The Breeze With Beverage Digest

Beverage Digest Editor & Publisher Duane Stanford talks shop: news of the day, interesting competitive trends, new products and categories. He brings you into the kinds of conversations that we have here every day at Beverage Digest. To dissect what’s happening, connect dots, and ask the most important question: “What does this mean?”

The Breeze With Beverage Digest is a news podcast hosted by Beverage Digest, with 34 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Beverage Digest hosts The Breeze With Beverage Digest, a news show with 34 episodes published.

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  Episode #33

  Episode 33: The Beverage Consumer Reality Check

  Jun 12, 202642 minS1

  Beverage Digest Editor & Publisher Duane Stanford and industry expert John Sicher bring Wall Street beverage analyst Kaumil Gajrawala of Jefferies into the room to separate consumer reality from consumer headlines. They pressure-test what “value” really means across today’s beverage aisle and dig into why energy drinks keep winning, how Coke’s price/mix strategy works, and where protein and non-alcoholic beer could steal the next occasion. Also: • How Jefferies tracks consumer health using delinquencies, auto loans, and payment data • Why “the consumer is weak” becomes an easy excuse for poor portfolio performance • Value equation vs affordability, and why breaking trust on price is hard to fix • The ladder behind energy drink growth: new consumers, new occasions, foodservice, and innovation • Why energy looks cheaper versus coffee over the last five years • Why carbonated soft drinks handle price-per-ounce variation better than most categories • What revenue growth management changes mean for Coca-Cola and bottlers...and more. Text us thoughts, questions, or topic suggestions.

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  Episode #32

  Episode 32: Less Volume, More Dollars: The Paradox Reshaping the Beverage Industry

  Apr 30, 202646 minS1

  <p>John Sicher turns the tables on Beverage Digest Editor & Publisher Duane Stanford to interview him about Beverage Digest’s newly-released Fact Book  31st Edition.</p><p>They trade notes on what the data says about where U.S. beverage demand is actually going.<br/><br/>They dig into:<br/>• Why total LRB volume turns negative, why energy keeps winning, and why per capita CSD per capita consumption is the number that industry insiders should we watching most closely. <br/>• How Fuze Tea’s staying power in Spain is a reminder that so-called “failed” U.S. brands can thrive globally<br/>• Inflati...

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  Episode #31

  Episode 31: Can Big CPG Companies Close the Innovation Gap? The Case for Cultural Momentum Over Brand Equity

  Mar 11, 202641 minS1

  <p>In today's episode of The Breeze, Duane Stanford and John Sicher bring in RBC Capital Markets analyst Nik Modi to unpack why big beverage companies struggle to create disruptive innovation in-house. And when big companies acquire disruptive new brands, why are the results so mixed? Duane, John, and Nik use Coca-Cola's acquisitions of BodyArmor and Fairlife as case studies to explore distribution speed, culture, incentives, and how organizing around occasions can restore relevance.<br/><br/>• BodyArmor’s write-downs and sports drinks losing hero status<br/>• The three pillars of deals and why manageability breaks<br/>• Distribution pace versus market-by-market velocity...

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  Episode #30

  Episode 30: Making Sense of State SNAP Soda Bans. How Should Coke, Pepsi, and Dr Pepper Respond?

  Jan 27, 202634 minS1

  <p>In today's Episode, Duane Stanford (Beverage Digest Editor & Publisher) and John Sicher (Industry Expert, Consultant) take a data-driven look at how new SNAP restrictions on soda and energy drinks will alter consumer behavior, retailer dynamics, and beverage brand strategy in the coming year. They weigh the policy’s equity questions, the sweetener debate, and the near-term playbook for affordability and channel shifts.<br/><br/>• States adopting waivers and their SNAP participation rates<br/>• Inclusion of zero sugar and artificial sweeteners in bans<br/>• Price inflation impact and equity concerns for low-income households<br/>• RBC and Numerator data on cutbacks, switching...

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  Episode #29

  Episode 29: State of Play Going Into 2026

  Jan 6, 202639 minS1

  <p>Coca-Cola’s leadership change. PepsiCo’s post-activist playbook. KDP’s upcoming strategic re-organization. The commoditization of bottled and sparkling water. MAHA’s regulatory shakeup. Refocusing the consumer on sports drinks. As we start 2026, Duane Stanford and John Sicher dive into the hottest industry inflection points.</p><p>Text us thoughts, questions, or topic suggestions.</p>

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