Considering how things worked out on their first collaboration, this pairing seems worth another shot: Entrepreneur Ben Weiss, founder of Bai and Crook & Marker, has reunited with those brands’ former chief creative officer Chad Portas to launch Substratum, a combination ad agency and venture capital firm which will work with better-for-you brands across industries, including food and beverage.

Substratum will kick off its first national campaign, developed with musician Zac Brown, for Crook & Marker this afternoon. At 3:33 p.m. ET, Brown will post a TV spot to his Instagram account and the ad will run throughout the summer on streaming platforms.

According to Portas, Substratum aims to operate similarly to firms like CAVU Ventures, which offers creative and marketing support to the CPG brands in its portfolio. There have also been smaller examples of the combination creative and investment model in recent years, including early stage consumer VCs Room 9 and Bullish. This one-stop shop approach can be beneficial to startups; in 2021, Room 9 founder Anish Bhatia told BevNET the brands in his firm’s investment portfolio can save upwards of millions of dollars in agency expenses by staying in-house. While the terms of Substratum’s deals weren’t disclosed, Portas said one benefit its partners can expect is around the clock support, stating his willingness to answer 2 a.m. phone calls to discuss marketing ideas should the need arise.

Read the full story on BevNET.  

Even as a scrappy startup, Super Coffee has never backed away from taking the fight to category giants like Starbucks and Dunkin’, establishing itself as a direct better-for-you competitor for the sweet coffee drinks that dominate the RTD space. The brand had tested a limited-release energy drink last year, but with this, its first product designed specifically for c-stores, the company is looking to replicate that playbook with Super Coffee Xxtra, a new two-SKU (Mocha and Vanilla) energy-coffee drinks in 15 oz. cans (SRP $3.69), which CEO Jim DeCicco described in an email to BevNET as being “designed for the mainstream, male convenience store shopper seeking indulgent flavor and energy.” That means taking on the likes of Java Monster (again), Starbucks’ Double Shot and Black Rifle’s RTDs, an imposing task but one that DeCicco said aligns with “the strengths of our distributor network, especially the Anheuser Busch wholesalers who built Java Monster back in the 2000’s.” With energy drink sales proving resilient to pricing actions from the big players, there’s opportunity to enter c-stores with a differentiated product — 200mg caffeine, 7 grams protein — specifically for male consumers, meaning it won’t hinder the core line’s development in grocery channels, where it’s found stickiness with health conscious female shoppers. Stay tuned to BevNET for the full story. 

Brothers International specializes in importing tropical fruit ingredients. We offer multiple varieties of mangoes and are the exclusive representative of the Magdalena River Mango®? in North America. Our mangoes are available in various forms and can be offered as both Conventional and Organic. Learn more

Leading retailers and CPG investors will be at BevNET Live on June 14 + 15 to explore the latest trends, establish new partnerships, and share their expertise. Meet leaders from companies like Whole Foods, Sprouts, Walmart, Lunr, Pearl Rock Partners, and TIG Brands. Learn more.

E. & J. Gallo is continuing its acquisition streak with Bev, a Los Angeles-based canned wine and spritz brand. The transaction comes two years after the spirits and wine group secured exclusive U.S. distribution rights to Bev’s portfolio of grape varietals, sparkling wines and lower ABV spritzes. The deal announcement also follows Spirit of Gallo’s acquisition last month of ready-to-drink (RTD) canned cocktail Fishers Island Lemonade. Founded by Alix Peabody in 2017, Bev has secured funding from Silicon Valley and entertainment figures, and benefitted from the pandemic’s boost to ready-to-drink libations for at-home occasions. Bev is one of the many canned wine companies aiming to shake up the category with branding aimed at younger and more diverse consumers. Read the full story on BevNET. 

Although summer solstice is still a few weeks away, several beverage companies have already kicked off the season with months-long marketing campaigns. Now through Labor Day, Vita Coco is offering beachgoers in the Hamptons craft coconut water cocktails at local hotspots including The Surf Lodge, Gurney’s Montauk Resort & Seawater Spa, Southampton Social Club and TT’s Montauk. Plus, C4 has launched its “Official Energy Drink of Summer” campaign, a 100-day cross-country summer tour with sampling events at Boots & Brews Country Music Festival, Ocean Beach Street Fair, H-E-B Austin Symphony July 4 Concert and Fireworks and C4 Energy Summer Fight Series at OTE Arena. Read the full story on BevNET. 

There’s no shortage of energy drinks on the market. And with so many, how are consumers to know which is the best? Supplements industry media org Stack3d is about to find out through the final round of its fifth annual Clash Of The Cans showdown, an online poll pitting over 100 different energy drinks against one another to find readers’ favorites. In this year’s finale, Nutrabolt’s C4 Energy – winner of the tournament’s first installment in 2019 – is going head to head with newcomer RYSE Fuel. Both brands have embraced the performance energy category with co-branded flavors, as C4 introduced Skittles and Starburst varieties while RYSE has partnered with Kool-Aid, Ring Pop and others. The poll closes at midnight on Sunday and the winner will be named soon after.

Stepping into the CEO role at Diageo has come early for Debra Crew, who was slated to assume the position on July 1. The accelerated appointment comes as CEO Sir Ivan Menezes recovers from emergency surgery. Crew has been president of Diageo North America and global supply since July 2020. Menezes lead the beer and spirits giant behind Guinness and Johnnie Walker for ten years.