The new brews include smaller craft-type beers, cider and more malt beverages.
Posted: Mar 30, 2012 NACS Online
ST. LOUIS — In an ambitious effort to win back drinkers, Anheuser-Busch InBev has 19 new products on tap to debut this year, the Wall Street Journal reports. Luiz Edmond, president of the company’s North American division, has bet that new smaller craft beers, malt beverages and cider will stem the flow of drinkers to smaller brews or liquor.
Other strategies include increasing the alcohol in light beer, market more with Clydesdale draught horses, and revamp distribution. Anheuser’s slice of the U.S. beer market has dropped to 48.9% in 2011.
New products already in stores include Bud Light Platinum. “Platinum, that's a game changer for us,” said Edmond. A wheat IPA under the Shock Top label debuted in February. Next month, Bud Light Lime-a-Rita, a malt beverage, will be in stores along with an alcoholic tea-and-lemonade beverage. May brings a cider drink.
Meanwhile, the Brewers Association released 2011 data on U.S. craft brewing that showed craft brewing volume hopped 13%, with a 15% bump in retail sales from 2010 to 2011. Increased retail sales represented 9.1% of the $95.5 billion dollar U.S. beer market.
“While the overall beer market experienced a 1.32 percent volume decrease in 2011, craft brewing saw significant growth, surpassing five percent total market volume share for the first time,” said Paul Gatza, director of Brewers Association, in a press release. “It’s becoming increasingly clear that with the variety of styles and flavors to choose from, Americans are developing a strong taste for high-quality, small-batch beer from independent brewers.”
By Gabriel Beltrone
If you're unique, Dr Pepper is the mass-produced beverage for you.
So says the brand in a new campaign from Deutsch/LA titled "Always One of a Kind." The centerpiece spot starts off somber, opening on a regular guy in a regular suit stepping off a train into a crowd of commuters. But wait! He's drinking a Dr Pepper. He's no faceless corporate cog. Cracking a smile, he doffs his drab-gray jacket and blue oxford, Clark Kent style, to reveal a T-shirt with "I'm a One of a Kind" printed across its front in the brand's trademark white-on-maroon colors. Our hero struts off, a new bounce in his step, as a processional of other bold personalities takes shape behind him, each sporting a T-shirt that declares a salient fact about its wearer.
The clever cast of characters—the proud cougar, the unlikely momma's boy, the canine wingman—make the spot. They get an assist from the apt soundtrack—an upbeat rendition of Sammy Davis Jr.'s "I've Gotta Be Me," sung by OneRepublic frontman Ryan Tedder. Overall, it's a well-crafted appeal to individualism, despite feeling at moments like an over-the-top fantasy. (It is, in fact, an updated version of the similarly bubbly 1970s "I'm a Pepper" campaign.)
The brand deserves some kudos for inviting fans to design their own Dr Pepper-themed "I'm a …" T-shirts, even though they're charging for them. Of course, there's a bit of a logical disconnect inherent in the whole message—drinking Dr Pepper is liable to make you more of a soda-guzzling statistic than a totally unique snowflake. With 592 million cases sold in 2010, according to Beverage Digest, it's the fifth most popular soda brand in the universe. Then again, it's not Coke or Pepsi.
VideoMining’s C-Store Shopper Insights program reveals interesting changes in shopping patterns; look for more at the NACS State of the Industry Summit.
Posted: Mar 9, 2012 at nacsonline.comSTATE COLLEGE, PA – There was a significant increase in convenience store visits in 2011, but lower conversion of the visitors into buyers, according to analysis from VideoMining Corporation’s National C-Store Shopper Insights program. Shoppers spent less time in the stores and lower amounts per trip, though the overall same-store sales trended up.
“We expected changes, but were quite surprised by the magnitude of shifts in shopping pattern within a year,” said Dr. Rajeev Sharma, CEO of VideoMining, in a press release. “Understanding and responding to these trends is important for both the retailers and manufacturers in this dynamic channel.”
Sharma will present highlights from the findings at the NACS State of Industry Summit in Chicago on April 4.
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Red Bull to Launch Total Zero in April
Red Bull to Launch Total Zero in April
|February 27, 2012 2:48 pm
 Red Bull is set to launch Red Bull Total Zero in April, the company’s first line extension since the debut of its (now discontinued) energy shot in 2009. Aiming to tap into the growing market of calorie-averse consumers, the new product boasts a zero calorie/carb/sugar formulation and a “new twist” on the classic Red Bull flavor, according to the company.
Though the company has long carried a sugar-free variety, Red Bull’s decision to launch a zero-calorie formulation mirrors a similar strategy to that of a number of beverage companies including Coca-Cola, with Coke Zero, and, more recently, energy drink rival Monster, which has found early success with Monster Absolutely Zero. Red Bull’s naming of the product also reflects a growing trend in beverage companies’ use of “zero” designations, including the recent debut of Honest Tea’s Honest Zero, SoBe’s LifeWater’s Zero Calorie line, and Steaz Zero Calorie Iced Teaz.
In an e-mail sent to BevNET, Red Bull stated that it expects Total Zero to “further drive incremental sales for the brand and further invigorate the energy drink category with a premium new offering.” The company also cited new research that shows continued growth for reduced carbohydrate/calorie energy drinks, which now account for 31 percent of the category.
With Monster and Rockstar continuing to gain market share through new product introductions and increased marketing spend, industry observers will undoubtedly be watching Total Zero closely, particularly after the company dropped its two most recent line extensions, Red Bull Cola and Red Bull Energy Shot, last year. Despite Red Bull’s robust brand name, as well as its vast financial and marketing resources, the products failed to resonate with mainstream consumers and were largely considered to be a bust for the company.
Red Bull Total Zero will be distributed nationally, and packaged in the brand’s iconic 8.4 oz. can. The product will also come in 12 and 16 oz. sizes and also sold in an 8.4 oz. 4-pack. Total Zero will be line priced with Red Bull’s flagship and sugar-free varieties as an 8.4 oz. can will have a suggested retail price of $2.19, and the 12 and 16 oz. cans will be priced at $2.99 and $3.79 respectively.
Eco-friendly refrigerants receive approval by the EPA, clearing the path for distribution across the U.S.
Posted: Feb 16, 2012 NACS Online nacsonline.com
ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J. & BURLINGTON, VT – Unilever and Ben & Jerry’s announced jointly yesterday that they will be rolling out climate-friendly ice cream freezer cabinets in the U.S. later this year.
Ben & Jerry’s, along with Unilever ice cream brands including Breyers, Good Humor and Magnum, will soon be available in cabinets that consume at least 10% less energy and replace harmful “F” gas coolants with hydrocarbon (HC) refrigerants. The new freezers will be labeled with “Greener Freezer” stickers.
“Over the last decade, Unilever has been at the forefront of sustainable innovation, significantly reducing the environmental impact of our ice cream cabinets around the world,” said Kees Kruythoff, Head of Unilever North America. “Introduction of these more environmentally friendly cabinets in the US is a critical advancement for the region.”
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently approved the technology behind the cabinets for use in the U.S., which Unilever has used for several years across Europe and Asia.
"It’s a great day when Ben & Jerry’s and Unilever’s efforts to introduce innovative technology positively impacts the environment," said Jostein Solheim, CEO of Ben & Jerry's. “Since 2008, we have worked alongside Greenpeace in pursuit of a more responsible freezer for the US. For us, this sweet success is an environmental victory.”
Select stores in Atlanta and Southern California will join Chicago in offering wine, beer and premium food by the end of 2012.
Posted: Jan 25, 2012 at nacsonline.com
SEATTLE – Responding to customer feedback for more options to relax in its stores in the evenings, Starbucks Coffee Company announced this week it has plans to bring wine, beer and premium food offerings to a handful of locations in Atlanta and Southern California by December 2012. These stores, along with several others recently announced for the Chicago area, will be the first extensions of the evening day-part concept outside of the Pacific Northwest.
“Building an evening day-part is a natural progression for us as we are always looking for ways to evolve and enhance the Starbucks Experience based on what our customers are telling us,” said Clarice Turner, senior vice president of U.S. operations, in a press release. “We’re pleased with the response of our customers to the introduction of wine, beer and premium food at several of our stores in the Pacific Northwest, and we’re excited to see how the idea translates to other markets.”
Since first introducing the evening day-part concept at its Olive Way location in Seattle in October 2010, Starbucks has seen success creating a new occasion for customers later in the day through an expanded food and beverage menu. Five stores in the Seattle area and one in Portland, Ore., currently serve wine, beer and premium food. Late last year, Starbucks announced plans to bring the concept to five to seven locations in the Chicago area by the end of 2012. Atlanta and Southern California will each see four to six stores, also by the end of the year.
As part of an enhanced menu, these stores will serve new premium food (including savory snacks, small plates, and hot flatbreads) as well as wine and beer. The wine and beer list will be hand-selected to reflect local customer tastes and preferences, and will be refined over time. In addition to providing a product assortment not traditionally found at Starbucks, these stores will incorporate flexible seating to accommodate individuals and small groups as well as larger parties that want to host community meetings or other events such as book clubs.
“As our customers transition from work to home, many are looking for a warm and inviting place to unwind and connect with the people they care about,” said Turner. “At select stores where it is relevant for the neighborhood, we are focused on creating an atmosphere where our customers can relax with a friend, a small bite to eat and a cup of coffee or glass of wine.”
At this time, the evening day-part concept is only focused on Atlanta, the Chicago area, Southern California, and the Pacific Northwest.
Hansen gets green light to turn into a Monster
Post a commentBy Elaine Watson, 06-Jan-2012
Related topics:
Energy Drinks, Markets
Soft drinks maker Hansen Natural has secured its shareholders’ approval to change its name to Monster Beverage Corporation to better reflect the dominant role the Monster energy drink brand plays in its business.
Monster Rehab is going from strength to strength
The California-based firm’s shares will start trading under its new name and stock ticker symbol, ‘MNST’ on Monday January 9, 2012.
Speaking to investors and shareholders last month, chief executive Rodney Sacks said: “More than 90% of the business today is represented by the Monster brand so it seems that the time has come to change our name.”
Innovative, cutting edge, premium and cool?
The energy drinks category continued to grow strongly, he added: “The days of energy drinks being a niche category are long gone. Energy drinks are the soft drinks of many generations ago. They are innovative, cutting edge, cool and premium.”
However, the category still garnered a lot of bad press, unfairly, he claimed. “There are still a lot of misconceptions, ignorance and guessing about the energy drinks category.”
Citing Nielsen data that showed the US energy drinks category had grown 14.9% in the 13 weeks to November 19, 2011 in all channels excluding Walmart, he said Monster continued to lead the pack in growth terms, with sales rising 22.1% over the same period.
Innovation and Uber Monster
A flurry of new products is set to launch this year, revealed Sacks, who urged his audience to try Uber Monster, a new “ultra-premium, nonalcoholic, brewed energy drink, crafted with a fermented malt base… in 16.9-ounce glass bottles with a crown closure”.
He added: “It’s almost like Monster Champagne, but it’s not alcoholic. We believe that this is something that can compete at the upper end of the category.”
Uber Monster is the latest in a wave of new launches from Hansen, which has just introduced three new variants of non-carbonated energy drink Monster Rehab and the ‘super-concentrated’ energy drink Monster M3, which were all introducing new consumers to the category, said Sacks.
”We are quite encouraged by this little product (M3). It bridges the gap between shots and drinks and we’re already seeing some really nice repeat purchases and sales.”
Monster outperforms rest of energy drinks category, closes gap on Red Bull in convenience channel
Hansen, which posted a 23.9% rise in net income to $82.4m on sales up 24.4% to $474.7m in the third quarter, was outperforming the overall energy drinks category with its Monster products, added Sacks.
For the nine-months ended September 30, 2011, net income was up $36.1% to $221.7m, while net sales were up 31.3% to $1.293bn at the firm, which sells a wide range of beverages including juices, Monster energy drinks, Peace Tea iced teas, Worx Energy shots, Vidration vitamin enhanced waters and Hubert's lemonades.
Check out this article I found at nacsonline.comA new study highlights six consumer trends that will impact American brands and marketers next year.
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