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Beverage industry veterans Duane Stanford and John Sicher analyze the latest trends revealed in the Beverage Digest Fact Book, discussing the surprising rise of Sprite over Pepsi and the continued dominance of functional beverages.

• Non-alcoholic beers gaining mainstream acceptance as daytime alternatives to diet sodas
• THC beverages operating in regulatory "Wild West" environment likely to face increased scrutiny
• Sprite overtakes Pepsi to become America's third-ranked carbonated soft drink
• PepsiCo has a long-term strategy as a "total beverage company" too
• Functional refreshment drives growth in "gut sodas" like Poppy and Olipop
• Energy drinks remain strong despite economic pressures due to functionality and flavor variety
• Liquid refreshment beverage market shows bifurcated growth—water and energy drinks up
• Sports drinks category puzzlingly weak despite functional benefits and strong brands
• Coca-Cola implementing unified "sandwich strategy" with Body Armor and Powerade
• Economic pressures and potential tariff impacts creating uncertain environment for beverage industry

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Beverage Digest Editor & Publisher Duane Stanford and industry expert & regular podcast contributor John Sicher discuss Rodney Sacks’ announced retirement as CEO of Monster Beverage. When Rodney Sacks and Hilton Schlosberg spotted the emerging energy drink trend in the early 2000s, few could have predicted they'd build a $53 billion global empire. Yet that's exactly what they did with Monster Energy, creating a brand that now rivals corporate giants like Ford and DuPont in market value.

The announcement of Sacks' upcoming retirement as Co-CEO (transitioning to chairman until 2026) marks a pivotal moment in beverage industry history. His legacy? Transforming a small juice company into a dominant force commanding 35% of the US energy drink market, with 35 brands sold in 159 countries and $7.5 billion in annual revenue.

As leadership transitions to Schlosberg amid a flurry of industry consolidation (Celsius acquiring Alani Nu, Ghost Energy joining Keurig Dr Pepper), Monster's future success will depend on maintaining the competitive edge and strategic discipline that defined the Sacks era while adapting to an increasingly crowded marketplace.

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Today, Beverage Digest Editor & Publisher Duane Stanford and industry expert & regular podcast contributor John Sicher discuss the remarkable journey of Dr Pepper – a brand that has thrived in today's demanding carbonated soft drink landscape. Through strategic marketing, innovation, and understanding consumer trends, Dr Pepper has positioned itself as a key player in the category. Duane and John offer insights into the brand's growth amid declining CSD volumes, discuss the importance of bottler relationships and KDP's distribution strategy, and explore the brand's effective use of limited-time offerings and social media trends.

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To kick off the new year, Duane and John talk beverage industry trends and expectations for 2025 - including pricing power, the energy category, and the US beverage bottling landscape.

Duane Stanford is the Editor & Publisher of Beverage Digest, the leading beverage industry news and data publication.

John Sicher is the former editor and publisher of Beverage Digest, who has since consulted for companies including Coca-Cola, BodyArmor, and PureCircle.

This episode was recorded on January 6, 2025.

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Beverage Digest Editor & Publisher Duane Stanford and industry expert & regular podcast contributor John Sicher discuss a wild October in the energy drinks sector.

Bang founder and former CEO Jack Owoc announced he is getting back into the energy game following the collapse of Bang. His new product is called Ai Energy. Then, Keurig Dr Pepper announced it was buying Ghost Energy and taking it out of the Anheuser-Busch system. This is the latest energy drink to be taken away from AB distributors. And Celsius just bought one of its co-packers for $75 million to get more control over its supply chain and innovation turnaround. What does all of this activity mean at a time when the energy category remains sluggish?

This episode was recorded on Nov. 1, 2024.

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Beverage Digest Editor & Publisher Duane Stanford and industry expert & regular podcast contributor John Sicher dive into the most recent beverage category performance data to see what it tells them about brands, consumers, and the retail environment. Will promotions need to be ramped up to spur volume sales? Is product diversification cannibalizing core brands? Drop in on their conversation.

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After the rapid sales decline of Congo Brands' influencer-driven Prime Hydration this year, Beverage Digest Editor & Publisher Duane Stanford and industry expert John Sicher dig into the brand's boom-splat storyline to assess what this means for a slumping U.S. sports drink category.

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Beverage Digest Editor & Publisher Duane Stanford chats with industry expert & The Breeze contributor John Sicher about the future of prebiotic sodas, how health and wellness soft drinks fit into the broader packaged beverage sector, and whether these products present a growth opportunity for soda makers like Coke, PepsiCo, and Keurig Dr Pepper.