Max Kozhemyakov and Marina Nikolenko. They care about Kefir.
The Snow Team reports for duty: Kirsten Hornbach, Dennis Connelly, Princess Usanga and Melanie Randall.
Sambazon’s Keith Lord and Zach Bluemer, wearing the requisite purple uniform.
Jeannette Luoh and Steve Hersh, always ready with their Grown-up Soda.
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PROMO PARADE King James Shoots for Powerade
Hooray Red Stripe
Powerade and LeBron James have put together a new storyline in their online “King James” comics and mini-movies. The entire series of "King James" comics – including issues one and two of the new "23" story – can be viewed online at www.us.powerade.com. In addition, exclusive "King James" mini-movies are available as premium content to members of the newly launched Powerade Athletic Club, featuring extra chapters that take place between scenes of the comic. Consumers age 13 and older can join the Powerade Athletic Club with just a few clicks and the selection of a unique username and password. Scoring redeemable club points is easy – caps of specially marked 20 oz. bottles of Powerade and Powerade OPTION and 16 oz. bottles of ADVANCE by Powerade carry a code, which can be credited to a club account by entering the code directly on the Web site or sending a text message to "PWRAD" (79723). For as few as five caps, consumers can log on to the site to
Guinness USA Inc. has launched a new television, online and out-of-home advertising campaign for Red Stripe that dismisses awkward or unpleasant social situations while providing a pleasing alternative – Red Stripe Beer. The humorous television commercials, created by BBDO New York, are an extension of the “Hooray Beer!” tagline utilized in previous Red Stripe campaigns. The new ads feature the Red Stripe Ambassador, the brand’s Jamaican spokesman synonymous with the beer from his role in previous Red Stripe spots. In the latest installment, the Ambassador interrupts scenes of uncomfortable everyday experiences and provides Red Stripe as the enjoyable alternative that never disappoints. The simple message relayed throughout the campaign is to “Boo” these unwanted or awkward experiences and “Hooray,” Red Stripe Beer. In one execution, the audience is introduced to two friends, one who has a noticeably oversized head and is returning a borrowed sweater. Upon receiving the sweater, now stretched out and ruined, the friend who lent it out looks sad and discouraged. At this point, the Red Stripe Ambassador walks into the scene with a new v-neck sweater for the borrower and a bottle of Red Stripe for the friend who had lent out his now-ruined sweater and proclaims, “Boo large-headed friend. Hooray Beer!” The commercials will be supplemented by a robust online campaign. The interactive online component will encourage consumers to describe situations that are “boo-worthy.”
claim a prize of their choice. Among the prizes is a chance to meet James and tour the DC Comics offices. Super indeed!
PaintBawls BAWLS Guarana has announced a new sponsorship deal with the National Professional Paintball League (NPPL) as the "Official Energy Drink of the NPPL." BAWLS will be the exclusive energy drink available at all remaining 2006 NPPL Super 7 World Series tournaments, including large-scale events in Boston, San Diego and Las Vegas where BAWLS Guarana will be designated as the Center Field Sponsor. In addition, an entire Tournament Field will be completely outfitted in BAWLS Guarana branded bunkers. BAWLS Guarana has been a sponsor of the NPPL since 2004 and has introduced the refreshing, caffeine packed beverage to tens of thousands of paintball players and enthusiasts. Due to popular customer demand, BAWLS Guarana created an NPPL sponsorship program to support BAWLS fans on the field and launched www.paintbawls.net – an online paintball community.
Star Ice LaToya Jackson is now the official celebrity spokesperson for Star Ice Beverages. According to Star Ice owner Joey Sulfaro, Ms. Jackson is an international superstar.
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Tea’s Tea Beginning in May, ITO EN (North America) Inc., manufacturer of TEAS’ TEA, began teaming up with Toyota to deliver a consumer promotion that perfectly complements the brand’s ‘green’ message. They started giving away Toyota Prius hybrid automobiles. As part of the promotion, which will continue through the summer, consumers can also win a PCR (Post Consumer Recycled) fleece from Patagonia and coupons for free bottles of TEAS’ TEA. Point-Of-Sale materials that will immediately spark interest and attention among consumers include tear pads, case cards and danglers. To participate in the promotion, consumers can enter on-line at www.TEASTEA.com or via a mail-in entry. To order materials, please contact Yoshie Yano Pennings at 718.250.4024.
*Source: IRI, Total US - FOOD, 52 Week Ending Jan 22, 2006 **Source: Beverage Testing Institute, Inc., Chicago, IL For more information on the Grolsch family of imports contact your Anheuser-Busch sales representative and visit us at www.beerproďŹ tguide.com. Š 2006 Import Brands Alliance, Inc., St. Louis, MO