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• RYSE Fights ‘Baseless’ Lawsuit
• After Breakthru Walks, KEG 1 Moves on RNDC
• Wandering Bear Finds Its Way Back to Target
• UK Non-Alc Botivo Sells Pleasure, Not Moderation
• The Latest Marketing Moves
• Nombase: Private Label Is a $330 Billion Business Now

It’s a new era at OLIPOP. 

What Happened: The company that helped kick off the prebiotic soda craze has appointed veteran leader Christian Patiño Webb as its new CEO.

C-Suite Shuffle: Patiño Webb arrives at OLIPOP from another one of beverages’ hottest brands: Mexican sports drink Electrolit.

• He led KDP-distributed Electrolit to massive gains in the U.S. since taking the CEO job in 2022, turning it into the fastest-growing scaled brand in sports hydration.

• The entrepreneurial spirit isn’t gone, though: founder Ben Goodwin is shifting to executive chairman and a new role as head of innovation

• “I am more replaceable as the CEO than I am as the founder and driver of formulation and innovation,” he told Bloomberg. 

What’s Next: There’s more immediate growth on the table. Sales keep growing and OLIPOP’s shelf-stable cans are still opening new distribution beyond the core refrigerated version. 

With its most recent funding round coming in at a $1.85 billion valuation, OLIPOP is keen to “maintain the flexibility to evaluate capital markets opportunities alongside other strategic alternatives as the company continues to grow.”

• Suitors like Red Bull and Coca-Cola apparently kicked the tires on a potential acquisition last year, according to media reports. 

• Poppi’s shaky entrance into Pepsi’s portfolio (and Coke’s apparent launch of prebiotic versions of its recognized brands) may have diluted OLIPOP’s appetite for a deal.

What to Watch: Acquisition talks may have faded for the moment, but that could change once Patiño Webb is able to put his stamp on the organization and its operations. 

Read the full story on BevNET

Chicago’s food, beverage, and beer community is getting together this Thursday, August 13 for a free evening of networking, Taste Radio podcast interviews, and plenty of time to connect with local founders and others working across the industry.

Doors open at 5:00 PM, with live conversations featuring Adam Spriggs of The Angel Group, Alex Witt of Battle Bars, and Pilot Project Brewing co-founders Jordan Radke and Dan Abel — followed by more drinks, conversation, and networking.

It’s free to attend, so grab your spot and come hang with us!

RYSE is defending itself against allegations made in a proposed class action lawsuit, calling claims that its Clear Protein line contains less than the advertised protein content “baseless.” RYSE was sued by California resident Daniel Ruchman in May. Read the story.

KEG 1 River City (K1RC) has signed a letter of intent (LOI) to acquire Republic National Distributing Company's (RNDC) Kentucky assets, the companies announced Monday. The deal follows news late last week that Breakthru Beverage Group was pulling out of its bid for RNDC’s Kentucky and Indiana operations. Read the story.

Cold brew specialist Wandering Bear is bringing its 8 oz. single-serve cans and 32 oz. multi-serve cartons into Target. Read the story.

Non-alcoholic apéritif UK-based Botivo is up 408% year-over-year in all retail outlets, according to Circana’s tracking of no-and-low spirits value sales over the last 52 weeks ending June 13. The secret? A product and brand strategy built entirely around pleasure rather than moderation. Read the story.

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It’s Hump Day! Here’s a taste of the latest marketing moves from around the beverage industry.

🥛 Malk is chasing even more use occasions with the launch of Whole MALK, a higher-protein offering designed to serve as a more complete dairy alternative. Learn more

🍋‍🟩 7UP said its time for lime. With its first reformulation in 15 years, the KDP-owned brand is is putting lemon’s emerald cousin in the spotlight. Check out the details

🫖 Feature Spotlight: Iced tea is one of the world’s oldest refreshment beverages, but for product makers there’s been a tradeoff: the drink’s simplicity has inhibited brands’ ability to adapt to changing marketplace trends. That is beginning to change, ever so slightly… Read the full story in BevNET Magazine

Looking for more? Access the latest marketing news with BevNET Insider

Many founders think private label can compromise opportunities for their brand. 

Derek Brawley thinks that's backwards. He's spent nearly two decades running private label programs internationally, most recently at Prana, and mentors emerging brands on how to make the most of private label business. 

In this episode, he makes the case for private label as one of the most underused tools for cash flow, accurate forecasting, and long-term growth – and explains how to use it without compromising the brand you're building.

Listen here

Also available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.