Beverage Industry articles from March 1994

Beverage Industry archives from March 1994

The distribution dilemma: new age companies face major problems in developing distribution networks.
March 1, 1994... Robin Prever didn't want to depend on distributors to push her Saratoga Spring water in New York City, so she started her own distribution company, Thirst Quenchers Inc. In southern Florida, she's bought controlling interest in an existing...

Brewing south of the border. (Fomento Economico Mexicano S.A. de C.V.) (Company Profile)
March 1, 1994... Growth in international markets is the strategy of choice for most market leaders. Fomento Economico Mexicano, S.A. de C.V. (Femsa) the largest beverage company in Mexico, is no exception. * In the United States, Monterrey-based Femsa is...

A word from our sponsor: beverage companies use sponsorship and licensing to build awareness and sell products.
March 1, 1994... Move over advertising. Beverage companies are reaching out to everyone from sports fans to cherry-pit spitters with event sponsorships and licensing agreements. Sponsorship spending by all U.S. companies should reach $4.25 billion this...

Recycling highs and lows: local coordinators tell us what they like, and what they fear in the recycling world.
March 1, 1994... Earlier this year, I polled a dozen local government recycling coordinators, asking them about what they see for the future in recycling. I asked: * What do you think is the most exciting thing going on in recycling today? * What...

Back to basics: Americans are returning to old favorites like soda pop, coffee, tea and milk. (Annual Soft Drink Report)
March 1, 1994... Economic recovery and warm summer temperatures helped boost soft drink consumption in 1993. Americans consumed 48.9 gallons of carbonated soft drinks per person in 1993 versus 48.0 gallons the previous year, according to John C. Maxwell Jr.,...

The top 10 hang tough: despite new product proliferation, soft drinks grow in '93. (Annual Soft Drink Report)
March 1, 1994... It's not a big surprise that the top three soft drink franchise companies held their own in 1993 after experiencing sluggish growth in 1992. Coke remains cola king with its No. 1 Coca-Cola Classic, and although the diet category is...

Pepper share peps up as cola declines: pepper-type drinks rose 0.6%, while cola slid 1.3% in 1993. (Annual Soft Drink Report)
March 1, 1994... "Cola" and "soft drink" used to be synonymous terms. Indeed, in many big cities and small towns in the South, "Coke" is the generic word for soft drink. But, with a flood of fruity new offerings, such as ready-to-drink teas, lemonades...

Diet share drops in '93: diet declines as consumers migrate to new age alternatives. (Annual Soft Drink Report)
March 1, 1994... Diet soft drinks continued to lose market share in 1993, dropping to 28.2 percent from 29.4 percent in 1992. The decline illustrates "true saturation of this segment of the industry," says John C. Maxwell Jr., Beverage Industry's director of...

Franchise companies hold true to their megabrands. (includes related article on Cadbury Schweppes PLC's acquisition of A and W Brands Inc. and its stake in Dr. Pepper/SevenUp Companies Inc.) (Annual Soft Drink Report)
March 1, 1994... Renewed consumer confidence, a balmy summer and the Midwest floods of 1993 played key roles in the leading soft drink franchise companies, improved performances last year. John C. Maxwell Jr., Beverage Industry's director of research,...

Companies cutting back: pepper and citrus soft drinks see ad spending gains. (advertising budgets) (Annual Soft Drink Report)
March 1, 1994... Soft drink makers are known for splashy, lively advertising. They are also known to pour a lot of money into those campaigns. Beverage Industry's Director of Research John C. Maxwell Jr. collected advertising data from Leading National...

Soft drink volume grew slowly but surely in '93; teas, coffees and still water continued to make a big splash. (Annual Soft Drink Report)
March 1, 1994... When it comes to beverage sales in major supermarkets, "Everything is growing," says a spokesman at A.C. Nielsen Marketing Research. Because soft drinks sales are not growing as fast as ready-to-drink tea, ready-to-drink coffee and still...

ONYS: down but not out, says founder. (Original New York Seltzer Co., Alan Miller)
March 1, 1994... Original New York Seltzer has made more than $350 million in its 12 years of operation. "The problem is," says founder and president Alan Miller, "we spent it all." ONYS, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in November 1993,...

Aluminum cans, plastic closures gain share, study says. (The Freedonia Group Inc.)
March 1, 1994... Metal can shipments will increase at a rate of 2 percent annually through 1997, spurred by the growth of aluminum beverage can use, according to a recent study from The Freedonia Group, Inc., Cleveland. Despite competition from plastic...

Monarch magic. (Monarch Co. soft drink company) (Company Profile)
March 1, 1994... Ask Salomon Brothers, veteran beverage industry analyst Andrew Conway about Monarch Co. President Mark Armstrong and he says simply, "Cool, calm and collected." * The same description can be applied to Monarch itself. While larger soft drink...

Solving the vending equation: roundtable participants advise examining profitability, servicing and product mix. (Panel Discussion)
March 1, 1994... Bottlers should re-examine their vending operations to maximize returns from what is already a highly profitable distribution channel, said participants at Beverage Industry's recent vending roundtable. Vending profitability can be...

The truck is the message: vehicle graphics help build brand image, garner consumer attention.
March 1, 1994... Cutting through mass media ad clutter has become a familiar problem for beverage companies. For some, the answer has been to concentrate on a different medium--their trucks. Getting name recognition of any kind was a major problem for...

Soft drinks see 2.9% growth in '93: warm weather and flooding boost consumption. (Annual Soft Drink Report)
March 1, 1994... After a disappointing gain of 1.5 percent in 1992, word on the street was that soft drinks were being sunk by non-carbonated new age offerings and lower priced private label brands. Cool summer temperatures and the recession in '92 didn't...

New age flourishes: teas and non-carbonated offerings step on the accelerator. (Annual Soft Drink Report)
March 1, 1994... New age or "alternative," beverages blossomed into a $3 billion business in 1993. New age volume will continue to grow this year and could triple in the coming decade, predicts John C. Maxwell Jr., Beverage Industry director of research....