Industry Issues
The Coca-Cola Co. launches proprietary insights platform, Coca-Cola Lens
The Atlanta-based The Coca-Cola Co. recently announced Coca-Cola Lens, an insights platform focused on growth and designed to empower operators in the foodservice and retail industries to make data-driven decisions.
Coca-Cola Lens makes actionable insights more accessible, magnifying relevant trends to anticipate consumer preferences as retailers and operators across the country navigate ongoing economic challenges, the company says.
The company’s business spans more than 250,000 retail outlets and 500,000 foodservice outlets in North America, making it uniquely positioned to provide valuable, real-time insights to businesses that need them, it adds.
“Coca-Cola has always been dedicated to driving growth with our partners. With the launch of Coca-Cola Lens, we’re taking that commitment to the next level,” said Dagmar Boggs, head of foodservice at Coca-Cola North America, in a statement. “Now, customers will be able to self-serve the actionable insights they need, precisely when they need them, empowering our partners to navigate the evolving landscape with confidence and agility.”
At its launch, there will be 16 unique thought leadership stories covering a variety of topics, from broad topics like macroeconomic trends, and as tailored as premium water trends, with new content every quarter.
“We are launching Coca-Cola Lens to deliver on the promise to create value beyond beverages to our customers, while serving as thought partners and consultants,” said Pamela Steward, chief customer officer for retail at Coca-Cola North America, in a statement. “Together, we will navigate this dynamic landscape, leveraging data and tools to drive our business strategies forward and accelerate growth.” BI
Craft Brewers Conference ensues in Las Vegas
The Brewers Association’s Craft Brewers Conference and BrewExpo America (CBC) took place April 21-24 in Las Vegas. The 41st annual event saw more than 9,500 attendees from more than 60 countries, making it one of the largest industry gatherings for craft beer experts.
One of the key takeaways of the gathering included identifying opportunity and finding growth. The General Session on day one featured Fawn Weaver, CEO and founder of Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey. Beny Ashburn, CEO and co-founder of Crowns & Hops Brewery, moderated the conversation, covering how Weaver identifies opportunities, leads teams into the future and how she built an independent whiskey company from the ground up in just five years. On day two, Bart Watson, Brewers Association’s vice president of strategy and chief economist, delivered the annual state of the craft beer industry report.
Attendees also participated in eight different educational tracks during the conference and visited with the 742 exhibitors that took part in BrewExpo America. Aside from beer, experts in distilling and cider-making offered stories and advice to brewers looking to extend their offerings beyond beer.
Additionally, four industry leaders nominated by Brewers Association members were recognized and awarded for “inspiring, defending and innovating” within the craft brewing industry.
Attendees competed in the Olympics of Beer, with 9,300 entries from 2,060 breweries in 50 countries participating. They fought for gold, silver and bronze awards in 110 categories, covering 172 styles in what is the world’s most prestigious professional beer competition. An elite panel of 280 judges from 37 countries evaluated the entries.
The 2025 edition of CBC and the World Beer Cup competition will take place April 28 through May 1 in Indianapolis. BI
American Beverage announced the appointment of strategic communications veteran Cait DeBaun as vice president and head of public affairs. “Cait will strengthen a talented American Beverage team as a proven strategist and communications expert who has worked with business and government to advance important policy measures,” said Kevin Keane, president and chief executive officer of American Beverage. “She has a great track record of successfully managing strategic communications and advocacy work with trade associations, corporations and federal agencies. We are excited to welcome her leadership to American Beverage.” DeBaun most recently led the American Gaming Association’s (AGA) strategic communications, marketing and responsibility team, where she helped manage communications efforts on issues that included legal sports betting and responsible gambling.
Ackley Brands, a family-owned beverage company in Seattle, announced its acquisition of Betz Family Winery. The Woodinville, Wash.-based winery will retain its operations team, including longtime winemaker Louis Skinner and consultant Bob Betz, MW. With the purchase of Betz Family Winery, SUNU and The Untold Story wines, Ackley Brands makes a strategic move in premium Washington wine and solidifies its commitment to quality, it says. The acquisition of Betz Family Winery expands Ackley Brands’ footprint in Washington and neighboring Oregon. SUNU, Betz Family Winery’s sister brand in the Willamette Valley, offers vineyard designate bottlings of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. SUNU aligns with Ackley Brands' existing Oregon portfolio, which includes Montinore Estate and Landlines Estates, both champions of Biodynamic viticulture in the Willamette Valley, it notes.
Los Angeles-based Grown Folks, a black-owned, mom-owned, and female-owned hard seltzer brand, announced its expansion into more than 100 stores across California. Consumers can now find Grown Folks products at Whole Foods Market, Total Wine & More, and Sam’s Club locations throughout the state. Hard seltzer flavors come in Peach Cobbler, Ambrosia and Key Lime. Each hard seltzer is crafted at 6% ABV with real fruit juice and fermented sugar.
Lifeway Foods Inc., Morton Grove, Ill., recently applauded the recent study protocol titled, “Randomized controlled trial of the effects of kefir on behavior, sleep and the microbiome in children with ADHD: a study protocol,” published by the British Medical Journal (BMJ) Open Journal. The trial will test diet-based intervention targeting gut health to support the wellbeing of children with ADHD, as previous research has suggested that daily consumption of the probiotics in dairy kefir can positively alter the composition of the microbiome, thus leading to a reduction in ADHD symptoms and improvements in sleep. While additional research is needed, Lifeway is encouraged by the initial findings of a potential link between the probiotics and improvements in ADHD symptoms in children. “At Lifeway Foods, it is our mission to help people live healthier, happier lives while providing the best in probiotic and nutritious foods,” said Julie Smolyansky, CEO of Lifeway Foods, in a statement. “We continue to be inspired and reassured by the advancements in microbiome research and the positive effects of probiotic foods on mental and physical health. As the range of potential health benefits associated with probiotics continue to expand, we're thrilled to be part of the path forward.”