Coca-Cola
Locally-Bottled Powerade To Be Available In India By End Of May
Coca-Cola India is planning to launch a locally-bottled version of its sports drink Powerade in India in time for the ICC World Cup cricket competition beginning at the end of May and running through mid-July, The Economic Times reported. Powerade is Coke’s answer to Pepsi’s Gatorade sports beverage, and has been imported into in India since 2010. There were plans at that time to produce it locally but they fell through. The Indian sports drink market is small but growing steadily, though the worldwide market for sports drinks is expected to hit $28.6 billion by 2023, up from $22.2 billion in 2017. Coca-Cola signed a five-year deal with the International Cricket Council (ICC) in January, making it the ICC’s exclusive non-alcoholic beverage partner.
Coca-Cola Amatil Sees Investment Potential In Indonesian Tech Companies
With $10 million in its Amatil X investment kitty, Australia’s Coca-Cola Amatil is on the lookout for tech companies in Indonesia that have ideas to deliver, sell, and sustainably pack its products better while becoming profitable enterprises in their own right. The company has launched a program in Jakarta to work with a local startup accelerator to find local entrepreneurs and scout out potential investments. The company sees Jakarta as becoming the biggest startup hub in South East Asia because of its size (264 million people) and “a very young population." Amatil X has so far invested in Australian hospitality tech company Doshii and in Tabsquare, a restaurant analytics app.
Coca-Cola Launches Aquarius Water Brand In The U.K. With Functional Claims
Coca-Cola has launched in the U.K. a low-calorie brand of functional flavored waters – Aquarius – containing performance-enhancing minerals. The two variants are lemon with zinc for improved cognitive function, and lime with magnesium to reduce fatigue. The launch is backed by an integrated marketing campaign beginning in May – “put back what life takes out” – targeting “consumers leading busy and constantly varied lives.” The campaign will feature a mix of digital outdoor and banner advertising, in-store activations, sampling, and PR. Aquarius was introduced in Japan in 1983 as a grapefruit-flavored drink. Named the official drink of the 2020 Summer Olympics, the drink comes in recyclable 400 ml and 900 ml bottles in the U.K. that display no Coca-Cola branding.
Monster
Rhetoric Heats Up As Litigation Between Monster and Bang Owner Expands
Monster Beverage Corp., a leader along with Red Bull in the energy drink market, has expanded a lawsuit filed in September 2018 against Bang maker Vital Pharmaceuticals and CEO Jack Owoc that claimed the company was “deceiving the public about the product’s ingredients and the benefits of consumption.” The expanded suit alleges that Bang’s growth is fueled by “flagrant consumer deception and systematic anti-competitive business practices.” Vital this week sued Monster, claiming trademark infringement and arguing that Monster was suing because of “its inability to compete with VPX’s Bang energy drink in the marketplace.” Monster, which seeks a jury trial, responded by saying the complaint was an attempt to shift attention from its original suit against Vital.
Nongfu Spring
Nongfu Spring Forges Partnership With Water Sports Organization FINA
Olympic water sports administrator FINA has inked a four-year partnership with Chinese mineral water maker Nongfu Spring. The partnership includes the FINA/CNSG Diving World Series, the FINA World Championships 2019/2021, FINA World Swimming Championships (25m) 2020/2022, FINA/CNSG Diving World Series 2019-2022, and FINA Swimming World Cup 2019-2022. “We hope we can contribute to the further development of world aquatics,” said Zhong Xiaoxiao, vice president of Nongfu.
Other Companies
DrinkTru’s New Functional Energy Shot Lineup Will Need Investment To Grow
Boston-based DrinkTru’s new energy shot lineup contains functional ingredients popular in today’s beverage market. Aimed at the fitness demographic, TruPower contains similar caffeine content (200 mg) and nutritional profile (branch chain amino acids, beta alanine) as “performance energy” products such as Bang and C4. TruRescue provides natural “recovery,” while TruDream enters the growing sleep aid category. Lastly, the brand is launching TruBreeze +Hemp, which contains 10 mg of full spectrum hemp per 1.69 oz. bottle. CEO Jack McNamara says the company, founded in 2015, will need further investment – $2 to $3 million – to reach its next growth milestone. “It’s not just about learning anymore,” he said, “it’s about making decisions and scaling quickly.”
S&D Unveils Line Of RTS Coffees In Bag-In-Box Format For Restaurants, C-Stores
North Carolina’s S&D Coffee & Tea, a subsidiary of Cott Corporation and a large purveyor of coffee and tea to the foodservice and convenience store industries, has unveiled a new line of flavored and ready-to-serve cold brew coffees. The products will be available in bag-in-box (BIB) format to provide a turnkey solution for operators looking to satisfy demand “without the added labor or costs often associated with scratch-made cold brew coffee.” The Cold Brew Coffee line will be available in five flavors, including black & bold; café au lait; salted caramel; horchata; and café a la mode.
SHS Group Introduces Soft Drink Alternative to Gin-And-Tonic In The U.K.
SHS Group of the U.K. has debuted the Shloer Spritzed brand of adult soft drinks sold as gin-and-tonic cocktail and aperitif alternatives. Made without grape juice as the primary base, Shloer Spritzed is available in three variants – bitter orange, grapefruit and mint, and bitter lemon and lime – packaged in 700 ml glass bottles with a recommended retail price (RRP) of $3.25. Other options available from the company include Shloer Pressed (inspired by flavored ciders); Shloer Original (an alternative to table wine); and Shloer Bubbly, a non-alcoholic option to sparkling wine. The Shloer brand is targeted at women aged between 28 and 49.
Walmart Distribution Deal Sends New Age Beverages Shares Soaring
Shares of Denver-based New Age Beverages Corp. have risen more than 25 percent since the company announced a distribution deal with Walmart in October for its Marley Mate energy drinks. The deal marks the company’s first national distribution deal, and comes two years after it agreed to buy the assets of Marley Beverage Co. New Age is also developing a line of drinks infused with cannabidiol (CBD), the non-psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, though Walmart has said it has no plans to carry the Marley + CBD item expected to launch this year.
Adding Two New Flavors, Waterloo Continues To Find Success In Crowded Sparkling Water Market
Austin, Texas-based Waterloo Sparkling Water has launched two new flavors (strawberry and grape) into the increasingly crowded carbonated water market, populated with the likes of Bubly, LaCroix, and Spindrift. With the addition of the two new flavors, Waterloo now has ten flavors, matching Spindrift (10) and nearly catching up to bubly (12) and LaCroix (21), and is experiencing strong growth. Though less than two years old, Waterloo by January 2019 had sold more than 100 million cans in the U.S. But the company acknowledges it needs to differentiate itself from competitors. Waterloo does that with packaging using traditional fonts and colors with fruit illustrations and details. The company’s products are firmly in the “natural flavors” camp, but they also claim non-GMO and vegan certifications.
Shamrock Farms Debuts Three High-Protein Milk Beverages Made With Cold Brew Coffee
Arizona-based dairy company Shamrock Farms has added to its range of Rockin’ Protein milk beverages with new flavors – café latte, mocha latte, and caramel latte – that contain cold brew coffee. According to the company, the Rockin’ Protein Energy beverages provide consumers a “healthy and sustainable source of energy without the crash.” The 12-ounce bottles contain 30 g of protein, but no growth hormones or added sugars. Available in Arizona now, the Rockin’ Protein Energy drinks will roll out nationwide this summer.
U.K.’s Protein Water Company Moves Into The Collagen Water Market
British Protein Water Co.’s new line of carbonated Collagen Booster protein waters will be available in convenience stores to cater to consumers on the go. According to the company, collagen protein, an alternative to whey, benefits the body by restoring muscles, but “also there’s a benefit for the whole body in general.” Flavor combinations include lotus flower and jasmine in a nod to the trend of botanical-inspired beverages. The company says it plans to move away from using PET plastic toward cans.
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