Supplier Spotlights: The Coca-Cola Co., Krispy Krunchy Chicken & Liquid Barcodes
NATIONAL REPORT — While it's important for convenience-store retailers to market themselves, new products, services, promotions and other initiatives by c-store suppliers are a major part of capturing consumer interest. Convenience Store News regularly highlights such efforts in this roundup.
Bazooka Brands
After a production shutdown threatened supply, Ring Pop has bounced back with the opening of a new 120,000-square-foot factory in Moosic, Pa. Nearly four times the size of its previous facility, this expansion not only restores production but enhances it, ensuring the candy brand is stronger than ever, said parent company Bazooka Brands.
In August 2024, the original Ring Pop factory in Scranton, Pa., was forced to close after 47 years of operations by unexpected structural issues. Through the multimillion-dollar investment, backed by Apax Partners LLP, Bazooka was able relocate to a new facility and retain its existing workforce. The new factory allows the brand to produce 1.5 million Ring Pops per day.
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"It would not have been surprising for it to take at least a year or more to get back up and running," said Tony Jacobs, CEO of Bazooka Brands. "But we have an incredible team, and I could not be prouder of how they responded. In a matter of weeks, they found a new location. In a matter of months, they moved our equipment. And in just six months, the facility, our equipment and our team were fully operational again."
Black Buffalo
Black Buffalo, a modern alternative to traditional smokeless tobacco, added Power Slap standout Branden "The Butcher" Bordeaux to its growing roster of brand ambassadors.
Branden joins an elite group of Black Buffalo ambassadors, including UFC legends, pro athletes and military heroes who believe in hard work and resilience, the company said. As part of the partnership, Branden will collaborate with the brand on exclusive content, community engagement and bringing more visibility to Black Buffalo's tobacco-alternative offerings.
"A butcher, family man and rising force in the world of Power Slap, Bordeaux embodies the resilience, grit and work ethic at the core of the Black Buffalo brand. From running a mobile slaughter business in West Michigan to delivering heavy-handed performances in one of the fastest-growing combat sports, Branden brings a blue-collar mentality and unwavering purpose to everything he does," Black Buffalo said in a press release.
As a smokeless tobacco alternative brand, Black Buffalo seeks to deliver the same experience as traditional dip without the tobacco leaf or stem. Created for adult consumers of nicotine or tobacco, Black Buffalo is made from barn-cured leafy greens.
"I was introduced to Black Buffalo because I am a longtime dipper. Amazing company, with amazing products, run by even better people, and that's what means the most to me," Bordeaux said. "I am very honored to be part of the Black Buffalo family and to have such a great team of individuals behind me."
Circana
Circana, a leading advisor on consumer behavior, launched Liquid Mix, a self-service marketing mix platform. The service is an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered self-service platform that addresses long-standing challenges in traditional marketing mix approaches, the company said.
According to Circana, the key benefits of Liquid Mix include:
- Fast: Achieve answers to critical business questions in minutes with Liquid Mix solution — 80% faster than traditional marketing mix models.
- Flexible: Leverage Unify+, an on-demand decision-making platform built for smarter, data-driven strategies. Export insights to PowerPoint or Excel and model performance at sub-brand and channel levels. Adapt as business evolves, revisit models and integrate data for comprehensive analysis.
- Granular: Harness the power of Circana's store-level data and AI to drive business outcomes. Perform advanced historical modeling to uncover insights, confidently simulate future scenarios and fine-tune marketing spend for maximum ROI.
"Marketing mix has always been critical for guiding strategic decisions, but too often, barriers like cost, time and technical complexity have prevented brands from fully realizing its value," said Yeimy Garcia Smith, senior vice president of global measurement at Circana. "Liquid Mix removes those barriers, offering brands an innovative self-service solution.
"Not only is it faster and more accessible, but Liquid Mix remains rooted in Circana's trusted, industry-leading data, ensuring brands never have to compromise on quality and granularity," she continued. "The future of marketing mix is flexible, and with the addition of Liquid Mix to our Circana portfolio, we now offer a faster, more accessible solution tailored to meet the diverse needs of our clients."
The Coca-Cola Co.
Coca-Cola brought back its "Share a Coke" campaign, offering fresh brand experiences and inviting a new generation to experience the magic of personalized connection, the company said.
The first-of-its-kind campaign, which swaps the Coca-Cola logo for personalized names on product packaging, returns with a greater focus on shareability and customization, reflecting Generation Z's desire for authentic experiences.
"In a world dominated by digital interactions, 'Share a Coke' offers a tangible way to celebrate friendships and cross-cultural connections," the company said. "As digital natives, Gen Z welcomes sharing online, and social media can be a real tool to help foster connections. However, these interactions can feel momentary, and the appetite remains for connections that uplift friendships and build lasting memories."
The relaunch looks to empower individuals to share personalized Coca-Cola cans as an expression of appreciation for a friend, loved one or colleague, reminding consumers that all it takes to spark a connection is the simple act of sharing.
Highlights of the relaunch include:
- A robust digital experience, including the Memory Maker, allows consumers to create fun, unique and personalized videos using their own content.
- The Share a Coke Personalization Experience Tour will be making stops in key markets across the country at college campuses, sporting events and music festivals, offering local consumers the chance to personalize their own cans and stickers while sharing unforgettable moments with their squads in real life.
The Hershey Co.
Five major entities — The Hershey Co., Milton Hershey School, Hershey Entertainment & Resorts, The M.S. Hershey Foundation and Hershey Trust Company — are partnering with Dandelion Media to tell the story of its founder and chocolate pioneer Milton Hershey and his wife Catherine. "HERSHEY" began production in May, with a release date expected in 2026.
Directed by Mark Waters, the movie will star Finn Wittrock and Alexandra Daddario as Milton and Catherine Hershey. "HERSHEY" explores the origins of the iconic chocolate empire and the ingredients that have achieved lasting cultural significance.
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The story delves into how a man who failed in business multiple times went on to create a chocolate empire, and chose to channel his success into a legacy of education and community that continues to transform lives today, the company said.
"Milton Hershey's story exemplifies the American Dream," said Michele Buck, president and CEO of The Hershey Co. "This movie will reveal how Milton and Kitty built something far greater than a chocolate company. Their legacy extends beyond sweet treats to education, community and opportunity for thousands. We're proud to support a film that shares the full Hershey story, one of resilience, vision and impact that continues to inspire today."
Krispy Krunchy Chicken
Krispy Krunchy Chicken, one of the fastest growing hot food concepts in the country, is now the Official Fried Chicken of the Boston Red Sox. The fried chicken brand, best known for a national footprint in more than 3,200 convenience stores, will feature its fresh, hand-breaded chicken tenders and crispy chicken sandwich at Fenway Park as the ballpark's official fried chicken offering.
As of opening day on April 4, Krispy Krunchy Chicken joins the Fenway Park menu, adding jumbo chicken tenders and an all-breast meat chicken sandwich to a lineup of other ballpark staples.
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"Introducing Krispy Krunchy Chicken to one of Major League Baseball's most beloved ballparks is a prestigious milestone for our brand," said Jim Norberg, CEO of Krispy Krunchy Chicken. "This partnership reinforces that our fried chicken truly belongs in the major leagues, and we’re proud to call Fenway Park home."
The agreement with the Boston Red Sox marks the first MLB deal for Krispy Krunchy.
"The Boston Red Sox are excited to welcome Krispy Krunchy Chicken as the Official Fried Chicken of the Boston Red Sox," said Troup Parkinson, chief marketing and partnerships officer, Boston Red Sox. "With bold flavors and high quality ingredients, Krispy Krunchy Chicken will elevate the gameday experience for our fans, providing a distinctive new offering to Fenway Park's food lineup that the entire family can enjoy."
NielsenIQ
NielsenIQ (NIQ), a leader in consumer intelligence, acquired Gastrograph AI, a market-leading discovery and inquiry platform for sensory insights.
Gastrograph AI supports some of the largest consumer brands in the world, using predictive AI to develop, test and reformulate products by modeling human sensory perception of flavor, aroma and texture. By integrating Gastrograph AI's sensory database of consumer preferences within NIQ's ecosystem, the company will enable its clients to create ideas, enhance concepts and deliver product formulations to delight consumers, NIQ said.
"Combining Gastrograph AI with NIQ's AI platform will empower the world's most influential consumer packaged goods brands in getting to market faster, with better products, and win share more quickly," said Ramon Melgarejo, president of strategic analytics and insights at NIQ. "In today's environment, understanding what consumers will buy and why, and being able to act on those insights has never been more important."
Gastrograph AI is based New York. It developed one of the first AI solutions designed specifically for predictive product development in the consumer packaged goods (CPG) industry. The Gastrograph AI platform models human sensory perception to understand consumer preferences for multiple demographics and countries, and provides market and formulation insights that drive brand success for CPG clients.
The Ryl Tea Co.
The Ryl Co., the parent company of Ryl Tea, secured $15 million in Series B funding to support additional growth of the beverage brand. This investment will accelerate Ryl Tea's nationwide expansion, enhance marketing efforts and support product innovation.
This round follows a $7.5 million Series A in early 2024, bringing total funding to $30 million in growth equity.
"The Ryl Co. is surging into an exciting phase of hyper-growth and this capital raise will assist us in scaling to new heights, especially as we expand our retail presence and national distribution," said Chairman of The Ryl Co. Leigh Feuerstein. "Under the direction of Founder and CEO Blodin Ukella, the team's deep connection with consumers has set the stage for great success. Blodin is a remarkable leader with a clear vision and indefatigable energy, and we're backing him with unbridled confidence in his ability to fuel Ryl’s expansion."
Ryl Tea is a functional, better-for-you iced tea brand redefining the ready-to-drink tea category with clean ingredients and purposeful wellness benefits, the company stated. Ryl Tea is available in a range of nostalgic iced tea flavors, including Peach, Southern Sweet, Raspberry, Half & Half, Green Citrus and more, offering a health-forward twist on classic favorites.
With this round of funding, Ryl Tea is set to significantly expand its national footprint, increasing distribution to more than 40,000 stores by the end of 2025. Key retail distribution includes major chains like 7-Eleven, Walmart, Kroger, Albertsons, Costco, Publix, HEB, Meijer, and other regional and national retailers.
The Wonderful Co.
The Wonderful Co., owner of the FIJI Water, POM Wonderful and Wonderful Pistachio brands, was named one of Fortune magazine's 100 Best Companies to Work For, moving up six spots from its ranking last year to No. 85.
In compiling its list, Fortune recognized the Wonderful Co.'s positive workplace environment, as well as its unique contributions to the communities where it operates, and where its employees and their families live.
"We could not be prouder that Fortune has once again recognized the dedication and passion of our workforce by naming Wonderful as one of its top workplaces in the U.S.," said Lynda and Stewart Resnick, co-owners and vice-chairman and chairman, respectively, of The Wonderful Co. "The heart of Wonderful is our people. We are grateful that our colleagues across all our businesses take great pride in the work they do to foster a supportive and high-trust environment and strive to give back. Their efforts bring our culture to life, ensuring not just that our businesses succeed but that our workplace thrives, and we leave the world a better place."
In 2024, the Wonderful Co. earned the No. 3 spot on PEOPLE magazine's Companies That Care list and was named one of the Best Places to Work in the Central Valley. It was previously named to Fast Company's 2023 Brands That Matter for providing free, quality health care to its workforce, local students and their families.