Rafael Acevedo

Diageo doubles down on non-alcoholic spirits with the acquisition of Ritual Zero Proof & now owns three of the five world's largest non-alcoholic spirit brands Ritual Zero Proof was founded in 2019, and became the #1 non-alcoholic spirits player in the US after joining Diageo’s accelerator program in 2020. Five reasons why this deal makes sense: 1) Fast growing: The US non-alcoholic spirits has been the fastest growing category with +31% L5Y CAGR. 2) Incremental: 94% of non-alc buyers in the US also purchase alcoholic beverages, spending on avg $292 more than households exclusively purchasing alcohol demonstrating the incrementality of the category to beverage alcohol. 3) High Right-to-Win: Ritual is already a #1 non-alcoholic spirits player in the US, with a strong market position and tailwinds 4) Synergistic: being a #1 player globally in both alcoholic and non-alc spirits Diageo is well positioned to build on Ritual’s current success and scale it up further leveraging its GTM muscle and category expertise 5) Close to the Core: being a part of Diageo’s accelerator (Distill Ventures) since 2020, Ritual already knows what it takes to make cooperation with a spirits giant successful, limiting risks of integration challenges Exciting times for Diageo 𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘂𝘀: FF&A solves the most complex strategic problems of the world's largest FMCG companies across Corporate Strategy, Organic Growth, Digital RTM (eCommerce, DTC, and eB2B) and M&A. 14 out of the world's 20 largest FMCG companies are repeat Clients 𝗧𝗼 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲, 𝗰𝗳. 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗙𝗠𝗖𝗚 𝗠&𝗔 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗼𝘄: https://lnkd.in/efD5RNWX 𝗧𝗼 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀, 𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝘂𝘀 & 𝘀𝘂𝗯𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗯𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗙𝗠𝗖𝗚 𝗖𝗘𝗢 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝘀𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿: https://lnkd.in/ea4gy65y #fmcg #cpg #mergersandacquisitions https://lnkd.in/dXAZQ242 Pernod Ricard The HEINEKEN Company AB InBev Carlsberg Group Campari Group William Grant & Sons The Coca-Cola Company PepsiCo

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Occasion based marketing for beverages is not a new phenominum. We just have to go back over the catalogue of historic Coca Cola ads to see how leveraging occasions has been used for decades to drive increased sales and margins for all members of the Coca Cola value chain.  “Refreshment on the Go”, “Stock Up for the holidays”, “makes food taste better”, “easy hospitality”, “Refreshing vacations” are just of few of Coca Cola’s occasion based propositions. It’s been the Coca Cola way for generations, and the basic principles from yesteryear, are still applied today. In fact, for the Coca Cola system, Occasions sit at the heart of their marketing DNA. They call it the OBPPC (Occasion, Brand, Pack, Price, Channel) process and it’s a critical element of their overall marketing. Coca Cola ensures that for each occasion, they clearly define the optimal brands to be sold, in the most appropriate packages, at the right prices, in the target channels to sell more products, at higher prices. They use occasions to pro-actively change the market dynamics in their favour by shifting the demand curve for beverages rather than simply moving along it to where the market takes them. DM me to learn more about how you can use Growth Scope to unlock your liquor market growth agenda by unlocking consumption occasions.

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The bigger insight behind New Year's Resolutions: Help them reach their hopes, wants, and dreams, win lasting share of wallet!   Consumers recently made their New Year’s resolutions…   We see a lot of this data and you may not give it much thought, because come on… how many people actually stick with it?   But I invite you to think about this data differently and understand what it’s revealing in a broader context.   Behind each of these numbers are human beings with hopes, wants, and dreams. The brands that help them with those 2025 goals will be more likely to be chosen!   Cheers to a very JOYFUL 2025!   +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Want to receive these insights direct to your inbox, sign up here for my Chart of Week: https://lnkd.in/gVxMxUTz #newyear #goals #brands #consumerinsights #joy

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We're officially soccer moms 💁🏻‍♀️ Here's what you can expect with our new official partnership with the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL): 1. Lactation and feeding room support across the League 🤱 2. Sharing the stories and feeding journeys of the moms on the field 🍼 3. A Bobbie Box for our Bobbie subs to catch some NWSL games! ⚽️ 4. Our name in lights along the field ✨ 5. Formula donations and giveaways throughout the League! ♥️ When women own companies we get to invest in the women also changing the world--- the female-owned League and athletes showing our little girls how to rewrite the playbook and that yes, women's sports are worth investing in.

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This study sheds light on the evolving consumer drinking habits over the past four years post-COVID-19. The research highlights the profound influence of health and wellness concerns on altering drinking behaviors across all age groups. For more cohort-specific insights, check out the study here: https://lnkd.in/gJ5ED32f

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What does it take to win in #CPG? Circana’s CPG Growth Leaders report measures the omnichannel performance of more than 600 consumer packaged goods companies with sales greater than $100 million. 🚀 Get a copy of the 2023 U.S. CPG Growth Leaders report here 👉https://lnkd.in/g4BBBMfE

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The topic of celebrity-backed brands in adult beverages is intriguing. Here is an excellent high-level 2022 and 2023 global view of volume % growth for celebrity-backed brands vs. the total category. Rum and tequila have a more dramatic influence and growth variance. Check out the insights here: https://lnkd.in/dM_yWsHv

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As we close out 2024, I predict the snacking aisle will only get more competitive and brands will really need to prove their benefits for consumer selection. Americans are snacking more than ever - a whopping 90% snack up to three times per day! In 2025, people will look for snacks that work for their taste buds, wellness, and their schedules. Because of this, we've intentionally partnered our yogurt brands with influencers where health and snacking go hand in hand to bring to meet consumer needs.​ ​ As the world’s largest yogurt manufacturer, here is how we approach innovative nutrition at Danone to meet this trifecta of consumer snacking needs: ​    ​ 💪High protein you can take with you: Oikos is a leader in the high protein segment and the largest contributor to high protein growth. We know consumers are hitting the pavement and want their protein on-the-go. We launched Oikos Pro Drinks and Shots earlier this year to deliver high-protein, great flavor, and 0g added sugar for a protein-packed portable snack. ​ ​  😋Checking nutrition labels and sugar is top of mind: Whether it's looking into new and exciting sweeteners from innovative sources or exploring proprietary combinations of existing ingredients Danone is on the frontlines of sweetening innovation. Too Good & Co. has emerged as a leading brand devoted to delicious, lower-sugar offerings From Smoothies to our Zero Sugar cups. Too Good & Co. uniquely taps into the desires of younger, health-conscious consumers who eat clean, treat their bodies with care, and want to replicate those ideals in their lifestyle. ​ ​ 🍨Game-changing indulgent snacks: Our new REMIX platform is the latest innovation to hit the mix-in aisle with a selection of products from our Light + Fit, Oikos, and Too Good & Co. Brands. We set out to innovate the cup and what is inside – with an innovative, patented packaging design ergonomically shaped for the hand for optimal snacking, and mix-ins designed to deliver knock-out nutrition that that is shaking up the dairy aisle. ​ ​ 💚 Your gut is where it all begins: At just 3.1 fl oz, Activia Dailies are a simple way to kickstart your daily routine and help support your gut health on-the-go. After strong consumer reception over the years, we launched Activia ZERO 0g Added Sugar Dailies for people looking to minimize their sugar intake. #HealthThroughFood #Innovation #protein #nutrition #yogurtculture

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Circana's newest report reveals that Hispanic consumers are driving 16% of total U.S. CPG growth! With 20% of the U.S. population identifying as Hispanic and 71% of national growth between 2022 and 2023 attributed to this group, it’s clear that brands and retailers need to align with their preferences and values to capture future growth opportunities. Explore the significant impact of the Hispanic population on CPG growth: https://bit.ly/4hsdvEv

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Why do Duopolies tend to dominate in so many aspects of modern business and what does this mean for emerging CPG? The news last week was that The Walt Disney Company and HBO are teaming up to offer a massive streaming bundle to complete with Netflix. It seems like a very predictable cycle unfolded here…After a few years of disruptive innovation, investors started to lose patience with negative EBITDA, which results in waves of consolidation until we have a De Facto Duopoly in streaming media. Nilesh Sharma wrote an interesting article on how this is common across many industries(link in comments)…there are so many examples: Coke/Pepsi, Apple/Android, and in national retail grocery distribution UNFI/KeHE is obvious. If not for antitrust regulations, these duopolies would more often than not eventually merge into monopolies until some disruptive force comes along to change the paradigm. 👉CPG brands: take a look at national market share in the subcategory you operate in. There is a good chance that it is dominated by two brands, and if not, there is at least trend toward this outcome. 👉Is your product different ENOUGH, to break this cycle? 👉Retailers, in any given metro market, who are the dominant two mainline grocery chains in your market by total share? 👉Are you differentiated ENOUGH from them to compel consumers to change their habits? We all have one thing in common as innovators: we’re trying to break the cycle and acquire market share from what tends to be the natural order of things. In order for us to disrupt, we need to think outside the box. Slightly better versions of what already exists won’t get it done. Pod Foods has been able to take so much national share in the past few years, BECAUSE it is so radically different from the inbumbent model…the same thing is true for ANY disruptive brand. I’ll be at Sweets & Snacks Expo this week and looking forward to seeing a lot of you there. What I’ll be looking for is the product that is the MOST different from the status quo and how we can reach early adopters with it. #disruptiveinnovation #Disneymaxbundle #emergingcpg #podfoods Flowspace Total Quality Logistics Green Spoon Sales Melissa Pashko Caroline Grace https://lnkd.in/d7dYis2C

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Big news in the snack world! PepsiCo has announced a massive move by acquiring Siete Foods, a leader in the better-for-you snack category, for $1.2 billion. Siete Foods is renowned for its grain-free tortilla chips and other healthy snack options catering to dietary restrictions and preferences. 🌮🌿 This acquisition aligns with PepsiCo's strategy to diversify its portfolio towards healthier snack alternatives, reflecting the growing consumer demand for nutritious and inclusive food choices. By integrating Siete's product line, PepsiCo not only broadens its market but also strengthens its commitment to wellness-oriented products and allows it to tap into the growing demand for culturally authentic products. https://lnkd.in/gfCzn8vi #PepsiCo #HealthySnacking #FoodIndustry #Acquisition #FoodTrends

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No Data, No Dollars Anyone who has heard me speak recently will have heard me say this. Retail Media is hugely profitable for retailers. Unsurprisingly they want more and more investment from manufacturers, often times in return for ads that are becoming less and less effective. As manufacturers we need to make sure we are making the maximum return possible on ever £,$,€,¥ (or any other currency invested). For me, that means knowing what we want in return and that starts with access to robust, accurate, complete and timely data for every campaign we invest in. Simply put, if you don’t get data in return you shouldn’t be investing. Recently I spoke with Lauren Livak Gilbert and Peter Crosby of The Digital Shelf Institute. Amazingly, they have chosen to refine my words and meanings and turn them into the amazing article attached. If you aren’t a member of the DSI I really can’t advocate it highly enough. They do excellent work and their podcast is the best in the industry. #digitalcommerce #ecommerce #cpg #fmcg #cpgindustry #fmcgindustry #digitalshelf #retailmedia #digitalretailmedia #omnichannel #digitalretail

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I strongly resonate with this. I've written about this before, but when you're doing something, it is not easy to separate context from first principles. Heuristics then tend to masquerade as laws, and when you try to transpose them outside your context, you fall flat on your face. As I've told Shashank Mehta a few times, I would have killed the magic of The Whole Truth Foods with incessant frameworks and a burden of unnecessary sharpness if it weren't for his conviction on what felt right and the fact that I didn't have a voice till the brand was established. One of the blessings of shifting from a behemoth like Unilever to a fledgling like The Whole Truth Foods has been the compulsion to learn unlearning, and the framing of this articulation of heuristics vs first principles. I now have a deeper appreciation for Rory Sutherland's talisman: the opposite of a good idea is often a good idea too. There are many wrong ways to do things, but we can tend to forget that there is more than one right way to do things too. Figuring this out is so much fun! #marketing #firstprinciples #heuristics

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The recent Bacardi Cocktail Trends Report highlights a fascinating shift toward AI and innovation, as consumers move beyond generic cocktails to seek more nuanced and personalized drinking experiences. While the cocktail world has been buzzing about AI-driven recommendations, craft beer has been pioneering this personalization philosophy for years. Our approach has always been about creating tailored experiences, small-batch brews that use quality ingredients, unique flavour profiles that reflect regional character, and a commitment to brewing that goes beyond mass production. Breweries have been creating personalized experiences for consumers long before AI entered the conversation through experimental brewing, collaborative community tastings, and a deep commitment to understanding local palates. What's truly exciting is how technology might complement, not replace, the artistry of brewing. Much like bartenders bring an irreplaceable human touch to cocktail creation, our brewmasters bring decades of expertise, intuition, and passion to every batch. AI might help us understand preferences, but it can't capture the soul of a perfectly crafted beer, the subtle notes, the ingredients, the stories behind each brew. The premiumization trend also resonates deeply with craft brewing. Consumers are increasingly willing to pay more for quality, for authenticity, for experiences that go beyond consuming a beverage. They want to understand the brewing process, meet the brewers, and feel connected to the beer in their glass. At RED RHINO CRAFT BREWERY AND INSPIRED KITCHEN, we see technology as a tool for connection, not replacement. Our kegging expansion is about bringing our craft directly to more people, about creating moments of shared experience. Whether it's through AI-assisted recommendations or traditional word-of-mouth, we're committed to introducing more people to the fantastic craft beer. The future of beer is about creating experiences that are deeply local, incredibly personal, and always evolving. 

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When Consumers Pull Back, Only brands with high perceived value earn the right not to be traded down. This WSJ article (may be paywalled) made me reflect on how food companies adjust to consumer feedback. - Consumers are pulling back in the U.S. and China, indicating a slowdown in spending. - Restaurant chains and food manufacturers are responding to consumer dissatisfaction with high prices by offering deals and introducing new products. - Companies like Domino's Pizza are raising prices at a slower pace and implementing more discounts to attract customers back to their brands. Profit Margins Remain Strong for Food Industry: - Major restaurant chains and food manufacturers have seen profits soar, with some reaching or surpassing 2019 levels. - Gross margins for many food makers are at or near prepandemic levels, indicating financial stability. Economic Growth Boosts Food Company Earnings: - Food companies have enjoyed record quarterly profits, aligning with economic growth trends. - Efforts to become more efficient and scale back pandemic-era measures have contributed to increased profits. Consumer Response to Pricing Strategies: - Consumer sentiment on food prices is mixed, with concerns about overcharging and shrinking product sizes. - While some consumers are cutting back on dining out, others are adjusting to higher prices and looking for value deals. Promotions and Discounts to Drive Sales: - Companies like McDonald's and Starbucks are launching promotional offers to attract customers back and improve sales volumes. - Food makers like Mondelez and General Mills are lowering prices, offering discounts, and enhancing product taste to drive consumer interest. Challenges in Winning Back Consumer Trust: - Executives acknowledge the challenge of winning consumers back post-inflation, requiring sustained efforts and investments. - The slow pace of consumer trust rebuilding highlights the complexity of addressing pricing concerns and ensuring affordability. Focus on Value and Affordability: - Restaurants are emphasizing value meals and affordable options to retain and attract customers. - Food manufacturers are reducing prices, offering discounts, and improving product quality to maintain competitiveness. Future Strategies and Consumer Engagement: - Companies anticipate a gradual process in winning back consumer trust post-inflation and emphasize the need for sustained investments. - Enhanced promotions, discounts, and product improvements aim to engage consumers and drive sales growth. Hiring Slowdown Fuels Bets on Rate Cut: - A hiring slowdown is fueling expectations of a larger rate cut by the Federal Reserve. - This development reflects concerns about the economic outlook and the potential need for monetary policy adjustments. I write about training marketers so that CMOs have a focused team to build profitable brands. Get a copy of my BrandTips® newsletter. See more in the comments. #marketing #branding #management #mentoring

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Great time with Elanie and Kay from the Renegade Nutrition Podcast! Their content is always so timely related to changes in the science of nutrition, it's impact on our wellness, and how we can all be better at 'biohacking'. We discussed the importance of polyphenols in the diet for longevity, data from blue zones, and Goode Health. Give it a listen (if you have an hour or listen at 1.75x speed) and follow Renegade!

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What people want on their plates changes fast. In the F&B industry, being reactive is no longer enough. To lead, brands must anticipate consumer behavior by understanding the why behind emerging trends. This is where the 2025 Trend Predictions come into play. Powered by Tastewise's Gen-AI, these insights reveal not just what’s trending, but how to strategically position your brand to capture tomorrow’s market. As decision-makers, it’s time to elevate beyond data—it’s time to shape the future. Tomorrow: Join the 2025 Trend Predictions webinar at 11am EST to gain the insights needed to lead the market. Sign up here: https://lnkd.in/d-deStbP

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What consumers want in 2025! Great read in this smart article from our trends partner Menu Matters LLC at CCD Innovation. #cpg #foodandbeverage #innovation

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