Innovation is absolutely essential to this industry, |
It started out with young consumers ? late teens, people in their 20s ? but it's getting much broader than that. |
It's Coke and Pepsi and Cadbury who really stepped up to the plate and did something fairly controversial, and they deserve a lot of credit for this. |
on and off. Some if it has been good. Some has been somewhat less than good. |
People in general are responding to beverage products with health and wellness benefits. The trend is unmistakable and is going to gain traction in the years to come. |
Quaker Oats' grain-based snacks could show real growth within the Frito-Lay marketing and distribution system, |
Results are starting to improve, but the company is still a work in progress. |
Summer is the highest-volume period of the year for the beverage industry. But it's not just the new products that will get the attention. The promotions and advertising are also very important for both companies. |
Texas certainly has a cachet in other parts of the country. |
The airline business in terms of volume is tiny. It's more important in terms of presence, visibility and a little bit of prestige. |
The antitrust laws would make it hard for Coke and Pepsi to buy more carbonated soft drinks brands. |
The biggest trend last year was the accelerated growth of the diet sodas, |
The carbonated soft drink category is fundamentally in trouble. I anticipate there will be some sporadic growth of a few regular brands and some diets, but the outlook doesn't look good for the category. |
The diet part of the industry is where the growth is, and these companies are now expanding their offerings of diet sodas. |
The energy drink category came out of nowhere. It's been a pleasant surprise for the industry. |