Grab Your Umbrellas Because Sparkling Ice is Pouring On the Sales

I think it's safe to say Talking Rain has a powerful thunder storm in their portfolio. And it has been unleashed on the rest of the country.  Beverage meteorologists across the nation are predicting strong winds (dollar sales) and heavy rain (volume) to continue, at least for the rest of this year.
 

Of course, Talking Rain is based in Washington state, where else.

Talking Rain's (TR) Sparkling Ice has been around for about 20 years. As the name implies, Sparkling Ice is an enhanced sparkling water that is naturally flavored. It comes in a tall, slim 17 oz PET and has eight flavors, each of which touts zero cals and zero carbs. But, how come most people haven't heard of Sparkling Ice until recently? TR decided to change it's strategy to target consumers who are leaving the CSD category. It's strategy included launching the brand on a national scale and aligning with distributors in all critical regions. The result? 2103% increase in volume vs YAG (excl Wal Mart).


How did they achieve such a large increase? By gaining authorizations and POG in large chain stores and securing a distributor network (a lot of beer houses) that can service those stores regularly. The average retail for Ice's 17 oz bottle is around $1.19, but expect to continue to see 10/$10 throughout the Summer and probably the rest of the year. This price point is essential to the brand's recent surge, by targeting consumers who are looking for value, especially when considering a new product.

Distributors I've talked to throughout the Southeast said they are going through about a truckload a week. They've told me they have Publix stores selling upwards of 80-100 cases per week at 10/$10, on the high end. The low end is about 40 cases week. Wal Mart sells for $1 and these same distributors say the volume is even higher in those stores. Look for pallets on the cart rail, action alley and/or 4 foot sections top to bottom. Not bad for a relatively new brand in Florida.

Sparkling Ice's line-up, including two newcomers, Lemonade and Coconut Pineapple

If there is a downside (and there almost always is), the only one I heard of is the shape of the PET. It just annoys sales reps and merchandisers. They say the bottle is like a bowling pin. When stocking shelves, if one bottle falls over, it knocks over nine more! And it's not a real downside, but I'm trying to be critical here!

There have been some recent occasions of beer distributors dropping some NA business, mainly due to the growth of the craft beer category (they need the space in their warehouse), but if a beer distributor currently carries TR in their market, they won't be letting go of this golden nugget.

This blog is the opinion of the author. None of the companies mentioned here have any affiliation with this blog, nor do they endorse its contents...but they should. Gregg W Shore is a 23 year beverage veteran who writes his blog @DrinkPro, A View of the Beverage Industry, from the Inside Out. Connect on LinkedIn and follow on Twitter @DrinkPro.

How The Heck Did She Do That?

Today is Mother's Day. But, everyday should be Mother's Day. We should always honor the moms out there who gave birth to us, fed us, changed our diapers, got us ready for school, pinned on a corsage, lied for you to a girl on the phone...oh, sorry, that last one slipped out.

Photo Source: BabyCenter.com

You get the point. Moms have always been there for us, through all the skinned knees, performances, games, scout meetings, break-ups and countless other times, when, if you could count on one person to be there, it would be your mom.

How do they know to always be there? When you're young, you think because it's there job. You can't comprehend the scale on which things get done. You don't notice how the food gets on the table, but you notice when it's not on the table. You don't notice how clothes end up folded in your drawer, but you notice there's a pile of laundry in your hamper. You don't notice when the toys get picked up from the floor, but you always know right where to find them, neat and orderly. You don't understand how she drove everyone to a game, practice, concert, sleepover, skating rink, karate class or theme park, on-time and in a car that burned more fuel per mile than the space shuttle, but you got there.

Photo Source: SheKnows.com

There will come a time when your dad doesn't have to take you to the drug store to get a Mother's Day card for your mom. When that time comes, that's when you begin to realize, not just all mom did for you, but how she did it. It wasn't just because it was her job, it was because she loved you. Then, look back in amazement and give her a big hug! Happy Mother's Day, Mom.

From Dinosaurs to Cadillacs-My Journey Through the Beverage Tech Time Warp

Yes, when I started delivering beer, there was a such thing as refrigeration. It wasn't that long ago! O.k., yes it was. I wasn't even old enough to drink beer. Heck, I wasn't even old enough to drive the truck that carried the beer. Back then, in Florida, you needed a Chauffeur's License to drive a big truck and you had to be 18 years old. I was only 17. Don't ask me how, but I must have made a mistake when I filled out my DOB on the paper application. Anyway, I'd get to the warehouse around 4:45 a.m. to get a good parking spot and wait the usual 10 or 15 minutes until the warehouse manager, Joe, showed up to let us in. We were so anxious to see what kind of route we had waiting for us. Too often, we ended up disappointed at the number of stops or cases. So, there I was, behind the wheel of a 45,000 lb low-boy trailer, without a lick of experience on how to make a right turn, let alone back it up. Next to me on the bench seat sat my aluminum clip board we called a "tin". Inside the tin, were my invoices for the day. Pre-printed on continuous form paper at night by company elves and left on each driver's cubicle. Triplicate sets of invoices, still attached at the perforations. White (customer), Yellow (cash) and Pink (charge).We'd tear off each set and sort them by address and then place them in order according to how we will run the route. The thought of separating invoices each morning now annoys me to no end. But, those were the good ole days, and I didn't know any different.

Continuous form invoice- the edges would always end up on the floor in your truck

 I remember when I went to work for Coca-Cola Enterprises, they too, had the same system of pre-printed invoices. Like half-asleep robots, we'd tear those invoices apart and sort. I always wished the company elves could do this for us rather than leaving a big stack, but they never did. Then one day, it happened. We were told we were switching to hand-held computers which the drivers would take with them and print once you arrived at the customer's location. This was my first real experience with streamlining the delivery process. Wow! So big time, we've finally arrived. Introducing... The Norand 4500! A complete computer processor that did all we needed it to do; print the invoice, and a duplicate, if need be. Oh yeah, speaking of printing, the printer was a separate unit that weighed about 10 pounds, but seemed much heavier at the end of the day. It had to always remain plugged in at night so the batteries could charge.

 

Norand 4500

It wasn't always so smooth. There were times when you'd arrive to work in the morning and none of the hand-helds had the day's routes in them. Of course, we had a guy, Pat, who was the "super user". He was basically self trained on these things. You'd have to go to his office and stand there in the door with your hand-held until he looked up and said "what do you want?", even though he knew. He could reboot them and bring up all kinds of weird menus with small fonts and he'd press buttons so fast, you couldn't keep up. Yes>No>Yes>Yes>No>Yes>Enter. That should do it. He'd hand it to you and tell you to go put it in the cradle on the wall. And don't even try touching the hand-held while it's "thinking", he'd yell at you.

Motorola MC 9090

Around ten years later, the company upgraded again. This time, to a Symbol by Motorola with a wireless printer. Whoa! A whole new set of problems. Except Pat was in another department, as if he knew what was coming. This time, it was me who was the unofficial super user. In all honesty, we managers picked up on them pretty quick. The worst part was trying to troubleshoot over a Nextel. That was frustrating, but it was how we evolved.

Nowadays, it's has evolved even more. Sales reps and drivers can look at real-time inventory on their iPads and iPhones, swipe credit cards and perform countless other functions in the Cloud. Some operations have even gone paperless, except for a little thermal receipt, and large chain customers can now link directly to the distributor's system and place orders.

I'm curious to see where technology will take the beverage business in the coming years. It changes so rapidly, the next great advancement will be here before we know it.

This blog is the opinion of the author. None of the companies mentioned here have any affiliation with this blog, nor do they endorse its contents...but they should. Gregg W Shore is a 23 year beverage veteran who writes his blog @DrinkPro, A View of the Beverage Industry, from the Inside Out. Connect on LinkedIn and follow on Twitter @DrinkPro

How to Retain the Best Delivery Drivers

Here we go, Monday morning in Distribution Land, and delivery supervisors across America are on edge. Yesterday was the big game or a holiday or some other significant event and you know certain drivers always call in sick the next day. It's 5:09 a.m., 39 minutes after the time they're supposed to notify their supervisor if they are calling in sick. You try him on his Nextel, "User Not Available". You call his cell phone and it goes straight to voice mail after one ring. The last resort is calling his house and waking up his wife. "Should I?", you ask your self. "Heck yeah! I don't want to run that route." Besides, you want to spend time with a new driver today making sure he's ready to go on his own full route tomorrow.

This scenario is repeated day after day in the beverage delivery business, and always has been. But, not for all companies. Let's face it, all employees miss a day here and there. Everyone has doctor appointments, all our kids get sick, cars break down, pets die, I get it. But, what is it about those organizations who never seem to have these attendance problems? What do they have in common? Ask yourself these simple questions:

1. Have all employees read and signed the attendance policy in the employee handbook? If not, print it out and have them sign it. Make sure it clearly states the company's policy. It should state that they must call their supervisor before a certain time if they can't come to work. Leaving a voice mail is NOT acceptable.
2. What is the morale of the driver staff? Good managers have a pulse on the morale of the delivery department. Make sure your delivery supervisors handle situations correctly regarding negative talk amongst drivers. This is the number one cancer in any organization and it must be stopped at it's source. Make sure drivers are all treated the same with regard to workload, not ability. Nothing pisses off good, hard working drivers more than knowing they get slammed day after day while those who have trouble finishing their work are given light routes.
3. Do you have "lead" drivers? This is important on several fronts. One, it shows a driver you trust in them to handle more "senior" tasks such as training new drivers and delivering special loads. Two, it gives them an opportunity to get noticed by other managers and is useful for their own career development. These should be your more experienced drivers, but only those who are good trainers. This designation should be accompanied by a pay increase, typically around $10 a day to their base.
4. Are there regular meetings? Drivers should be meeting with their supervisors daily, but regular department meetings should take place weekly. These weekly meetings only need to be 20-25 minutes long and need to touch on KPIs, DOT and safety, that's all. Don't let the drivers turn it into a bitch session about the sales reps and the warehouse, or you'll be there all morning. And besides, drivers like to get the hell out in the morning so they can get done and go home. Be sure to provide doughnuts or something at every meeting, and make sure you get enough!  
5. Do you have a recognition system in place to reward good work? Whether it's a gift card, a plaque or even a nice polo shirt, have something that shows them you appreciate their hard work. These should be presented at general sales meetings at least quarterly, if not monthly. And, at least twice a year, you should have food for them, and only them (sales and warehouse departments can have their own meetings and food). It goes a long way.
6. Do you have the proper equipment? Hand held computers, vehicles and hand trucks are the most common equipment issues which lead to diminished work performance. In my experience, you need to have the top equipment. If a hand held won't upload, a driver's truck won't start in the morning or his hand truck has a flat tire, the day is already going downhill. Be sure there is staff in place who can fix these issues on the fly. The fleet department should be open when the drivers arrive to work. Someone should have a decent knowledge of how to reboot a hand held or fix a @Magliner wheel (the best there is) at 5 a.m. If not, drivers are going to miss cut-off delivery times and that snowballs fast!
7. How are the drivers compensated? Ahhh, finally. THE topic. Even your most loyal drivers know what the competition is paying their guys. They've been recruited from supervisors in the field. Are your drivers getting paid on the higher end of the salary scale for comparable jobs in town, or, are they in the middle or bottom of the scale? If you don't know, I suggest you find out. See if other companies are paying base plus commission. Are they paying commission on empties? All these things matter. Also, be sure to have a yearly merit review in place with potential to receive an increase of up to 5%.

Stay ahead of your competition. They're probably out there right now trying to steal your top talent. Be sure to find out all you can about drivers. Companies like @CocaCola employ lots of good ones. See one delivering to a store, stop and talk to him. You can find more information about delivery drivers @BeverageInd and @BevNet and other magazines and blogs. You're not always going to be the market share leader in your business, nor do you have to be. But, you should always strive to have the lowest driver turnover, which will result in lower OPEX and hopefully, higher bonuses.

This blog is the opinion of the author. None of the companies mentioned here have any affiliation with this blog, nor do they endorse its contents...but they should. Gregg W Shore is a 23 year beverage veteran who writes his blog @DrinkPro, A View of the Beverage Industry, from the Inside Out. Connect on LinkedIn and follow on Twitter @DrinkPro

Searching for a Beverage Job in Florida?

If you're one of the billion unemployed beverage people in Florida, consider this; Pack up and move to Miami. A bunch of beverage job postings in Florida show a trend, and, if you know anything about Florida, you'll understand why. Most of the available jobs are in South Florida, specifically, Miami.

Florida's population has been growing at a pretty good rate for the last twenty-five years, and South Florida has been leading the way. Most growth is due to immigrants and snowbirds. And what do they have in common? Most end up in South Florida.

So, it only makes sense that beer, rum, vodka, whiskey and energy drink companies are hiring people in FL to fill their growing needs. A recent look at the beverage job board BevForce.com shows 40 of the last 50 companies who posted a position for Florida need to hire someone in South Florida. These jobs range from the entry level Brand Ambassador all the way up to VP of Sales. The companies range from small start-ups like SK Energy, partially owned by rapper 50 Cent, all the way up to global brands like MillerCoors and Bacardi.

The salaries vary as much as the companies themselves. Almost all jobs above entry level have a salary that can be negotiated. It depends on your experience, but they will low-ball you. Think of them as a used car salesman, in reverse (figuratively). They are going to try to offer you a small amount, so, be prepared to answer the question "what's the salary range you're looking for?" If you do your homework and learn the average salaries for that position and for that company, you can put yourself in a spot to get the higher end of the salary range for that job. You can search sites like GlassDoor.com to see what current and former employees are saying about specific companies and also get salary information for certain positions.

And one more thing; if you speak Spanish, and you're willing to relocate to Miami, you just jumped a bunch of people on the list!

This blog is the opinion of the author. None of the companies mentioned here have any affiliation with this blog, nor do they endorse its contents...but they should. Gregg W Shore is a 23 year beverage veteran who writes his blog @DrinkPro, A View of the Beverage Industry, from the Inside Out. Connect on LinkedIn and follow on Twitter @DrinkPro