Beverage Business Competition

The beverage industry is enormous, with new products introduced almost daily. There are hundreds of different drinks on the market, all produced and bottled in different and attractive packaging. There are already some very high profile drinks on the market with Coca-Cola being the top seller now for decades. Other competitive carbonated soft drinks have since had success. Some are direct competitors in the cola category, such as Pepsi Cola and others have created new categories, as with the sports drink segment with brands like Gatorade, or with the energy drink segment with brands such as Red Bull. The revolution and popularity of bottled spring water has also taken the market by storm. With such hefty competition in the drink industry, every brand is jostling for consumer attention, making a strong beverage business plan all the more vital. Despite this highly competitive arena, there is ample room for new products, and consumers are always willing to experiment. Beverage package design is another aspect very important in the drinks industry. To attract consumers it is vital to have something attractive and functional. To get an indication of what will work best, proper market research is crucial and this is one facet of a beverage business plan. A proper plan is vital to the successful launch for any new product onto the market, and all too often short cuts can be doomed to fail.

Drink Manufacturing History

The drink manufacturing process in the United States, European Union and Asia, are among the most efficient manufacturing processes in the world. Because of the enormous scale of the drink industry, American, European and Asian drink manufacturers have become increasingly better equipped to manufacture drinks at high speed and low cost while maintaining high standards of quality. Drink manufacturing has a long history, tracing its origins to when drink manufacturers were simply tea brewers, wine growers and home producers. Back then, they produced a little more than they could consume and sold or bartered the rest, giving birth to a new livelihood. Drink manufacturing streamlined and became manufactured on a much larger scale. Vineyards flourished growing more and more grapes that would con into wine, tea plantations produced more tea and facilities that could manage the drink manufacturing process on a regional scale began to spring up to address the growing demand. This growth continued, until the day that Coca-Cola, founded in 1886, became one of the first major international drink manufacturers. Milestones in the Drink Manufacturing Industry 1966: Gatorade was born. Soon it would become the worlds first popular sports drink, and drink manufacturing would never be the same. 1971: Starbucks emerged, putting Seattle on the drink industry map, indicating another turning point for the industry. 1972: A couple of natural food storeowners wondered if the drink industry was ready for a healthier alternative beverage. Since then, Snapple has kept drink manufacturers busy for over 35 years. 1978: Perrier and Evian became the first widely available bottled waters in United States. 1980: Until Odwalla, the only way to get fresh juice was to squeeze it yourself. The drink industry has changed for the better with this innovative company. 1981: Red Bull energy drink started its iconic rise to become one of the most successful drink manufacturers in history. 1982: Diet Coke became the nation's favorite diet soda. 1992: Pepsi-Cola revolutionized drink distribution by including Lipton and Ocean Spray as part of its drink distribution strategy. 1995: Pepsi introduced Aquafina, and Coca-Cola introduced Dasani. Now bottled water is one of the largest segments of the drink industry and is here to stay. 1996: SoBe defined the functional drink category. 2007: Coca-Cola buys vitaminwater for a record $4.1 billion dollars, and the drink industry keeps growing.