Weekly Roundup – Week of 4.22.24
April 26, 2024
Explore the latest news stories surrounding the food and beverage industry – all curated by our team of strategists and food enthusiasts:
Fresh Branded Produce Gets A Refresh
The produce department is evolving into a more experiential branded space, with producers increasingly using packaging to attract online shoppers, highlight product attributes, and tell stories. Factors like organic certification and value-added items such as salad kits are driving this trend, with brands aiming to create a connection between their products and consumers’ experiences. Innovations in packaging design, including kid-focused themes and branded products like “pinkglow,” are further enhancing the branded look of produce. As consumers seek products that offer new experiences and align with their lifestyles, emotionally driven marketing strategies are becoming increasingly important in the competitive produce market. Read More.
Stravito Introduces AI Platform To Revolutionize Consumer Insights for Food Industry
Stravito, a Swedish tech platform, recently launched Assistant, a generative AI platform aimed at helping food and beverage companies access consumer insights more effectively and compete in the market. Assistant functions as a chatbot, enabling companies to input extensive datasets and request specific insights. Heineken is among the initial business customers to utilize the AI producer’s assistant feature, expecting increased productivity and reduced time-to-market for its products. This innovation underscores a trend in the food industry towards leveraging large language models to enhance manufacturing processes and consumer understanding. Learn More.
Plant-Based Meat Industry Faces American Skepticism Despite Environmental Benefits
In 2022, the Boston Consulting Group report advocated for investing $1 trillion in plant-based meat alternatives as the most impactful environmental choice, suggesting it could cut emissions significantly more than investments in green cement, green buildings, or zero-emission vehicles. However, despite the potential benefits, Americans are not embracing plant-based meats as the industry has expected, with sales declining and only 15% of households purchasing them in 2023, resulting in lack of funding for startups and established brands. While there’s hope for the industry globally, Americans struggle with perceived taste, affordability, protein content, and ease of cooking associated with plant-based meats, despite the looming economic impact of climate change. Read Story.
Amazon Launches Unlimited Grocery Delivery Subscription
Amazon has introduced a new unlimited grocery delivery subscription for Prime members and EBT cardholders in eligible U.S. cities and towns. The subscription, priced at $9.99 per month for Prime members and $4.99 per month for EBT cardholders, offers free deliveries for grocery orders over $35 from Amazon Fresh, Whole Foods Market, and other local retailers on the Amazon site. Subscribers receive one-hour delivery windows, unlimited 30-minute pickup, and priority access to recurring reservations for weekly grocery deliveries. Amazon highlights that the subscription becomes cost-effective with just one order per month under $50 from Amazon Fresh or Whole Foods Market. This move competes with Walmart Plus and Target’s grocery delivery plans, and follows Amazon’s switch from its “Just Walk Out” technology to the Dash Cart. Read Article.
Big Beverage Brands In The Spotlight
Two popular brands are making big waves in the non-alcoholic beverage category. Boston Beer has blended beer and seltzer flavors in its latest nonalcoholic offering, using it as a springboard for nationwide direct-to-consumer shipping. The company unveiled General Admission, a line of nonalcoholic brews combining the tastes of alcohol-free beer and fruity seltzer, boasting less than 0.5% alcohol by volume. These beverages are composed of 40% nonalcoholic beer and 60% fruited seltzer, available in four flavors: Lemon-Lime, Orange Ovation, Grapefruit Groove, and Raspberry Remix.
Meanwhile Sprite aims to cool consumers down with its new limited-time product, Sprite Chill, which combines a refreshing cherry lime flavor with a chilling sensation. The launch features online video ads starring Atlanta Hawks point guard Trae Young, who playfully interrupts fans mimicking his on-court shiver with “freeze and desist” notices. Outdoor ads, including a Sprite Chill Cam on Snapchat, further emphasize the chill factor, allowing users to upload photos to billboards displaying pictures of Young as cold, regular Sprite as colder, and Sprite Chill as the “coldest-est.” Additionally, Sprite hosted an event at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, offering samples of Sprite Chill and a sneak peek of the Young commercials.
Don’t have time to read all the industry newsletters every week? Visit our blog every Friday for a synopsis of the week’s most talked about topics surrounding the food and beverage industry.
