94 Business View - February 2016
The industry has recently been under attack. Some
jurisdictions have tried to limit soft drink sales, and
some people have suggested that the amount of
sugar in soft drinks is a health risk. What does the
landscape look like for the industry over the next
few years and how do you counter the negative pub-
licity?
“I’m personally very bullish on the future of the indus-
try for a couple of reasons. I don’t know the proprietary
strategies of each company, but I know enough about
plans for the investments they’re making in innova-
tions for new beverage choices, ingredients and pack-
ages - their individual visions for where their compa-
nies are going - and I think it’s rooted in listening with
a highly-tuned ear to what the consumer wants. The
consumer wants more choices; they want lower-calorie
choices; they want smaller portions; and I can say that
the companies tune into that and are providing a lot of
new things - and will continue to provide more. Nobody
stands still and companies of this caliber and sophisti-
cation are not trying to run a 1990s business strategy
in the new century.
“The second reason that I’m bullish is that we as an
industry, and the ABA, have done some very bold
and cutting-edge things. We know consumers expect
brands of this magnitude to be involved in helping ad-
dress societal challenges like obesity - and we are. We
see it over and over in our research: consumers say,
‘No, we don’t think you’re a unique cause of the prob-
lem, but we do expect you to be in there helping pro-
vide solutions.’ And so we are.
“We had a very big initiative in the schools that we did
in conjunction with the Alliance for a Healthier Genera-
tion. We listened to parents who wanted more control
over what their younger children were drinking when
they weren’t around, but wanted their teens to have
more choices. So we changed the beverage mix in
schools, removing regular soda and capping calories
on other options. And by doing so, we reduced bever-
age calories in schools by 90 percent. We have sup-
ported Mrs. Obama’s ‘Let’s Move!’ initiative from the
very start by voluntarily putting calorie labels on the
front of every can, bottle, and pack, without the FDA or
anybody telling us to do that. The companies agreed
FOOD & BEVERAGE
