Taste Radio

These days Zico founder Mark Rampolla spends most of his time thinking about transformative technology and better-for-you sweets. Three years removed from the sale of his coconut water brand to the Coca-Cola Co., Rampolla is now the managing partner and a co-founder of Powerplant Ventures, a private equity firm that invests in "visionary companies that are re-architecting" the food system via plant-based nutrition. He's also the interim CEO of Hail Merry, a maker of plant-based snack foods, which counts Powerplant as an investor. We caught up with Rampolla last week in Los Angeles at the Project NOSH L.A. conference where we recorded this edition of the BevNET podcast. As part of a broad-ranging discussion, Rampolla explains why food and beverage investors, including Powerplant, are embracing ideas that meld idealism and technology and what's driving systematic changes in the food industry. Rampolla also offers up some investment advice for Coca-Cola's Venturing and Emerging Brands unit and talks about why he decided to get back into the food and beverage business after selling Zico.

A couple weeks ago, the podcast team had an opportunity to sit down with Scott Uzzell, the president of the Coca-Cola Co.'s Venturing and Emerging Brands (VEB) unit. The overarching mission of VEB is to identify and nurture the next billion-dollar brands for Coke, and in this podcast, recorded at the NACS 2016 show, Uzzell shares details about the unit's investment and incubation strategy. As part of a wide-ranging discussion, Uzzell, who has been with Coke for 16 years and was named president of VEB in February, 2014, discusses the three pillars of investment for VEB and why he views modern marketing and integrated technology as critical to the future of the beverage industry. He also shares his thoughts on Coke's strategy for RTD coffee, particularly for VEB-managed illy and how the brand will be marketed and sold amid the company's partnership with Dunkin' Donuts to bottle and distribute a new line of bottled coffees as well as the upcoming launch of Gold Peak's cold brew coffee. Uzzell also comments on the exceptional rise of Bai and his batting average for predictions on "the next big thing."

After a few weeks on the road, the podcast team finally made it back in the conference room at BevNET HQ, where we recently chatted about our travels. In this edition, we look back at last week's NACS 2016 show, which showcased the continuing evolution of the convenience store channel. Our discussion includes an examination of retailers' and beverage suppliers' efforts to adapt to growing consumer interest for healthier drinks in C-stores and our thoughts on noteworthy new products introduced at the show. Later in the podcast, the conversation turns to BevNET CEO John Craven's recent trip to London. Craven shares his perspective on the British beverage market and why so many U.K.-based beverage companies are attempting to market their drinks "across the pond." In our remaining time, we delve into a discussion about BevNET's product review process and the elements that make for a top-rated beverage.

For this week's episode of the BevNET podcast, we've crossed the Atlantic to explore a beverage market that's outside of our usual coverage area: London. Joining the podcast are Hugh Thomas and Joe Benn of Ugly Drinks, which is a U.K.-based startup that produces unsweetened flavored sparkling water. Thomas and Benn, who met each other while helping to launch Vita Coco in the U.K., discuss, along with BevNET founder & CEO John Craven, their thoughts on a variety of topics, including beverage innovation in the U.K. health and wellness trends impacting their local marketing, and the thought process of going international with an emerging beverage brand. In addition, they give their thoughts on trends in the US from both the perspective of being avid BevNET readers and seeing firsthand the products that are making their way into the U.K. from the U.S.

In this edition of the BevNET podcast, we're joined by Gerry Khermouch, a longtime beverage reporter and the editor of email newsletter Beverage Business Insights. Khermouch, who also pens a column for BevNET Magazine, has been covering the non-alcoholic beverage industry for over 20 years, reporting on everything from the rise of new age brands like Snapple and AriZona to the meteoric success of vitaminwater to the fast-evolving trends of today. Khermouch shares insights gleaned from over two decades as a beverage journalist, including what he calls the "dirty secret" about success in the beverage industry, why he views curb appeal as a legitimate indicator of a growing brand, the "miraculous" energy drink category, and how a surge in new refrigerated brands is altering the distribution landscape.

Trevor Nelson, the co-founder and managing partner of private equity firm Alliance Consumer Growth (ACG) is admittedly gunshy about speaking to the media. It's not that Nelson isn't well-spoken; in fact, he's quite articulate. It's just that he's wary of sharing too much information about the strategic insights and analyses that ACG, which was an early investor in cold-pressed juice Suja and Krave, a brand of meat jerky snacks, meticulously prepares and refines before making an investment. Nevertheless, Nelson recently hosted BevNET's podcast team at ACG's offices in Manhattan and shared some details about the firm's approach to evaluating investment opportunities. In particular, Nelson explains why ACG, which closed on a new $210 million fund in February, doesn't "make bets" when it comes to funding decisions. He also shares his thoughts on which beverage categories are ripe for disruption and the ways in which ACG identifies new and compelling brands.

Darren Rovell, the veteran ESPN sports business reporter, wrote the book on Gatorade -- literally. His 2005 feature First in Thirst: How Gatorade Turned the Science of Sweat Into a Cultural Phenomenon won acclaim among beverage industry observers and became the foundation for Rovell's expertise in the business of sports drinks. Last week BevNET's podcast team met with Rovell at his home in New Jersey for a broad discussion on the current state of the sports beverage category, one that offers an insider's take on the segment's gatekeepers, from boardrooms to locker rooms. Among topics covered: the value of athlete endorsements, how professional sports teams work with beverage companies to develop specialized nutrition programs, why some of Gatorade's recent innovation efforts have stumbled and how cold-pressed juice and energy drink brands are finding favor in the sports world. Rovell, who has a massive presence on Twitter (over 1.5 million followers) also opines on what makes for successful social media marketing and offers examples of what what works -- and what doesn't.

At Natural Products Expo East 2016, BevNET's podcast team sat down with John Haugen, the vice president and general manager of General Mills' 301 Inc. incubation unit. In this podcast, Haugen discusses how 301, which operates as a business development and venture capital arm of General Mills, evaluates opportunities for investment in emerging trends and early-stage companies and gives an update on the unit's partnership with organic bottled soup brand Tio Gazpacho. He also explains why General Mills needs to redefine how it markets functional benefits and how finding "natural ways for food to work harder" is an important consideration in 301's investment strategy.

Influential blogger and organic food pundit Max Goldberg stopped by the BevNET Podcast home office this week for a discussion of the state of the organic food and beverage industry, the issues concerning the development of new products, and to preview his memoir, Finding Maxwell. Goldberg, a former Wall Street executive, told our team all about his journey from antidepressants to clean-living organic foodie and media figure, with conversational stops along the way on the offerings at Expo East, the difference between Ripple Foods and almond milk, and, most importantly, what he'd do if faced with the choice of eating Arby's or a bag of organic palm sugar. He's optimistic about the future of the business, which is good, because he's deeply involved. Goldberg thinks that product development is still nascent, it should be noted. Goldberg said he's looking forward to "when you get people who are super talented chefs and get them into the plant-based arena," adding, "I think we're really in the early stages here." Regardless of what stage you think we're in, make sure to listen to this edition of the BevNET Podcast, and rate it on iTunes.

This week, the podcast team is joined by veteran entrepreneur, investor and advisor Tom First, best known as the co-founder Nantucket Nectars. First is currently an operating partner at private equity firm Castanea Partners where he focuses on opportunities in branded food and beverages. In a broad ranging discussion, First riffs on emerging trends in the beverage business, including why he sees a big future for gut health and protein and also shares his take on beverage companies that are primed to become billion dollar brands.