Michael Holm

The news this week that Carlsberg Group made a bid to buy Britvic plc showed how much category blurring in beverages, is driving total business growth strategy and also M&A activity. I wrote an article in Checkout Magazine on this very topic in 2023: Beverages 2.0 - The Total Beverages Company Beverages companies are looking to align their strategies to market trends and consumer needs and long-term shifts in consumer demographics and consumption patterns necessitate a continual reevaluation of current strategies, this most apparent in the soft drinks category and also in the alcohol category – as alcohol moderation gathers pace. A company's beverages portfolio mix needs to reflect the changing consumer, with an increasing share of low- and no-calorie products and added functionality and address the longer-term growth of great tasting of low and no alcohol premium offerings. High-calorie brands are losing space to water and water-based beverages and functional drinks. An aging population will continue to drive change in the portfolio mix towards healthy aging, such as zero alcohol along with low-calorie and added-functionality beverages, while a younger population want healthier choices that taste great and are environmentally and sustainably orientated. The pathway for long terms success and growth is to offer a wide portfolio of beverages for different consumer need states and occasions (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic) creating a total beverages company, with this impacting not just product development and innovation, but brand positioning and route to market to their get their products in to the hands of the final consumer… proving that Beverages is indeed an exciting and dynamic category. #beverages #alcohol #softdrinks #carlsberg #britvic #categoryblurring #strategy #growth #innovation Lars Jensen Paul Villis Carol Dunne Jean-Philippe Delforge Sheelagh Pentony Thomas Hahlin Ahlinder Erlon Pereira Jerry O'Keeffe Alison Wilkinson Ian Chesworth David Deeley Brian Short Bourcard Nesin Jim Watson Francois Sonneville Gilles Halotel Marc LEJEUNE Farrah Gilsenan John Craven Maev Martin John Savage Stephen Rannekleiv Mark Gallo Kristof König Linda Chatton Michel Aubanel Jean Noel Ortal Gwyneth Kelly Sergio Saavedra Rodríguez Birgit Schaaf Barbara Lezzer Magdalena Edyta Przewoźnik Aoife Mc Donald Breda Kelly Erika Minaguchi Mark Allen David Walsh

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𝖵𝗂𝗌𝗂𝗈𝗇 𝗈𝖿 𝖺 𝗉𝖺𝗉𝖾𝗋𝗅𝖾𝗌𝗌 𝗌𝗁𝗈𝗉𝖿𝗅𝗈𝗈𝗋 Year on year we are faced with increase in complexity and pressure on our People, our Organization, our Planet. The need to #change #how we work is crucial to sustain what we have and be better. One of the benefits of committing to Operational Excellence is the need to win every day and offer better value for our people, our customers, our consumers. To achieve that we need to have the best visibility of our processes and our equipment. We need to provide all the necessary tools and know-how to our People. 🧠🦾⚙ An element that needs to change is inefficiencies and losses we introduced with 🅟🅐🅟🅔🅡 long time ago when we didn't know better. Now we do. None of our People today using digital standards would go back to paper. Fact. 💯 #Digitizing and #connecting our Industrial environment, integrating it with our Business environment will unlock a 𝙐𝙣𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙚 of opportunities for us. It's quite a long journey we're on. #worldclass #organization

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Made it to the end of the ad without getting tired! That deserves an award ;) Background reading of the company suggests an excellent product with strong success across Europe and UK having started in Switzerland, With strong premium quality and taste credentials. So, why not talk about - obsession with premium quality (origins of beans) or - taste or - maybe its swiss origins or - social proof (how so many people are loving it in such a short span of 10 years) which may make me want to try the product? What am I missing? #advertising #marketing #outdoor #keymessage

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A positive outlook from the IWSR: https://lnkd.in/ekZss23X   The beverages market has had a challenging time over the past two years, but with overall growth set to return in 2025, there's every opportunity for the sector to get back on track. Great to read that Rosé is seen as a growth category with its drinkability and more fun image. At Encirc Beverages, we're super optimistic about the next few years and the plans set out in our #VividVision strategy. For me, it's about rethinking how the industry works, collaborating across the sector and supply chain, and providing the quality customer service consumers need to make sure our vision a reality! #Sustainability #EncircBeverages #SupplyChain

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It's not enough to know what products people are cutting down on; you need to know what they're replacing them with. Prinova's bespoke research has uncovered men's changing attitudes to beverages, creating a North Star for brands to follow as they look to pivot in line with consumer needs. Take a look at the full report below. #WeArePrinova #PrinovaGlobal #Beverages #BeveragesTrends

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The Barrel Revolution: how the last 50 years have brought drastic changes to a two-thousand-year-old industry? Tonight at 6pm, our CEO, András Kalydy will give a masterclass at the REVINO BUCHAREST WINE SHOW. The masterclass will focus on the following topics: · What has changed and how do today's technologies developed in barrel production meet the needs of the wine industry? · Why do we use barrels? · Why can there be 2000 different barrel characters, and what are the reasons for the differences? Through wine tasting, participants will discover how barrels can have a significant influence on wine, the major differences that can be achieved by making small modifications to specifications, and the tools available to consciously use barrels to achieve our winemaking objectives. Would you be interested in a similar masterclass? If so, contact us! 😊 . #kadarhungary #cooperage #barrelmaking #barrelproduction #hungarianbarrel #revino #revinowineshow #wineshow #winemasterclass #barrelrevolution

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I am delighted to announce the release of Nestlé Nespresso SA's full-year sustainability review: The Positive Cup 2023 Progress, which you can read here https://lnkd.in/gYMbWkUv This publication coincides with Nespresso being awarded the title of “Most Sustainable Company in the Coffee Processing Industry 2024” by World Finance Magazine, which recognizes and celebrates those who have excelled in their sustainability efforts and commitments. It’s been a special year, marked by an incredible milestone: the 20th anniversary of the Nespresso AAA Sustainable Quality™ Program. From its humble beginnings with 300 farmers in Costa Rica, it has now flourished to include over 150,000 farmers worldwide. This testifies our dedication to producing high-quality, sustainably sourced coffee while supporting the long-term prosperity of coffee farmers. As a B Corp™, at Nespresso, we firmly believe in the power of coffee to drive positive impact, not only for our industry but also for the communities and environments in which we operate. It's all about collective revival in multiple ways. Through initiatives like our Reviving Origins program, we are revitalizing coffee regions that have faced challenges such as conflict, environmental disasters, and uncertainty. We are also driving systems change for regenerative agriculture, breathing new life into materials through circularity, and reigniting the inspiration that coffee represents as a force for good. So together, let us continue to raise the bar, inspire change, and shape a more prosperous future through the power of coffee. #nespresso #BCorp #PositiveCup #regenerativeagriculture #sustainability

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The HEINEKEN Company: a welcoming volume beat to start the year for this Q1 trading update but high uncertainty & corresponding wide guidance remain All regions posted higher volume and net revenue, and the quarter was helped by an earlier Easter and one-off effects. The firm disappointed investors in February with its wide range for forecast operating profit growth, which it said could be anywhere between a low and high single-digit percentage this year The wide guidance remains unchanged In the details: Heineken Q1 FY24 results summary: • NR: € 6,847 million • OSG: 9.4%; Volume: 4.3%; Price/ mix: 5.0% • Eb2b platform captured GMV of €2.7 billion (+17% vs previous year) Results by Region • Africa & Middle East: € 965million NR; OSG: 32.9% (Volume: 5.6%, Price/mix: 27.3%) • Americas: € 2565million NR; OSG: 6.5% (Volume: 4.6%, Price/mix: 1.9%) • Asia Pacific: € 1048million NR; OSG: 11.3% (Volume: 8.9%, Price/mix: 2.4%) • Europe: € 2,448million NR; OSG: 0.4% (Volume: 0.5%, Price/mix: -0.1%) • Beat analysts’ consensus for beer volume (4.3% vs 2.1% consensus) and miss for revenue FY24 guidance: Unchanged • OP%: expected to grow organically low- to high-single-digit Exciting year ahead for The HEINEKEN Company 𝗧𝗼 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀, 𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝘂𝘀/ 𝘀𝘂𝗯𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗯𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗙𝗠𝗖𝗚 𝗖𝗘𝗢𝘀 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝘀𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿: https://lnkd.in/ea4gy65y #cpg #fmcg AB InBev Carlsberg Group Molson Coors Beverage Company The Coca-Cola Company Coca-Cola Europacific Partners Diageo Pernod Ricard Coca-Cola HBC PepsiCo https://lnkd.in/ekcwUSF7

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UK soft-drink maker Britvic plc has rejected a £3.1bn takeover bid from Carlsberg Group , saying the Danish brewer was “significantly” undervaluing a group whose brands include Robinsons and Fruit Shoot. Carlsberg made an initial bid of 1,200 pence per share earlier this month, before sweetening its all-cash proposal to 1,250p, which London-listed Britvic rejected on June 17. As well as producing its own brands, Britvic is PepsiCo’s bottler in the UK. Carlsberg is PepsiCo’s bottler in Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, Cambodia and Laos. The brewer of Kronenbourg and Tuborg said the acquisition of Britvic would offer it “long-term growth opportunities”. It said it was considering its position after Britvic rebuffed its second bid. The acquisition of Britvic would offer Carlsberg the opportunity to expand its drinks bottling in Britain, for both alcoholic and refreshing beverages products. Interesting to see how all this plays out in the weeks and months ahead for both Carlsberg Group and Britvic plc and what potential wider impact this may have on the beverages industry, across both alcoholic and soft drinks categories. #carlsberg #Britvic #beer #softdrinks #alcohol Lars Jensen Jean-Philippe Delforge Paul Villis Carol Dunne Alison Wilkinson Thomas Hahlin Ahlinder John Savage Farrah Gilsenan Sheelagh Pentony Erlon Pereira Ian Chesworth Marc LEJEUNE Breda Kelly Francois Sonneville Stephen Rannekleiv Bourcard Nesin Jim Watson John Craven Bryan Roth Mark Gallo Erika Minaguchi Kristof König Linda Chatton Gilles Halotel Jerry O'Keeffe Wayne Donovan David Deeley Brian Short Gwyneth Kelly

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It's great to see The HEINEKEN Company, the renowned brewer, celebrate a significant achievement as it reports its first quarterly increase in sales volumes after a challenging period of decreased demand in 2023, attributed in part to higher commodity and raw material prices. This positive sales momentum signals a promising result for the company. However, it's important for any company, whether in the #brewing sector or beyond, to consider the risks of relying solely on sales growth, especially in fluctuating market conditions. Understanding and forecasting the impact of high costs on raw materials and production expenses is paramount. Enter the crucial role of Cost Model Forecasts. Tailored to the unique specifications of a company's branded or private label products, these forecasts empower procurement and buying teams to effectively manage costs and margins. Moreover, #Equity Analysts benefit greatly from utilizing these tools to monitor the influence of changing costs on company performance and quarterly earnings. This analytical insight enables them to identify opportunities within dynamic markets. In essence, while robust sales results provide a commendable boost, the strategic integration of cost management and forecasting tools is indispensable for sustaining profitability and navigating market fluctuations effectively. https://lnkd.in/eGZCTkz3 Mandeep Singh Mark Iantosca Sarah Garcia Stewart Jones Jay Inamdar Mintec Urner Barry Jon W. Hansen

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Consumer demand for sugar reduction and zero sugar offerings is driving the need for cleaner tasting sugar-reduced beverages. Currently within the total soft drinks category in Europe, no and low-calorie products account for 41% of the market which is up from 26% from 5 years ago, this equates to an additional +10 billion litres per annum switch in consumption from full sugar to low / no sugar. One of the stand out countries in Europe is the UK, no and low-calorie drinks make up 72% of the category in 2023, up from 56% in 2018, driven by both the implementation of sugar taxes and the increase in consumer demand for healthier beverages choices. UNESDA, who represents the European soft drinks association has committed to reduce average added sugars in soft drinks by another 10% from 2019-2025 across the EU-27 and the UK. This will represent a 33% overall reduction in average added sugars over the last two decades The article on the link below from Kelly Kasulis Cho in The Washington Post and talks about the USA market and the same trend for reduced or zero sugar beverages and the alternative "better of you" offerings, their claims and positioning, a good read. For any beverages company looking to create the next great tasting low or zero sugar beverage innovation, please do get in touch, the beverages team Kerry is here to help. #beverages #soda #sugar #zerosugar #softdrinks #taste #kerry Carol Dunne Gwyneth Kelly Michelle Osagie Farrah Gilsenan Marc LEJEUNE Breda Kelly Tiphaine BEAU Mark Allen Erlon Pereira https://lnkd.in/ePmYY-UV

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Are premium innovations all the #CPG players have to offer to (cost-of-living-stressed) consumers? At a time all #FMCG companies are doubling down on organic growth, most are accelerating their innovations machine, often with premium priced innovations. That could end up being a large resources misallocation (dilution of scarce shelf space, marketing investments, supply chain & organizational resources) & a major strategic misstep for many At a time the largest threat is de-consumption, more premium priced innovations will just not cut it The painful truth is that too many FMCG marketing organizations do not own the 4Ps and are solely focused on ‘global innovations/ marketing campaigns’. Then the organizational bias/ 'default setting' is to try to solve all brands’ problems with those two levers (global product innovations & media) In the current context, those could be deadly mistakes We continue to be amazed by the little resources that get into: i)  Generally, understanding rigorously Consumers, esp. their barriers/ drivers/ triggers/ 4Ps preferences ii) Specifically understanding what: - The Heavy Consumers have in common/ try to recruit more of them - Are the addressable lapse/ non-users’ barriers iii) Leveraging strategic segmentation to identify under-served segments & craft ownable strategies to address them iv) Rethinking how to recruit/ retain Consumers with innovative marketing/ point of market entry strategies Etc… Marketing leaders need to have a holistic view on what are the levers across all the 4Ps that will drive the most disruptive return There will be no sustainable (volume) growth outperformance in many FMCG organizations without strenghtening the Marketing Function & giving them formally full 4Ps ownership. That goes against the last decade Doxa but it is essential 𝗧𝗼 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗰 (𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘂𝗺𝗲) 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵 & 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲, 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: FMCG CEOs: Managing Finally For Sustainable (Volume) Growth Or How To Stop Shrinking To Glory - From ZBB to ZBG® (Zero-Based-Growth) https://lnkd.in/eG62xkNE To receive the corresponding deck, pl. leave your name in comment To get all our insights, follow us/ subscribe to our CEOs newsletter: https://lnkd.in/eR8vDpvE #strategy Frederic Fernandez & Associates

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After weeks of "will it, won't it", Britvic plc's board has finally given its seal of approval to a £3.3bn takeover bid by Carlsberg Group. The improved offer – of £12.90 per share plus 25p per share dividend paid out by Britvic to shareholders before the deal completes – will create what Carlsberg CEO Jacob Aarup-Andersen has described as a “one-stop shop” for booze and soft drinks, with a range that meets a variety of customer needs. With Britvic and PepsiCo firmly on board, the deal looks all but done, but there's there's still a chance for a late sting in the tail. With Britvic continuing to outperform in a challenging soft drinks category, and shares in the company yet to reach the amount offered by Carlsberg, investors may feel more juice can be squeezed from the Danish brewer. Will 75% of its shareholders vote in favour of the deal? Via The Grocer.

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This is the story/strategy unfolding in the US beverage market as well. M&A-ing for diversification, synergy or scale? And in which direction? John Kelly referencing the Carlsberg Group bid(s) for Britvic plc writes about this in depth. It is a very good read on (IMO) an extremely interesting topic… Will US-based footprints continue to modify their assortments “blurring the lines”? It feels like something is happening out there. #cpg #beverages #beveragealcohol #globalbeverage #mergers #acquistions #mergersandacquisitions

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🥃 HOW WE APPROACH SPIRITS DISTRIBUTION IN CZ & SK It is really important for us at Acan Premium Spirits to make our brands available throughout the market and after trying several models a combination of direct and indirect distribution has proven to work the best on our markets. ON-TRADE ✅ Supplying bars & restaurants with wholesalers and cash & carry partners is a great way to approach wide range of bars and looking at our portfolio we focus mostly on leading and premium outlets. I really like Chris Maffeo's idea about brands being built bottom up, therefore we try to support the wholesalers with our on-trade sales team. We want to sell with the wholesaler, not to the wholesaler. OFF-TRADE ✅ Off-trade is a different story. We try to match the right products to our retail partners who make the volume, but we find it really important to work with "not yet mainstream" brands. We provide value to our e-commerce partners and specialized stores who are looking for niche products, limited editions and brands that are not easy to get. Obviously marketing is crucial for the brands whether they are big or more specialized and our brand management team is doing their best to provide attention to everyone. 💡 How do you approach the distribution on your market and what strategies work best at your market? #distribution #model #slovakia #czechia

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Campari Group Q1 2024 results: when steady is good On tough comps (Q1 2023 was +20%), Campari manages to stabilize sales. What many have struggled to achieve on the liquor category For perspective, Campari continues to belong to the top 5% outperformers in the FMCG industry, with a stock price that multiplied by >3 over the last 10 years, which put it in the same league as the L'Oréal, Lindt & Sprüngli & Church & Dwight Co., Inc.... Impressive All eyes are now turned on the Courvoisier integration & the global Cognac market development Exciting year ahead for Campari Group In the details: Campari Group Q1 FY24 summary: • NR: €664m • OSG: 0.2%; Vol.: 0.6% and Price/ Fx: -1.6% • GM%: 57.5%; -90 bps vs Q1 FY23 • Adj. EBIT%: 22.8%; -100 bps vs Q1 FY23 • A&P: 12.9%; -60 bps vs Q1 FY23 𝗧𝗼 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀, 𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝘂𝘀/ 𝘀𝘂𝗯𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗯𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗙𝗠𝗖𝗚 𝗖𝗘𝗢𝘀 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝘀𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿: https://lnkd.in/ea4gy65y #cpg #fmcg Matteo Fantacchiotti Diageo Pernod Ricard LVMH The HEINEKEN Company AB InBev Molson Coors Beverage Company William Grant & Sons https://lnkd.in/eCvN_2VA

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