Having helped engineer the hard seltzer boom, White Claw is going soft. 

The Chicago-based company announced yesterday the launch of White Claw 0% Alcohol, a four-SKU line -- available in Black Cherry Cranberry, Mango Passion Fruit, Peach Orange Blossom and Lime Yuzu -- of “premium seltzer for adults” set to begin rolling out in variety 12-packs and single flavor 6-packs on January 1, 2024. 

The line gets an added boost from electrolytes – “half as many as you’d find in some leading sports drinks,” per a press release – while clocking in at 2 grams of sugar and 15 calories per 12 oz. can.

It’s an ironic development in White Claw’s prodigious run: having answered the call in 2016 from consumers looking for a lower-calorie, session-friendly alcoholic RTD, the brand is now looking to offer those same fans a zero-proof product that aligns with their growing desire to drink less, particularly during Dry January.  

Citing results of an internal survey, the company said interest in “sober curious” or “damp” lifestyles were strong across Gen Z and Millennials, but also that 64% of consumers wish there were better non-alcoholic options available. Those shoppers would be more likely to choose zero-proof drinks based on flavors (83%), brands they recognize (72%), had electrolytes (72%) and were low-sugar (71%). 

“The industry is ripe for disruption as demand for flavorful, non-alcoholic drinks is one the rise, but current options like excessively sweet cocktails, bland waters and near-beers are disconnected from what today’s adult drinkers want,” said Phil Rosse, president of Mark Anthony Brands, touting the product as paving the way for “an entirely new adult beverage.” 

While it remains bullish on hard seltzer, the release places White Claw in the ranks of sparkling water brands with products on both sides of the alcoholic divide, joining the likes of Spindrift, Polar and Coca-Cola’s Topo Chico. But White Claw’s claims of the new 0% Alcohol being a beverage with “all the taste and complexity” of an alcoholic drink also suggest it’s being positioned to compete with innovative zero-proof sparkling RTDs and non-alc beers from HOP WTR, Hoplark HopTea, Brewbound’s 2023 Large Brewer of the Year Athletic Brewing and others. 

“White Claw 0% Alcohol is made non-alcoholic from the start, so it’s not a lesser version of anything, it’s more. The result is a bold, refreshing choice that tastes like no other adult drink available,” said Rosse.

Whether it was from trades, tabloids or the Senate Majority Leader, virtually no brand got as much buzz and dominated the conversation in 2023 the way PRIME did, making it a clear choice for BevNET’s Brand of the Year.

Reflecting on the journey thus far in a special interview with BevNET, PRIME co-founder Logan Paul opened up about how the brand achieved its rapid rise in both the hydration and energy drink categories, including how his and his co-founder KSI’s hands-on approach to branding and marketing helped differentiate the company from other influencer-backed brands, his reaction to the brand’s rapid growth and why PRIME’s early scarcity was not only unintentional but also nearly killed the business in the cradle – and how they turned to manufacturing to survive that crisis. 

Watch the full video on BevNET

Are you bored of bland seltzers and sick of overly sweet juices? Fill the holes in your beverage line up with MASH by Boylan Bottling - the low calorie, bold flavored fruit drink available in 4 unique flavors. Contact us for samples and distribution information today! Learn more

🧐 Had a bad experience with an energy drink? MiO wants to hear about it. The functional water enhancing concentrate brand’s new marketing campaign invites participants to submit written and video claims through the brand’s website explaining their “unwelcome” experiences with competitors’ energy drink products. MiO’s “insurance adjuster” will “award damages” of $50 to $200 along with a free bottle of MiO Energy concentrate.

🎵 Rockstar is adding to its 2023 partnership with Puerto Rican rapper Myke Towers by launching a national campaign to find the next big urban Latin music star. The winner of the competition will get a spot opening for Towers on tour and an artist development fund sponsored by the energy drink brand.

🎛️ PepsiCo is not the only beverage company tapping into the overlap of caffeinated drinks and live music. Monster Energy announced that electronic dance music DJ Disco Lines will be headlining its Up & Up college music festival.

Read the full roundup on BevNET

Brian Kocher has been named the next CEO of plant-based food and beverage conglomerate SunOpta, after outgoing chief executive Joseph D. Ennen announced he will retire from his position effective January 2, 2024.

🥕 Kocher currently serves as chairman of AgroFresh and previously was president and CEO of produce supplier Calavo Growers. He has also held leadership roles at Chiquita and Castellini Group of companies.

💼 In coming into the CEO position, Kocher will also join SunOpta’s board of directors. Ennen will continue to serve as an advisor to the Board and to Kocher until April 1, 2024. 

📈 Ennen has been CEO of SunOpta for the past five years, leading the company through the pandemic and overseeing a portfolio overhaul in that time.

The Coca-Cola Company announced this week that it has named its global chief marketing officer Manuel “Manolo” Arroyo as EVP of the company, starting January 1.

Arroyo currently oversees global category teams; “Integrated Marketing Experience” projects such as media, digital marketing and design; and marketing operations, among other responsibilities.

The announcement is part of a series of title revisions for officers in the company, however no job responsibilities have been changed, Coke noted. The additional title revisions will be made available on the company’s website come January.

Coca-Cola’s chief communications officer Beatriz Perez talked to Axios about how she has developed her story-telling strategy over the nearly 30 years she has worked for the company. Serving in roles from chief sustainability officer to chief marketing executive, she has learned to develop the brand’s approach to messaging through talking with her kids and understanding that change often happens by looking inward.

🤔 “You have to really get down to what problem are you solving, which brands don't like to do because typically you're a part of the problem,” she told Axios. “So how do you then legitimately and credibly say you're solving the problem that you're a part of?"

💡 Her two pieces of advice are to brands trying to communicate better with their consumers are: Reject your first thought, meaning don’t react with your first instinct but wait to make a decision until after you have heard all the perspectives. Don't major in the minors, or take a look at the big picture and try to not get caught up in the little details.