ORLANDO – With two game-changing innovations and more on the way, the relationship between Molson Coors Beverage Company and The Coca-Cola Company is thriving.
That was the message representatives from both companies delivered yesterday at Molson Coors’ annual distributor convention in Orlando. The event comes as Molson Coors experiences an historic 2023, in July posting its best quarterly results since the formation of the Molson Coors in 2005.
And flavor, said Chief Commercial Officer Michelle St. Jacques, is the company’s top priority beyond the beer aisle.
“We are winning in flavor,” she said. “Molson Coors was the second-fastest major brewer in flavor, growing more share behind the strength of the Simply Spiked brand. In fact, Simply Spiked Peach was the No. 1 new product in Q2.”
St. Jacques led a panel discussion about Molson Coors’ beyond beer momentum and ambitions, touting the groundwork it’s laid to find success in spirts, innovation, non-alcohol products and with partners, like The Coca-Cola Company.
“We’ve been really proud of the success we’ve had with Coca-Cola, launching Topo Chico Hard Seltzer and Simply Spiked,” said Chief Marketing Officer Sofia Colucci. “Our focus is to make sure we nurture these brands and continue to grow them.”
Molson Coors’ relationship with The Coca-Cola Company kicked off in 2021 with the launch of Topo Chico Hard Seltzer, a collaboration that underscored Molson Coors’ commitment beyond beer. It also provided a path for The Coca-Cola Company to realize its ambitions outside of the non-alc category, said Dan White, the company’s chief of new revenue streams.
“It’s been a wonderful relationship,” he said. “We’re here to grow the business together.”
Over the next year, Molson Coors plans to build on the momentum of Topo Chico Hard Seltzer and the Simply Spiked Brand with refreshed packaging, new campaigns and new flavors across both brands.
Molson Coors and The Coca-Cola Company’s next move is Peace Hard Tea, a fruit-forward hard tea beverage inspired by Peace Tea, which is known for its vibrant flavors and free-spirited branding. The brand is launching and incubating its lineup of flavors in the southeast, where hard teas are popular among legal-age drinkers.
A non-carbonated, 5% alcohol-by-volume beverage, Peace Hard Tea is sold in convenience and retail stores in 24-ounce single cans in three flavors: More Peace More Lemon (lemon-flavored tea), Freedom of Peach (peach-flavored tea), and Really Really Razzy (raspberry-flavored tea).
All the while, White said, The Coca-Cola Company plans to grow with Molson Coors and its distributor network.
“We’re committed to the industry structure as it is today,” he said. “We’ll do it responsibly with the authorized brands we have.”