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Beverage Innovation

Tracking The Drinks Marketplace

Coca-Cola

Coca-Cola Austria Rewards Customers Who Recycle In App-Based Initiative

The Vienna-based company partnered with waste management specialist Reclay Group to create a program using the Recycle me! app that awards points redeemable at restaurants. Customers who recycle their PET bottles in designated collection containers must scan a code under the cap of their bottles as they properly dispose of them. The company’s goal is to have all of their packaging returned through the motivational program.

Coca-Cola European Partners Cuts Price Point For Large-Size Drink Packs

The U.K.-based multinational Coke bottler has trimmed the recommended prices for some of its 500 ml price-marked packs by 20 cents for a limited time to “help convenience retailers drive sales of on-the-go formats and tap into the consumer demand for value.” The new £1 ($1.33) price-mark is available on 500 ml bottles of Diet Coke, Fanta, Fanta Zero, Dr Pepper, and Dr Pepper Zero. The company said the price had been “sharpened by 15 p ($0.20), enhancing the appeal to shoppers.” Earlier this year, CCEP cut the recommended price points on 1.75-liter price-marked packs of Coca-Cola zero sugar and Diet Coke, and on other sizes of several products.

Other Companies

Groupe Lactalis Launches UHT Milk In India

The Laval, France-based dairy products company’s affordable UHT milk Lactel will be sold in one-liter packets at an MSRP of Rs 70 ($0.94). The milk is fortified with vitamins A and D. The launch of UHT milk marks the entry of the brand, founded in 1967, in India. Its products are now available in more than 50 countries.

McDonald’s To Invest $382M In Promoting Its Coffee Brand In China

The company plans to spend the money opening new McCafé coffee shops inside its 3,600 restaurants to capture some of the growing Chinese demand for coffee. The money will also be spent on upgrading equipment, marketing, and staff training. Coffee shops will be opened in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen by the end of the year. This will be followed by an expansion of its business in seven other cities including Nanjing, Hangzhou, and Xiamen.  By 2023, McDonald’s expects to run more than 4,000 McCafé outlets on the Chinese mainland. 

Investcorp Buys Stake In Singapore Beverage Maker Viz Branz

The Bahrain-based investment manager announced it is acquiring a majority stake in instant cereal and beverage maker Viz Branz from shareholder and CEO Ben Chng. The company has manufacturing facilities and operations in Myanmar and in its largest market, China. According to Investcorp, in southern China Viz Branz’s Gold Roast brand has a 35 percent share of the instant cereal market. Viz Branz generated $126.3 million in sales for the 12 months ended June 30, 2020. The deal was concluded with the Asia Food Growth Fund I. Singapore-headquartered Viz Branz’s brands include Calsome, Royal Myanmar Tea, and Cafe 21.

Big Easy Bucha Introduces Line Of Sparkling Tepache Beverages

The New Orleans maker of kombucha and probiotic juice shots says its new Big Easy Tepache, a fermented pineapple drink that originated in Mexico, promotes gut health thanks to its probiotic content. It also delivers prebiotics from organic blue agave inulin fiber (three grams per serving). The drinks, made with “a touch of organic fruit,” are available in pineapple, mango and prickly pear flavors, and are organic, vegan, and non-GMO certified. Each bottle contains 70 calories and a third less sugar than a 12-ounce can of soda. Big Easy Tepache is launching in Publix supermarkets, followed by Sprouts stores nationwide, and Albertson’s Southern California.

Aiya Matcha Launches Sugar-Sweetened Blend In U.S. Market

The Torrance, Calif.-based unit of the Japanese matcha green tea company has launched a new line of sweetened matcha tea sachets. Each box contains eight 45-calorie sachets/sticks that can be mixed with hot or cold milk to make a matcha latte. Sweetened Matcha To Go is available at Publix, H-E-B, and New Seasons Market, as well as selected Whole Foods Market stores in Northern California, and the southern Pacific and midwestern regions.

Wahaha

Hangzhou Wahaha Group Modernizes Its Marketing To Reach Younger Generations

The key strategy of the Chinese beverage company is to meet the needs of younger consumers while maintaining brand growth. Communicating with young people – including the generations born after 1995 and even 2010 – is a top priority. China's Generation Z (those born after 2010) have benefited greatly from global interconnectivity, scientific and technological development, and consumption upgrades. They are willing to pay for what they are interested in and what they value. Recognizing this, Wahaha has been marketing to niche segments, launching community-based and interactive campaigns targeting young consumers who share interests and hobbies, dubbed “tribes”' or “niche circles,” and who demand more personalized beverages. Wahaha advises beverage companies to switch from standardized production in bulk to individualized and customized production, while imposing more flexible yet strict conditions in terms of R&D, manufacturing, and product management.
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