Taste Radio

The first thing you'll notice about AriZona co-founder Don Vultaggio's office is that it’s immense. We’re talking the size of an average apartment and fashioned with old-school sensibilities; think lots of wood, marble and leather. The second thing you'll notice is the commercial kitchen to the left of the entrance, conveniently staffed by a private chef. The grandeur and amenities are to be expected for the office of a billionaire and one of the richest people in the world. After a few minutes of conversation with Vultaggio, however, it is easy to envision him being just as comfortable in his first office at a beer distribution company that serviced some of the grittiest neighborhoods of Brooklyn. He cut his teeth in that rough-and-tumble world, whose inhabitants are bonded by blood, sweat and tears. And in an interview included in this episode, he explained why AriZona’s success and business principles are directly tied to his early career experiences. “Work hard and be consistent,” he said. “And consistency is hard to do, because it means you’ve got to be disciplined in a direction. And you can’t give up. Because there are things that [are] successful today that we had to dig deep for.” In the following interview, Vultaggio, flanked by his two sons and AriZona co-owners Wesley and Spencer, retraced his steps from his early days as a beer distributor to the development and continuing rise of AriZona, including why he views the tea brand as “an accident.” He also discussed how the company has maintained its iconic 99 centpricing model for 26 years, why he views AriZona as “one big incubator,” the importance of over-delivering on promises, and why running a business means handling all kinds of problems, even if it means mopping up blood. Show notes: 3:07: Don Vultaggio, Co-Founder/Chairman, AriZona; Wesley & Spencer Vultaggio, Co-Owners, AriZona -- BevNET Managing Editor Ray Latif met with Don Vultaggio and his sons Wesley, AriZona’s chief creative officer, and Spencer, its CMO, at AriZona HQ on Long Island for a wide-ranging interview that covered the past, present and future of the company. Among topics of conversation: how AriZona’s focus on building efficiencies into its business model has separated it from the competition, why despite never adopting a traditional marketing strategy, the brand’s “cultural relevance is stronger than ever,” and the company’s approach to investing in better-for-you beverages. Don also explained why AriZona “is built to sell drinks, not to sell the business” and how his relationship with golf legend and AriZona partner Jack Nicklaus taught him the value of over-delivering on promises. Brands in this episode: AriZona Beverages

Nik Ingersöll spends a lot of time thinking about ugly bananas. The co-founder and CMO of Barnana, a fast-growing producer of snack foods made from imperfect and misshapen bananas, Ingersöll is responsible for the brand’s marketing and design strategy. To put it another way, his job is to get people excited about snacks that might not be the most visually appealing. And he’s been lauded for his efforts; Barnana is known for its bold packaging and quirky promotions, which includes the Barnana Car, which, as you may have guessed, is a big banana on wheels. In an interview included in this episode, Ingersöll spoke about how Barnana has won over consumers with an unique style that’s focused on grabbing a consumer’s attention from the first moment they see the brand and its snacks. “[When] that consumer is going to see that product for the very first time, they’re going to see the front of the package,” he said. “And if you don’t capture that, nothing else matters. Because they’ll never pick it up, they’ll never put it in the cart.” As part of our conversation, Ingersöll also discussed how the company determines what to include on front of packaging, and explained his perspective that brands have to take risks to move the market. He also spoke about how he balances internal feedback about design from investors, board members and co-workers. Show notes: 1:27: New to Nootropics? We Got Ya. -- Please do us a solid and rate Taste Radio Insider on iTunes. And if you’re a brand that markets a plant-based turkey, please send us a sample. In the meantime, listen to our conversation with BevNET reporter Brad Avery, who takes us beyond the headlines of two recent articles on nootropic drinks and CBD-infused beverages that he wrote for BevNET.com. 22:23: Interview: Nik Ingersöll, Co-Founder/CMO, Barnana -- Ingersoll, who was honored by Forbes as part of its 2016 “30 Under 30” list, was recently in the Boston area for an event celebrating this year’s class. He graciously visited BevNET HQ for an interview with NOSH editor Carol Ortenberg and BevNET CMO Mike Schneider which explored the branding and design strategy for Barnana, which recently underwent a rebrand. He also discussed the thought process for packaging of different product lines, why being too romantic about your story could hamper a brand’s growth and the importance for designers to intimately know a brand’s sourcing story. Brands in this episode: LifeAid, Barnana

Upon its launch in 1998, few could have predicted the runaway success of alkaline water brand Essentia, including the company’s founder and CEO Ken Uptain. After two decades on the market, Essentia has developed into a premier bottled water brand that is nearing $180 million in annual retail sales, numbers that have attracted rumors of a potentially colossal exit. Uptain admits that the brand’s remarkable growth has surprised him, yet Uptain, a mild-mannered and reserved man who was semi-retired when he launched Essentia, is taking success in stride. In an interview included in this episode, he says that he continues to run the company the same way he has for years, leading via delegation, trust and instinct. “I make a point not to change,” said Uptain. “Continuity is really critical for the team. If [my employees] look at me and I’m not happy or not in a good mood, it’s a big deal. And so I’m always hearing that being very consistent is so important.” Listen to our full conversation with Uptain, who discussed the genesis and development of Essentia, including the impact of a major brand revamp, and why timing has been so critical to its success. He also spoke about his leadership style and the company’s culture, why all potential employees have to pass “Ken’s Good Guy Test,” and the one thing he’ll never share with his team. This episode is presented by Blue Pacific Flavors. Show notes: 2:10: Interview: Ken Uptain, Founder/CEO, Esssentia — BevNET Managing Editor Ray Latif sat down with Uptain who discussed his journey from real estate developer to bottled water entrepreneur. Uptain explained why he incubated Essentia for years before pressing the gas on retail and distribution in 2012, and why the development of direct store distribution network has been critical to its success. Uptain also shared his perspective that a healthy culture provides the foundation for a successful company and why rewarding employees will always be part of his mantra. Brands in this episode: Essentia

Hugh Thomas and Joe Benn say the best insights and feedback about their brand come from an “Ugly Mob.” It may sound unseemly, but the mob is actually a group of loyal consumers of Ugly Drinks, a flavored sparkling water brand co-founded by Thomas and Benn. Based in the U.K., Ugly made its U.S. debut earlier this year via a direct-to-consumer platform and at independent retailers in metro New York. Despite differences in the British and American beverage markets, Thomas and Benn use a similar playbook for acquiring consumer insights in both countries, one rooted in a constant digital presence and interaction with its fans and customers. “We always have known that this is a digital brand and we think digital first and our consumer does as well,” Thomas said in an interview included in this episode. “In the U.K. we’ve developed a strong social media following with millennials and Gen Z consumers and we knew when we launched in the U.S. that was going to be something that occurred as well; that’s how the brand has developed, that’s how we speak, that’s who we are ultimately as a team.” Listen to our full interview with Thomas and Benn, who discussed growth planning for both the U.S. and U.K. markets and how feedback from the “Ugly Mob” has enabled to company to rapidly iterate and innovate Show notes: 1:33: FOMO? There’s Really No Need For That -- The hosts discussed recent additions to the BevNET Live Winter 2018 agenda, the conference’s list of registered attendees and why you should be wary of waiting to register for the event and the preceding NOSH Live show. They also riffed on Forbes’ annual “30 Under 30” list which includes Taste Radio alums, the DeCicco brothers, founders of Kitu Life, and Eugene Kang, the co-founder of Country Archer. 11:16: Interview: Hugh Thomas & Joe Benn, Co-Founders, Ugly Drinks --  We first featured Thomas and Benn way back in episode 31 of the flagship Taste Radio podcast. That was two years ago, and since then Ugly has undergone a major brand revamp, significantly expanded its retail presence in the U.K., and entered the U.S. market. In an interview with John Craven recorded in London, Thomas and Benn discussed changes in the brand and the U.K. beverage market, how their perspective of Ugly as a “digital brand” has shaped their overall business strategy, and why they are constantly tweaking the brand and products. Brands in this episode: Fiji Water, REBBL, Dry Soda, Ugly Drinks

A five-time NBA champion and 18-time all-star, Kobe Bryant is unquestionably one of the greatest basketball players of all time. Following his retirement from the NBA, his prowess as an investor is proving to be as special as his court vision. Two years after playing his final NBA game, Bryant is now the fourth largest shareholder in fast-growing sports drink brand BodyArmor, having invested a reported $6 million in the company in 2014. Following the Coca-Cola Company’s acquisition of a minority stake in BodyArmor earlier this year, the value of Bryant’s stake ballooned to $200 million, according to ESPN reporter Darren Rovell. Yet  despite its impressive growth, the brand hasn’t yet reached the ultimate goal Bryant envisions for it: becoming the number one sports drink on the market. In an interview included in this episode, Bryant, who has an active role in BodyArmor’s business and marketing strategy, explained how the same ambition that fueled his NBA career drives his passion for beverage. He noted that with co-founder Mike Repole leading the way, the insatiable desire to win permeates every aspect of the brand. “It’s obsessive,” he said. “And it trickles all the way down to the company. We all have that same mindset." Later in this episode, BodyArmor’s vice president of marketing Michael Fedele discussed the company’s relationship with its athlete partners and how it incorporates them into its advertising initiatives. He also spoke about the ways the company quantifies the value of these partnerships, and those with fast-growing sports and lifestyle platforms like the UFC and Spartan Race. Show notes: 3:17: Interview: Kobe Bryant, Investor, BodyArmor -- BevNET’s Ray Latif sat down with Bryant at the 2018 National Association of Convenience Stores show for a brief interview that explores his work with the brand and how he’s leveraged his experience in the NBA to support BodyArmor’s development. 9:00: Interview: Michael Fedele, VP of Marketing, BodyArmor -- Fedele spoke with Latif by weblink about how BodyArmor evaluates and works with athlete endorsers, how relationships with professional athletes have evolved since he worked as a marketer with vitaminwater, and discussed how the company overcame a challenging period early in his career at BodyArmor. Brands in this episode: BodyArmor, Gatorade, Vitaminwater

How did a three-year-old brand with a retail footprint of less than 2,000 locations land $7 million in new capital? Wyatt Taubman, the founder and CEO of wellness shot maker Vive Organic, explained it in three words: “test and learn.” In an interview included in this episode, Taubman offered a detailed look at the Vive’s strategy for raising money since its debut in 2015. From friends and family, to seed funding to the recent completion of the aforementioned $7 million Series A round, Taubman noted that each new step in financing the company was accompanied with learnings about its consumers and the retail channels where Vive excelled. That information was key to winning over investors. “We dove really deep on our early velocity and early performance to identify what we felt was going to be the right focus for us to scale the business,” Taubman said. “And we stayed local in Southern California for the first two years because we wanted to make sure that we figured everything out and solved all the issues that we were facing in a more focused manner. We didn’t want to get ahead of ourselves.” Listen to our full interview with Taubman, who also spoke about the importance of aligning timing and opportunity, the role of competition in the brand’s development and how Vive has worked with its retail partners to drive velocity. Show notes: 1:32: A Quick and Dirty Start -- The hosts riffed on the recent news that functional beverage brand Dirty Lemon has discontinued its CBD variety, discussed the episode’s featured interview and thanked a couple brand owners for their visits to BevNET HQ. 10:08: Interview: Wyatt Taubman, Founder/CEO, Vive Organic --  In a interview recorded at Vive Organic headquarters in El Segundo, Calif., BevNET’s John Craven and Mike Schneider sat down with Taubman for a conversation that spans Vive’s three years in business and includes details about the company’s thoughtful approach to raising capital. Brands in this episode: Dirty Lemon, Vive Organic, H Factor, Pricklee

Lance Armstrong is back. Sort of. Armstrong, who admitted to use of performance enhancing drugs and blood doping while winning the Tour de France, has become a podcaster and investor. Despite his being persona-non-grata at professional cycling events, Armstrong’s analysis of the races has become a popular way for fans to augment their thirst for the Tour, as well as a few other races. As that podcast has grown, cold brew brand High Brew Coffee has started to sponsor it; from a product direction standpoint, it makes sense: the company has started to aim for the cycling community as one of its consumer groups. From a relationship standpoint, it makes sense as well; like Armstrong himself, High Brew is a product of Austin, Texas; and Armstrong is even an investor in High Brew as a limited partner in Charles Street Partners, a local investment firm run by former MLB pitcher Huston Street and event promoter Charles Attal. But still, it presents a question for all food and beverage brands: notably, who do you want to work with? What are the kinds of things that a product endorser can and should bring to the brand? Is it just popularity or notoriety? Is there something like a character requirement? And just how long does it take for a tarnished spokesman to rehabilitate his image and get back in the race? As you’ll hear in this interview with Armstrong, he didn’t hold much back when it came to exploring these questions. This episode is sponsored by Symrise Califormulations. Show notes: 3:18: Interview: Lance Armstrong, Founder, WEDŪ -- BevNET editor-in-chief Jeff Klineman spoke with Armstrong at the High Brew Coffee booth at the 2018 National Association of Convenience Stores show. As part of their conversation, the former cycling star spoke about his podcasts, The Forward and The Move, and the audience he’s attempting to reach with each. Armstrong also discussed sponsors of the podcasts, which include Patron and High Brew, and what the support means for their brands. Brands in this episode: Patron, High Brew Coffee

The latest installment of Taste Radio Insider kicks off with a discussion about the hottest ingredient in food and beverage, CBD. Amid surging interest for the cannabidiol, the hosts examined CBD’s influence on innovation strategies and discussed the factors affecting its future. Later in the show, we feature an interview with entrepreneur, investor, and author David Yeung, who’s the co-founder and CEO of Green Monday, a global platform for plant-based food and lifestyles. Yeung was recently named social entrepreneur of the year by the World Economic Forum, and he is influencing society through food through a set of eateries in Hong Kong, through convincing companies like the MGM Macau Casino and Hotel and more than 600 universities across the globe to not serve meat at least one day a week. Yeung is also the creator of Omnipork, an innovative plant-based meat substitute sold in Asia and akin to domestic brands like Beyond Meat and the Impossible Burger -- albeit marketed a bit differently. The selling points at the root of the Omnipork -- and other vegan products marketed in Asia -- are a bit different from the ones that might stimulate U.S. consumers, and the illustration of those differences is why we sought Yeung’s perspective for this week’s episode. According to Yeung, consumer worries about the safety of food production in China trump even environmental and resource concerns. While at heart there’s a need to feed a population heading towards 10 billion people, he said, the success of any campaign needs to meet the target consumer group. Show notes: 1:20: L.A., CBD and GT -- BevNET’s John Craven and Mike Schneider recapped a recent visit to Los Angeles, which included a handful of interviews recorded for upcoming episodes of Taste Radio Insider. They also discussed the growing market for CBD-infused products in the city, and along with BevNET’s Ray Latif and Jon Landis unpack some of the key issues affecting how they are marketed and sold. 21:55: Interview: David Yeung, Co-Founder/CEO, Green Monday -- In addition to Yeung’s insights into marketing in Hong Kong and China, our discussion profiles an influential international entrepreneur -- one whose work influenced governments and corporations alike. In our conversation, Yeung discussed the reasons he is serving as an investor in both U.S. and international vegan companies, and the kinds of adjustments brands need to make when they seek to sell in China and throughout Asia. Brands in this episode: Erewhon, Vybes, M Kombucha, GT’s Kombucha, Recess, Madre Mezcal, Beanfields, Vive Organic, OWYN, Minor Figures Coffee, Waka Coffee, Omnipork

It was about eight years ago when Hayden Slater received the bad news: his startup juice company, Pressed Juicery, had been ordered to be closed following an inspection by the Los Angeles Department of Public Health. Slater and his two co-founders were newcomers to the food business and didn’t realize that Pressed, which initially made juice out of a local cupcake shop and whose first retail location was a broom closet inside of a yoga studio, lacked the permits necessary to operate. Devastated but determined to learn from the experience, Slater immersed himself in the business of food safety and juice manufacturing, building his own knowledge while also later hiring experts with deep experience in both fields. The learnings and expertise provided Pressed with an operational advantage over other juice companies and were key to fueling its growth, according to Slater, who joined us for a conversation included in this episode. Pressed Juicery is now one of the country’s biggest juice chains with 75 locations and a projected 2019 revenue of $75 million. The efficiencies derived from its operations have also helped the company achieve price points in line with mainstream consumer expectations, which Slater said has been an important goal since the beginning. “Starbucks has essentially trained the world that $5 is an appropriate price to pay for beverage. And my mindset was always, ‘if I can replace [coffee] beans with four to five pounds of produce, just think about the white space and the amount of hands we could get to and what a difference and impact that could make on people’s lives.’” Listen to our full interview with Slater, which includes more about the company’s origins and why building a retail experience around the brand has been so critical to its growth. He also explained his belief that “it’s always about the details” and why chasing white space is as much about location as it is innovation. Show notes: 2:58: Interview: Hayden Slater, Co-Founder/CEO, Pressed Juicery -- Recorded at the offices of Hunt & Gather PR in New York City, Slater spoke with BevNET’s Ray Latif about his decision to launch Pressed following a stint as a TV producer, the trials and tribulations of starting a juice company, and why he and his co-founders eschewed wholesaling their products. He also discussed why calling the FDA was a bad decision in the short term, but paid dividends down the line, why he was adamant that the first dozen locations of Pressed had very heavy doors, the importance of “California to the core” in branding, and how he maintains balance in his life. Brands in this episode: Pressed Juicery, Suja, BluePrint, Starbucks

Taste Radio listeners may recall that we first featured Spindrift founder and CEO Bill Creelman on the podcast in 2016. At the time, Spindrift was undergoing a major shift in its business strategy, discontinuing the craft sodas upon which it was founded to focus on its fast-growing sparkling water line. In the years since, Spindrift has continued to thoughtfully evolve its positioning as a premium and differentiated sparkling water brand in various ways, such as curbing its use of added natural flavors.  Despite a highly competitive environment for sparkling water, Spindrift has succeeded by  staying focused on its own development, according to Creelman, who once again joined us for an interview included in this episode. “It really is not helpful, from my perspective, to dwell on any particular competitor,” he said. “We sit next to them in the space. They’re servicing their folks. We’re doing our thing. And that type of focus has served us well historically and continues to be our modus operandi.” Listen to our full conversation with Creelman and Spindrift SVP of marketing Caroline Kibler, who discussed the continued development of the brand and its marketing strategy, including how actress Kristen Bell came into the fold as a brand ambassador. They also spoke about how the company is building upon its retail and food service relationships, and efforts to add incremental value through product innovation. Show notes: 1:25: Subscriber NOW; NOSH News — If you haven’t already, please subscribe to Taste Radio Insider on iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, Soundcloud or Stitcher. BevNET’s Ray Latif and Mike Schneider and NOSH’s Carol Ortenberg discussed recent funding announcements from notable food brands, including Kite Hill, Kettle & Fire and Once Upon a Farm. They also spoke about the upcoming NOSH Live Winter 2018 conference, including featured speakers, the Pitch Slam competition and Sampling Expo. 18:22: Interview: Bill Creelman, Founder/CEO and Caroline Kibler, SVP Marketing, Spindrift -- Recorded at Spindrift HQ in Newton, Mass., Creelman and Kibler spoke about Spindrift in the context of a rapidly growing flavored sparkling water category and how it is attempting to separate itself from upstart and legacy brands. They also discussed how the relationship with Kristen Bell came together, Spindrift’s long standing partnership with Panera and other fast-casual restaurants and why its product development cycle is longer than other beverage brands. Brands in this episode: Kite Hill, Kettle & Fire, Once Upon a Farm, Spindrift, LaCroix