Lauren Carpenter

🚨FOOD INDUSTRY NEWS🚨 Since September, when California moved to require large fast-food chains to bump up their minimum hourly pay to $20 in April, fast-food and fast-casual restaurants in California have increased prices by 10% overall, outpacing all other states. 🍔 #fastfood #inflation #california #foodindustry #newsletter

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Chandon – A Spirits Brand Looking to Consolidate Agencies CHANDON, a wine and spirits manufacturer was looking to make their lives simpler by consolidating their large roster of agencies down to only one or two. We took them through our agency search process and BPN/Pollinate out of Oregon was ultimately selected to support their business. #casestudy #beverageindustry #wines #spirits #fullservicemarketing #pr #digitalmarketing

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I can think of no better trend than culinary professionals, influencers, and tastemakers finally saying out loud that high-quality processed foods are as good, if not better, than made-fresh-from-scratch ingredients. Just as I don't expect others to agree with me on politics, books, and movies, I don't expect everyone to enjoy repetitive cooking tasks. What I find meditative and satisfying others find tedious, boring, and pointless. Fair enough! We need high-quality processed goods so that everyone can enjoy exceptional food every day for every meal. IT IS POSSIBLE! It's time to demand that our food processing infrastructure deliver fresh, flavorful, nutritious ingredients that are both affordable and save time. https://lnkd.in/gCcwZBPY

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#DYK that only 14,191 stores in #CA can sell spirits-based #RTDs, whereas over 28,000 stores can sell malt- & wine-based RTDs? It is UNFAIR to force spirits lovers to make a special trip for their fav spirits products. Tell your #CA Reps to support SB 277, to allowing spirits RTDs to be sold under the same license used for beer and wine!

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Constellation Brands, $STZ, is up 3% in premarket after Fiscal 2025 Q1 Earnings: 📈 Net Sales: $2.66B, up 9% Y/Y driven by a robust 12% growth in beer and 2% in wine & spirits. 🍺 Beer continues to lead, boosting market share. 💼 Operating Income: $820M, soaring 22% from last year. ◼ In-Depth Analysis of Constellation Brands' Q1 Fiscal 2025 Performance Constellation Brands has delivered a robust performance in the first quarter of Fiscal 2025, showcasing a significant increase in net sales which reached $2.66 billion, marking a 9% growth year-over-year. This impressive surge is attributed primarily to the beer segment, which alone saw a 12% increase, spearheading the company's revenue growth. Meanwhile, the wine and spirits division also contributed with a modest 2% rise. A pivotal element of this quarter’s success was the substantial rise in operating income, which escalated by 22% to reach $820 million. This growth underscores Constellation Brands’ strong operational efficiency and strategic marketing maneuvers that continue to pay dividends. Beyond financial metrics, Constellation Brands remains fervently committed to its sustainability and social responsibility initiatives. The company’s ongoing efforts to enhance community engagement and environmental stewardship are integral to its corporate ethos. Furthermore, looking ahead, Constellation Brands is strategically focusing on expanding its premium product portfolio and enhancing its direct-to-consumer sales channels. This approach is aimed not only at sustaining growth but also at fortifying its market position in the competitive beverage alcohol industry. 🔗 Full report: https://lnkd.in/dy9s6zGp

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This week's guest author on Napa Valley Insider is the popular wine influencer, Paige Comrie of Wine with Paige! 🍷✨ Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/gCNyz-ep Paige dives into how influencers are transforming wine marketing by making wine more accessible and relatable to younger generations through personal stories and social media. Discover the power of authentic connections and learn how influencers are reshaping the wine industry. #WineMarketing #Influencers #NapaValley #CuveeApp #WineWithPaige #WineLovers

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Only one week left before our member exclusive webinar Navigating Trends: Insights Into Wine & Spirits for Cidermakers with our friends from 3 Tier Beverages. Join us at 10:30 AM Pacific on May 30 to explore key trends, innovations, and consumer behaviors that are shaping the wine and spirits landscape and the possible intersections with cider. #cider #cidertrends #ciderdata #pickcider #craftcider #hardcider #webinar

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LA Libations SoCal Incubation, also known as the SoCal Incubation Program (SIP) - L.A. Libations, is a #beverage incubator and accelerator dedicated to innovative, better-for-you #brands. The program, which leverages LA Libations’ extensive industry relationships and expertise to demonstrate its brands’ market momentum in California, launched version 2.0 in 2023 and is working with dozens of brands to help them become a force in the retail space. Roadmaps for scaling brands normally require between 12 and 18 months. All along, SIP reviews key statistics to determine if the brand is ready for national sales representation in larger chains like Walmart, ACI, Kroger and Costco, said Celeste Bodin, SIP project manager. Learn more about the SIP program: https://utm.io/ug9t9 #cpg #cpgindustry #beverages

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Did you know? In 2022, SSP awarded conference sponsorships for 2 emerging career professionals! Get to know one of the recipients, Katie Nance, in the following interview. 1. What is your current employer and role?  Manager of Sensory at Synergy Flavors 2. How did attending the SSP conference impact your professional growth? Probably the biggest way it impacted my professional growth was introducing me to ASTM standards I had not heard of yet during the joint session. This allowed me to take knowledge back to my company and improve some of the sensory practices as well as be able to more clearly explain the theory behind testing. 3. Did you gain connections that helped you advance your career?  Absolutely! SSP was the first conference I attended in person since COVID and so I'm very thankful to have met so many brilliant scientists both on the ASTM and SSP side. 4. How did the travel award benefit you?  Overall, it helped financially support me in traveling to my first conference since COVID. Not only was I able to meet inspiring colleagues and absorb all of the great info, I was so honored to present at the joint ASTM x SSP session around panel performance metrics. Definitely one of the highlights of my career so far! 5. What was your favorite thing about the SSP conference?  I really enjoyed how the conference was both technical and developmental. I learned a lot about methodologies, analyses, and more. But not only did I learn about the hard science, I learned how to better my soft skills as well with the Dare presentation. 6. How does your SSP membership benefit you?  I've really enjoyed the Connectors events. Especially during the pandemic, they were an amazing opportunity to get to meet Sensory Scientists at other companies. 7. What impact has sensory had on your life? What sensory experiences stand out — think of favorite foods, sounds, textures, etc.  I think this question is hard to answer because I'm not sure I could list one aspect. When you think about it, life is constant sensory experiences! For example, my favorite flavor is coffee, my favorite texture is a warm fuzzy blanket fresh out of the drier, and I love bitter products like dark chocolate. And each individual person has their own unique preferences just like these! What I love about sensory is how the science can make analytical use of each persons' experiences to contribute to some really amazing product insights. So overall, sensory has impacted me in a huge way because sensory is with us every day! 8. What’s a fun fact or something most people don’t know about you?  Before I got into the world of sensory, I used to care for sharks, otters, sea turtles, and more at an aquarium! The baby racoons were my favorite. #SensoryScience #SensorySociety #CareerDevelopment 

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How to Label Your Hawaii-Grown Coffee As of July 1, 2024, all Hawaii branded coffee products will have new labeling requirements. Due to The Hawaiian Coffee Labeling Act 211, this will require all coffee products to include the disclosure of the following: - Location where the coffee was grown - Indication of weight by percentage of locally grown coffee and coffee grown elsewhere Would you like to know more? https://buff.ly/4cKLNQl #HawaiiCoffeeLabelingAct #SavorBrands

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Plan ahead with confidence using insights from Wine Market Council.   Our extensive research on U.S. wine consumer buying habits, attitudes, and trends helps wineries anticipate market shifts and future demands. With this data, you can make informed decisions that keep your winery ahead of the curve. Join Wine Market Council today and access the tools you need to succeed in the ever-evolving wine industry. Colangelo & Partners

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We’re pouring a glass of our favorite wine insights for tomorrow's National Wine Day with this innovative twist on wine soda! Check out our story about this original new product that filled a market gap and expanded the possibilities of what wine can be! #nationalwineday #producttesting #consumerinsights #marketresearch #wineinsights #winesoda #newproductinnovation #marketgap #marketexpansion #insights #innovation

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Let's talk a little bit about category reinvention. I've seen multiple posts lately handwringing about new category entrants or new categories that aren't "worth paying so much for." One example was a post about the NA beverage category. The critique boiled down to this: why pay a ton for wine that is "just juice" or "cocktails" that are just sugar, water and additives? The author even goes as far as to argue that it's not worth paying for because you could mix mocktails at home by yourself. I don't disagree that flavor and other alcohol-like qualities (bite, burn, etc.) could be improved in the alternatives. And, yes, many products can be (re)created at home with time, money and access to the right ingredients. However, this is part of the growth and maturation cycle of most categories: ➡ New alternatives emerge at a higher price point ➡ Marketing dollars are put behind them ➡ Consumers compare them to the established product(s) they know and find things they don't like & established players fight back with their own claims and content ➡ Even more new alternatives emerge to address the pushback, some at premium price points ➡ The main players add to their portfolios or hold firm ➡ Some brands survive; some don't ➡ The dust settles and the category is redefined to include the alternatives We've seen this before in many other CPG categories when they first entered the market: -People complained about paying more for soy milk in their coffee and even spread false information about soy altering the male body -Natural / non-toxic household cleaners were all labeled as part of "greenwashing" and bloggers argued for making your own with vinegar -Greek yogurt was criticized for having less calcium and for using "fillers" instead of true craft straining technique -Etc Beyond this, it's critically important to consider the role of occasion and brand. For the NA category, holding a sharply designed can in your hand helps you feel at home among hard seltzer and beer drinkers, even if the taste or burn isn't the same. And let's not forget brand - that ephemeral, magical something - that makes old and new players alike unstoppable, even if the product itself isn't drastically new(hello, Liquid Death!) When I was pregnant, I too sought meaningful alternatives to drinking alcohol. Some were great in taste; some weren't. Some gave me a booze-like mouthfeel; others didn't. But I certainly had more options than a person in my shoes 5 years ago. And as both a consumer and marketer, I'm confident NA products will continue to optimize and improve (as they always do). #marketing #categoryreinvention #brand

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Understanding California's new bottle bill might feel like finding your way through a maze for those in the wine and spirits industry. https://lnkd.in/d2bzAx2s But don't worry, we're here to help you on your journey toward compliance and embracing sustainability! 🌿 The new bill has introduced several requirements for producers and distributors, including enhanced bottle labels, bottle refunds and new monthly and annual reports. 🍷 There's a common roadblock, though: many are not aware of everything SB 1013 requires. Complying with new label regulations might mean big changes, and the compulsory recycling brings its own operational hurdles. But don't stress, there are clear strategies to tackle these compliance issues and encourage sustainability. Enterprise resource planning (ERP) solutions can be your lifeline by offering consolidated data, adaptable dashboards and compliance reporting capabilities. Plus, ERP solutions simplify and mechanize procedures, enhancing resource and time management. 📊 Take a look at our latest blog to learn more about the California Beverage Container Recycling and Litter Reduction Act and the specialized tools Crafted ERP offers to help you manage compliance and champion sustainability. Remember, managing compliance and sustainability is doable - it's all about finding the right solutions! 🍾 #sustainability #californiawineindustry #californiabottlebill #sb1013 #spirits #craftspiritsindustry #erp #winerysoftware #distillerysoftware

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Is a major shift coming for wine, beer and spirits? The department of health and human services are recommending that no amount of alcohol is safe to consume in their 2025 dietary guidelines. This is a bold departure from previous guidelines where moderate consumption was considered a part of a healthy lifestyle. How will brands and retailers be affected, especially when they account for $360B in revenue and 4.4M jobs in the US economy alone…let’s listen in! #CatMan #Economy #WineandSpirits #Health #HealthGuidelines

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Is a major shift coming for wine, beer and spirits? The department of health and human services are recommending that no amount of alcohol is safe to consume in their 2025 dietary guidelines. This is a bold departure from previous guidelines where moderate consumption was considered a part of a healthy lifestyle. How will brands and retailers be affected, especially when they account for $360B in revenue and 4.4M jobs in the US economy alone…let’s listen in! #CatMan #Economy #WineandSpirits #Health #HealthGuidelines

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Recently, we hosted our Executive Forum, "3 ACTIONS EVERY WINE & SPIRITS LEADER CAN TAKE IN THE NEXT 60 DAYS TO QUICKLY BOOST DISTRIBUTOR SHARE OF MIND" where we had a robust discussion about the state of the alcohol beverage business, which then was in complete decline. We also talked about what was in our control. We will be sharing a few of the breakthrough revelations with you over the next few weeks... BREAKTHROUGH REVELATION #5: USE AN ANALYTICAL APPROACH When meeting with distributors and key accounts, keep it to the data and facts that support your brands. Keep emotions, conflict, frustrations out of the conversations and give compelling reasons based on data. When you know your brand’s data and numbers you build credibility - you are the experts. And you provide the tools and success stories in your niche so partners can more easily attain goals. Close the gaps. Look at inventory vs. sales. 90-day gaps by SKU. Communicate this to the right people (key markets and reps) so it gets accomplished. Empower your partners. Educate retailers, as they can also benefit from the data. Build brands with fact-based, data-driven information to solve for the volatile market challenges. And volatile the market remains...so, at our next invitation-only Executive Forum for leaders in the Beer, Wine & Spirits Industry, Newborn Evolution will be sharing three strategies to help your teams, partners and customers to remain resilient, confident and able to navigate through this uncertain and unstable landscape. Join us on Friday, July 26th, at 11:00am ET for a robust virtual discussion on this topic. Why you should consider joining the conversation: -Our Executive Forums are exclusive and by invitation only -We will be sharing expert insights during the forum from decades of experience in the Beer, Wine & Spirits Industries -You will have the opportunity to have real-time conversations with high- level leaders like yourself, in the Alcohol -Beverage Industry who are facing similar challenges -This is a great opportunity to expand your network leadership skills -All attendees will receive a high-level recap of the most pertinent key take-aways If you would like to request an invitation for yourself or someone at your organization who may be interested please email us at Concierge@NewbornLeadershipEvolution.com and say “July 26th Executive Forum” and we will send you details. You can also find out more in the link in the first comment below. #Wine #Spirits #Beer #AlcoholBeverageIndustry #winetrends #spiritstrends #keyaccounts #strategy #businessplan #data #analytics

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In case you missed it, we surveyed every winery website in Sonoma and we found some surprising things. We found that e-commerce standards are 10 years behind the curve, Sonoma likes dogs more than children, and the number three wine isn't what you might think. Swipe through below for a mini-report, or click here [https://lnkd.in/gkhc3fd5] to download the full report and gain access to the database with raw info on every Sonoma winery! #SonomaWineries #WineIndustry #EcommerceTrends #WineSurvey #SonomaCounty #DigitalTransformation #WineryInsights #MarketResearch #WineLovers #DogFriendly #WineEcommerce #IndustryAnalysis #SonomaWine #CustomerExperience #WineData #BusinessIntelligence

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