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05/02/2016

NOTABLE QUOTABLE: You've Gotta Be 'Immature and Stupid' to Question Coca-Cola Holding

Eyes rolled at annual so-called Woodstock of Capitalism hosted by investment guru Warren Buffett on Sat as Sage of Omaha and his longtime biz partner Charlie Munger refused to cede any ground to attendees who questioned continued investment in Coca-Cola, on grounds that CSD marketer has played big role in obesity issue. Rather than answer question directly, they directed answers toward their own consumption habits. Swigging a Cherry Coke during meeting, Buffett said, "I elect to get my 2,600 or 2,700 calories a day from things that make me feel good when I eat them. I have not seen evidence that convinces me that it'll be more likely I reach 100 if I suddenly switched to water and broccoli." Citing Census Data showing that women these days are handily outliving men, Buffett added, "If you really want to improve your longevity prospects, I mean a guy in my position, you have a sex change." Munger simply termed question "immature and stupid" and said it's important to hydrate every day. Hard to make case that Coke habits are putting their longevity at risk, since Buffett's 85 and Munger is 92. Berkshire Hathaway owns about 9% of KO, per Bloomberg.

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05/02/2016

Upstairs, Downstairs: Pepsi Enlists Celeb Chefs for Roaming Teahouse behind High-End Pure Leaf Extension; Sparkling Iced Tea Sets Floating Flavor Lounge f

Pepsi's fast-growing Pure Leaf tea brand has given it ample reason to try to ply foodie channels with its marketing. Now it's dialing up those efforts with new higher-end, glass-bottle Teahouse Collection that was intro'd in select cities in Feb - starting this past week with celeb chef Marcus Samuelsson plying his trade in the open air of NY's Meatpacking District. Meanwhile, down the scale a bit, PEP has launched separate experience behind new canned Sparkling Iced Tea being offered under Lipton brand.

For Teahouse, co set up shop with mobile "tea house" in small plaza in heart of trendy Meatpacking District, just outside heavily trafficked Apple store and blocks from forthcoming Pepsi cocktail lounge and Starbucks Roastery. Doors of white vehicle swung open to create outdoor dining space, with Samuelsson on Thurs demonstrating how he created dishes such as Watermelon Salad with Tea Vinaigrette & Pimento Cheese and Lemon Black Tea Brined Chicken with Couscous, while curious passersby looked on. (Actual repast for food bloggers had been made off-site and was brought in from another nearby vehicle.) He was joined by Lipton tea master Alex White, who talked about balancing adventurous flavor combos used in Teahouse entries so as not to overwhelm the actual tea. ("I never thought sage would be in a tea," said Samuelsson, holding a Wild Blackberry & Sage black tea. "This is very well developed." As for Fuji Apple & Ginger green tea, flavor detail is rich enough that you can drop in a big ice cube and sip it almost like a whiskey.) Consumers' "attention to detail in terms of food and beverage has just gone through the roof," said Red Rooster proprietor Marcus. Mobile tea house was to be open to public on Fri, with Samuelsson again in attendance, and on Sat, before being hauled to stops in Chicago, Portland (Ore) and SF, with local chefs recruited to cause at each site.

Meanwhile, Sparkling Iced Tea line has teamed with WeWork shared spaces and BMF Media on traveling Flavor Lounge that's hitting "young, vibrant cities" like NY, Miami, Austin and LA. The lounges will boast DJ hosting a silent disco, a ball pit, manicure station and masseuse, per MediaPost. "The office takeover is a new event, which is all about helping office workers in any city get out of the 2 pm workday slump," marketing mgr Melanie Watts told newsletter. g

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05/02/2016

BEV FORUM: Pepsi Sticking to Guns on Running Bottling System, but Wall Streeters Prove Way Skeptical

Coke's accelerated refranchising strategy has been winning increasing buy-in from Wall Street, which views move as way to replace sclerotic Coca-Cola Refreshments unit with fresh, agile operators and stalwart bottlers who've been awarded new territory. But what about PepsiCo, which was first to acquire its key North American bottlers? Intriguing debate played out over 2 days of last week's Beverage Forum in Chicago, with PEP's North American chief, Al Carey, on Tues making case for standing pat on company-owned distribution and Wall Street panel on Wed generally repudiating rationale. So it wasn't an actual debate, but did pretty good job laying out pros and cons.

Al's rationale first. Asked about Coke's refranchising initiative, he started by saying, "I don't think one way is better than the other . . . Coke does a great job managing a franchise organization, we do a great job in many parts of world." Still, if I had my choice I'd rather own the operating business. The reason: "When I need productivity to reinvest in the brands, I have a better chance of that." It also meets customers' desire for consistent pricing and faster decision-making. "If I can figure out how to get the front line motivated and inspired, I have a better chance if I own the system rather than if I negotiate with the bottlers," he said. At time portfolio is being transformed, with greater tilt toward noncarbs, "I can control it a little better." Still, "you can do it either way - it depends on the culture. We have a tradition of running big corporate units." As Carey noted, he'd come to these views having worked on both sides of divide.

And the Wall Streeters? Panel moderated by CLSA's Caroline Levy expressed ample dose of skepticism the next day. Most outspoken was HSBC's Carlos Laboy, who feels Carey's hope of motivating front line is an extremely big if that speaks to weakness of own-it-all strategy. PEP execs, he argued, lack any native passion for the brands and "that's got to be hurting them. You speak with fledgling brands, it's all about the authenticity of the brands, the passion . . . If you're an organization that has no native passion for your legacy brands, and you're creating new brands in that vacuum, how do you motivate the rank-and-file?" By contrast, Coke exhibits "an abundance of passion for their portfolio and their brands" and is expanding the role of bottlers "who have a multigenerational passion for the brands and a multigenerational interest in seeing the brands do well."

Stifel's Mark Swartzberg: "I'm going to be right there with you on this one, Carlos." KO is elevating partners like family-owned Iberian bottler in Europe and accelerating refranchising in N Amer, where co "is putting up 4's and 5's in revenue growth." By contrast, Pepsi "is more of an organization that's into control." So Carey really was pointing to series of problems "without saying outright they're problems." And 3d member, Wells Fargo's Bonnie Herzog agreed, "I think Coke personally is being smarter." It's focusing on what it does best, trading some topline drag for expanded margins, increasing return on invested capital and, ultimately, a higher stock multiple.

Will PepsiCo switch strategies and opt to refranchise? "Yes, especially if Coke works as I expect," replied Bonnie. Swartzberg: "Yes, likely."

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05/02/2016

BEV FORUM: PepsiCo's N Amer Chief, Carey, Is Bullish on New Brands, but Says Some SKUs Will Have to Go; Plans to Install 20K Healthy Vendors

PepsiCo's newly elevated head of North America is bullish about new brands' ability to offset CSDs long-term erosion but also feels the resulting sku count has gotten out of control and needs trimming back. Speaking at last week's Beverage Forum in Chicago, 35-year PEP vet Al Carey allowed that when he first took over N Amer bevs over 4 years ago, he didn't believe he'd be able to sell enough tea, sports drinks and coffee to offset CSDs' softness, but has come to the recognition it can be done. He cited entries like Naked Juice's cold-pressed subline and Propel zero-calorie electrolyte water as promising new entries. Still, the restarted innovation engine has left "far too many sku's in the marketplace," issue which N Amer chief believes "slows down sales on some of the fast movers." As a result, Al disclosed, Pepsi shortly will launch sku optimization initiative "to take out the slow movers and make room for the fast movers." Early tests, he said, have suggested that eliminating 20% of total sku's leads to a 7% sales gain. Carey didn't offer any details on plan, tho if co were to target anything like 20% of total sku's, that suggests the winnowing could extend to entire sublines rather than just odd flavors and package configs. Along those lines, Carey also indicated that PEP is trying to work proactively with retailers to analyze inventory kept on hand with view to readjusting shelf space devoted to CSDs to make room for burgeoning sports drinks, bottled waters and iced teas.

The 35-year PEP vet had taken on expanded role as head of PepsiCo North America 2 weeks earlier, adding snacks, foods and refrigerated brands like Tropicana and Naked to portfolio. Having spent 25 years at Frito-Lay, that returns him to strong bailiwick. His top priorities? In q&a with moderator Michael Bellas of Beverage Marketing Corp, Al listed 3: to accelerate the healthy innovation portfolio across all 3 divisions, increase agility in dealing with retailers by making quick decisions and answering their questions faster, and "to ignite the front line."

As a near-lifer at Pepsi, Carey didn't minimize the surprising direction consumers' interests have taken, whether in products or media consumption habits. Healthy trend isn't going to slow down, judging by millennials and under-20's dubbed Gen Z. Products that interest them? "It's different," he said. At home Al said he can't speak to Gen Z types but there are several millennials in the mix and they don't watch television. "I bought a big TV for them to watch, nobody watches it." As for Gen Z kids, they never grew up drinking a CSD in a school, gravitating instead to waters, sports drinks and energy drinks. Younger consumers generally seek "healthier lifestyle" and are interested in craft sodas with all-natural ingredients, Fair Trade sugar, lower calories than normal CSDs. Co is encouraged by response to entries like Stubborn Soda and Caleb's Kola, "but it's very early, they're still very small." Among thriving segments he pointed to tea, where Pure Leaf has been growing quickly and just intro'd glass-bottle Teahouse subline, and coffee, where he feels cold-brewed coffee "is a really big idea." Recall that partner Starbucks just launched Pepsi-distributed bottled cold-brew line in handful of western markets.

One component of innovation push - as well as co's wish to better penetrate foodservice realm - is "healthy vending" units stocked with healthy snacks and drinks, including waters, Kickstart energy drinks, teas, coffees, some lower-calorie products from core lines. Vendors are "selling significantly faster than some of the machines we've had out there," he said. Pepsi plans to install 20K of them in offices, hospitals, healthcare facilities, schools.

Overall, he indicated, about 9.5% of co's net sales derive from items intro'd over past 3 years, "a good target." But co intends to analyze incrementality of these new products. Still, as rule of thumb, PEP is aiming to have roughly 10% of sales coming out of new products or packages.

As for frontline org, Al's still trying to build off swing he made a year and a half ago thru 35 locations on bev side, holding round tables with all front-line sales employees, who frequently cited same 3 or 4 obstacles. Co has since focused on removing those obstacles. As one sign of success, Carey said turnover in Q1 had been cut by 25% among loaders, 35% among drivers, and effort has just begun. Asked about key to effective leadership, well-liked exec said he counts coaching little league, hockey and track as good preparation.

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05/02/2016

'Get Ionized,' Exhorts Essentia in New Ad Campaign; Fast-Growing Alkaline Water Seeks Visceral Connection with Consumers

Excuse me, but your ions are showing. That's gist of new marketing campaign being rolled out by Essentia, in effort to convey alkaline water's benefits to consumers at more visceral level. New campaign via Seattle agency Square Tomato is intended to break thru in category whose marketing has mainly been "defined by exotic destinations and Jennifer Aniston at this point," said svp strategy & distribution Neil Kimberley, referring to Smartwater endorser. Under cmo Karyn Abrahamson, who joined co in Dec, Essentia is aiming to make its marketing less clinical - to move away from being "a science project," as Karyn said in recent interview. Objective is "differentiated message we can truly own." New effort is intended to offer bold, aspirational personality that infuses bit of magic into brand, as Abramson was able to do earlier in career at T-Mobile, Starbucks and Adidas. She hopes to tie into feeling some consumers have of feeling happy and energized after consuming Essentia. Brand founded by entrepreneur Ken Uptain spent a decade growing steadily, and somewhat stealthily, in natural channel before enlisting Snapple vet Kimberley for push into mainstream retail and DSD distribution. This is first sustained effort on marketing side to build awareness and stoke retail velocity.

Tho creative isn't quite finalized yet, it will employ exhortatory slogans like "It's time to get ionized," boiled down to "Get ionized" and "Ionized H2O" on billboards and truck wraps. That points to ionization process that co sees as key advantage among alkaline rivals that achieve higher pH thru addition of baking soda, raising mineral content to possibly unhealthy levels. "We own ionization," as Karyn noted. In sea of blue-hued water brands, graphics will play up brand's striking black-and-red color palette.

Effort will go deep in Portland, Ore, and NY with outdoor and radio, but will also entail Pandora digital radio, field marketing in 12 key markets and retail activation built around swag like inflatable paddleboards. Portland was viewed as tempting market because it boasts brand's highest per-capita sales, moves thru strong distributors and is great test market that operates just a bit under radar, in contrast to brand's home market, Seattle. Effort in PDX will feature outdoor ads in Northeast and Downtown nabes and radio effort targeting 18-to-34's. In NY, brand moves thru strongest unaligned house, Big Geyser, which counts it among its fastest-growing brands.

Initaitive comes as brand hit run rate of $40 mil in annual retail sales this month, making time right to move from being a product to being a brand, using wealth of clinical data supporting Essentia's efficacy to build the brand's legitimacy, Neil noted. Principals at agency, Square Tomato, boast past work for Teavana, Xbox and fashion malls on their CVs from work done at other agencies.

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04/29/2016

BEV FORUM: AriZona's Vultaggio on Why AriZona Name, Keepin' It Fresh, Hybrid Distribution

Tho AriZona Iced Tea story has been often told, acceptance of Lifetime Achievement Award by cofounder Don Vultaggio at this week's Beverage Forum in Chicago offered new batch of insights into development and operations of billion-$ tea brand. Chicago event sponsored by Beverage Marketing Corp and Beverage Industry mag included video that included such longtime colleagues as Jean Pettine, NJ designer who's worked on all packages, and flavor provider Joey Allen of Allen Flavors, followed by Q&A with Don. On video, Joey noted that Don had initially told him contract was his if he "could make a tea that tastes better than Snapple." Now, 26 years later, Joey marveled, "there's never been a contract or an attorney involved" - it's still all on a handshake, even at current magnitude of biz. Joey is old high school chum of Don's, who's got other HS buddies working in co too. In making award, BMC's Michael Bellas cited design sense, ability to build lasting brand without paid media, and inauguration of hybrid distribution system melding DSD houses with other modes (BBI, Apr 27). It should be noted that, in moving to hybrid system, co was famously rough on some of its distributors, and in remarks and presentation cofounder John Ferolito wasn't named (tho it was Vultaggio who provided creative spark, and has been sole steward of co for well over a decade now).

Some highlights discussed by Don:

Why iced tea? It's often been discussed that heat co took for its earlier malt liquor intros, Midnight Dragon and Crazy Horse, made Vultaggio and partner John Ferolito long for calmer precincts of non-alc biz. At Bev Forum, Vultaggio pinpointed the exact geographic coordinates of the revelation: He was standing in a retail shop in Manhattan and a Snapple truck pulled up. "I said, I'm going into the tea business . . . That's where it all started, right on Houston Street at Broadway in Manhattan."

Why AriZona? Partners had famously never traveled to AriZona at time they launched brand. But Don's wife Ilene had decorated their home in Southwestern motif and thought that design motif could be emulated for new tea brand.

Why the obsession with design? "That's where the decisions are made, right at the cooler, right at the shelf . . . I was a truck driver for 15 years so I saw plenty of people shop the cooler."

How long can co maintain its 99-cent preprice? "It's been a struggle all these years to maintain that price," Vultaggio readily allowed. But co has "found through efficiency and just hard work we can hold that price and continue to hold that price." As example, brand begun production in 1992 at small Cincinnati brewery that yielded 150 cans per minute - now co's NJ plant can manage 1,500 cans per minute. It's among 38 plants in America tapped to produce AriZona brand.

Why were paid ads never part of mix? "I'm cheap . . . I don't think it works. I saw a lot of successful campaigns that weren't that successful at moving the product . . . At the end it's a blur." (Editor's note: AriZona actually has on rare occasions deployed paid media - but even those efforts totally support "cheap" tag. Co was pioneer in NY of using decals pasted on back of city buses as alternative to conventional - and more expensive - framed bus-side ads. Format has continued to be deployed by legion of other marketers ever since.)

How do you keep innovation cycles so brisk - as little as 6 weeks from concept to shelf? Brain trust including sons Wesley and Spencer meets every day, often around lunch in Don's expansive office, to kick ideas around. "We kick it around, refine it." For those deemed worth a try, "there's a little test market, Manhattan, we try it out there." Having co's Nassau distribution operation based right in basement offers Vultaggio a way to interact with sales people at end of day, fresh off the street, to pass on what are retailers saying.

On keeping it fresh Don noted that he'd met with Bellas in early days, 1994, in Waldorf-Astoria hotel room, and was advised that he's "got a nice package, but you're going to have to evolve." He has. "I'm a knockaround guy with a high school education but I do listen to people," Vultaggio said.

Rationale behind licensed items tied to figures like Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Shaquille O'Neal? "I think 2 trademarks are better than one . . . Being able to use them with the AriZona name is a one-two punch."

Controversial move to what's now called hybrid distribution? "I was failing as a brand because my distributors, who were terrific guys, couldn't get me to those major chains that didn't exist 30 years earlier. A lot of these guys were beer distributors and these accounts didn't have beer licenses." So co approached unidentified chain and offered to "deliver it at night through your system and put it on your shelf nationally . . . Today that retailer is a major consumer." Move to direct shipment didn't lack challenges: "You've got to be there on time, there's fines." But it was integral to success with 99-cent can: part of that was going direct to chains to insure it was always in stock.

How brands like Good Brew play into shift to premium, health & wellness "A lot of confusion on the part of consumers," figures Don. "They don't really know what they want. I don't blame them, there's a lot of choices." So co has broadened entries to employ not just HFCS but cane sugar, Splenda, ace-K, the full sweetener gamut. Idea for brand called Good Brew came to him in gym one morning, when TV aired Maxwell House ad reprising "Good to the last drop" slogan. He figured, "In a complicated world, the word 'good' is still a terrific compliment to give somebody." Good Brew is first AriZona item brewed from actual tea leaves; with cane sugar, it sports very simple ingredient panel.

America Still Appealing Ideal to Overseas Consumers Even tho iconic big can isn't available in all overseas markets, "the look and the name are pure American," which plays out very well in European and South and Central American nations. "They say people hate us but I think they want to be like us," offered Don. Brand even made it onto cover of Vogue in Paris. European market reminds Vultaggio of American market 25 years ago - "humdrum." That's ripe opportunity for brand like AriZona.

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04/29/2016

BEV FORUM: AriZona's Vultaggio on Why AriZona Name, Keepin' It Fresh, Hybrid Distribution

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04/29/2016

Is 'Housewives of Bethesda, Md' Next? Honest Tea Goes Broader via Video Push Featuring Dishonest Consumers Coming Clean

As it motors toward being staple on Coke bottlers' trucks, Honest Tea is inaugurating its first large-scale marketing campaign via video series that urges consumers to be more "refreshingly honest" in their daily lives, per theme and hashtag. Series of documentary videos featuring real consumers kicks off on so-called National Honesty Day, tomorrow, with Brooklyn mom named Gabrielle, 36, coming clean to her 2 young daughters about white lie she's been floating for some time: that when ice cream truck is playing music, that means it's out of stock. "Not been setting greatest example," she acknowledges to interviewer (tho BBI editor kinda wishes he'd thought of that one), before on-camera confession to the kids. "You're going to get a piece of my mind," says younger daughter. "Join the conversation. #refreshinglyhonest," says closing title. Effort running thru Aug will include sharable Honesty Cards that tell commonly held #RefreshinglyHonest sentiments, per Coke unit, as well as pop-up experiences in major cities. As every summer, Bethesda, Md, co will continue to compile National Honesty Index via various public events around US. Initial video can be viewed here.

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04/29/2016

Now It's Dunkin' that's Thinkin' Cold-Brew

Looks like Dunkin' Donuts is becoming ever-faster follower into gourmet coffee trends. Latest example: the test it's got under way of cold-brewed coffee in handful of New England markets, per The Street and Eater. That's less than a year after Starbucks rolled out its in-house-brewed cold-brew to its stores last Jul, and just as it's launched its first bottled product in a handful of western markets. The Dunkin' test is proceeding in Springfield, Mass, and Portland and Bangor, Me. Statement to Eater said DD brass will review franchise and customer feedback before deciding whether to expand item. Chain has been riding specialty offerings like espresso for growth lately.

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04/29/2016

Argo Tea Offers Versatile In-Store Kombucha Program via Tie to Kefiplant; Adding Vegan SKUs to Teappuccino Bottled Line; Undertaking Arduous Quest for Safe Cold-Brewed Tea

Trip to Bev Forum in Chicago offered opportunity to check in with locally based Argo Tea, which has been parlaying sleekly designed stores and inventive tea blends into expanding retail presence and increasingly important RTD line, now in 40K outlets. It was clear from walk into first store on Mon that lots is afoot: electronic signage proclaimed advent that day of co's first kombucha entries, via partnership with Montreal's Kefiplant. Also in innovation mix, as founder Arsen Avakian indicated in tasting at nearby Connors Park store, are trio of vegan extensions that will double range of Teappuccino subline this summer, technically challenging foray into cold-brewed teas and Garden Direct collection of specialty teas due to be unveiled this Aug.

The kombucha first. Alliance with Kefiplant and its founder Chantal Houle allows each store to produce a kombucha version of any tea flavor that's available on tap at store via bag-in-box system by melding it with culture that's separately fermenting, an apparent first for category. At Rush St store the signage suggested Classic Black and Green Ginger flavors but also invited customers to "build your own" with selection of tea and flavor to be added to probiotic culture. Website describes resulting items as "patented symbiotic fermentation by Kefiplant." Avakian hopes to offer bottled versions of kombuchas next year.

On bottled line, forthcoming vegan entries will include Tea-na Colada (with coconut milk and chamomile), like many new flavors an outcome of all-day Argo Olympics events in which baristas bring along ideas (both their own and customers'). This idea made it to stores 3 summers ago and now heads into bottles this summer. Also coming on vegan front are provisionally named Matteccino (using almondmilk) and Matcha Vanilla (using soy milk). These join milk-based Teappuccino lineup comprised of best-selling Chai, with Assam tea at core; Earl Grey Vanilla CrÃ¨me and Green Tea Strawberry CrÃ¨me. Core bottled line includes 7 Signature offerings and 3 unsweetened varieties, all made from hand-plucked teas. These days, the bottles are moved to retail customers via hybrid distribution system consisting of DSD houses in some key markets, direct or warehouse delivery to retailers elsewhere and foodservice players like Compass. As recently noted, Argo moved to diversified NA house Big Geyser in NY from smaller natural/specialty house in recent weeks (BBI, Apr 11).

Tho we've seen wave of cold-brewed coffee entries from players large and small, cold-brewed tea poses particular safety questions. That because, while cold-brewed coffee is made from beans that have been already roasted, tea leaves haven't, making it easier for pathogens to prevail. In tea, "cold-brew is not a trivial undertaking," as Arsen observed. So he's teamed with black tea growers in Darjeeling region of India and green tea suppliers near Kyoto in Japan to move to large-scale production of organic and biodynamic tea varieties that are lower in tannin content and can survive sterilization process. That's 2-3 year process that Avakian hopes will pioneer cold-brewed versions of first-flush Darjeeling black tea and Gyokuro-grade green tea. He hopes to be able to report decisive progress by this Aug.

The Garden Direct collection will comprise 20+ specialty teas sourced from Japan, China, Nepal and South Africa, with details due in late summer.

Connors Park Store Was Reclamation Effort for Beleaguered Public Space Argo has been operating growing network of teahouses in Chicago, NY and parts of Middle East, as well as burgeoning # of licensed operations at universities, hospitals and airports. BBI met Avakian this week at Connors Park store, part of cluster in most densely populated part of Chicago on near north side - "ground zero of the best part of Chicago," as Arsen called it. This was near-derelict pocket park in heart of Gold Coast area that local residents and workers - including Arsen's family, which lives a few blocks away - took pains to avoid. So tea entrepreneur cooked up long-term deal with city and Chicago Parks Dept under which he built 1K-square-foot greenhouse-like structure to house airy, light-filled teahouse complete with fireplace and transformed landscaping in rest of space, using drought-tolerant plants native to area. It opened in Jul 2013, 10th anniversary of Argo's founding, amid some controversy over whether enough is done to signal that it's still a public space. All except a stone monument and a few older trees was changed, with more improvements on way. Building includes kiosk where Lifeway probiotics are dispensed (not necessarily signifying broader relationship but simply showing solidarity to fellow Chicago-area bev player) and hosts events like Christmas caroling and Piano Project. It's typical of way Avakian hopes to build brand while integrating it into broader community, somewhat in way star chef Danny Meyer helped revive NY's Madison Square Park with his inaugural Shake Shack operation.

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