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Izze (drink)

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Izze
Product typeSparkling juice
OwnerPepsiCo
CountryUnited States
IntroducedFebruary 2002

Izze, stylized IZZE, is an American sparkling juice brand produced by the Izze Beverage Company, which is owned by PepsiCo. The company is based in Boulder, Colorado. It was founded in Boulder in 2002 by Greg Stroh and Todd Woloson, and was purchased by PepsiCo in 2006.

Varieties

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As of 2024, Izze is available in can and bottle forms. In can form, the flavors are: Apple, Blackberry, Cherry Lime, Clementine, Grapefruit, Mango, Peach, Pomegranate, and Strawberry. In bottle form, the flavors are: Blackberry, Cherry Lime, Clementine, Grapefruit, Peach, and Pomegranate.[1] The flavors are sometimes sold in variety packs.[2] The brand is also available as Izze esque, which has less calories; Izze Fortified, which has more vitamins; and Izze Fusions, a mix between sparkling water, sparkling soda, and juice.[3][4][5] Izze Beverage Company also markets the brand as an alcohol mixer.[6]

History

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Izze was created by Greg Stroh and Todd Woloson in Boulder, Colorado, in February 2002. It was inspired by the "Sundance Natural Juice Sparklers" sparkling fruit juice produced by the Stroh Brewery, which was the Stroh family business. Izze was an alternative to the carbonated soft drinks and juices on the market at the time. It grew in popularity through its placement in large retailers like King Soopers, Target, Starbucks, and Whole Foods.[7][8][9][10] Izze was first released in four flavors: Blackberry, Grapefruit, Lemon, and Pear.[3][9] Local bars in Colorado initially showed support to the company by serving the drink mixed with alcohol.[11] Woloson served as the President and CEO of the Izze Beverage Company until its purchase in 2006.[12] In 2005, Izze began being released in 12-packs of 8.4-ounce cans, intended for distribution in schools, which became popular purchases at Target and Tesco stores.[9]

PepsiCo had been in talks to purchase Izze since around March 2005, and the purchase for $75 million[12][13] was announced on September 26, 2006. PepsiCo had been declining in sales, partially because consumers had started moving towards healthier "natural beverage" brands like Izze. PepsiCo chose Izze as it was one of the top "natural beverage" brands in the country. Izze, which had 29 employees at the time, stayed in Colorado, and a Pepsi executive moved to area to help grow the brand. The two companies agreed to maintain Izze's brand as a small company.[14] The brand was put under PepsiCo's Naked Juice division.[10] In 2009, it was reported that Izze was putting much of their marketing efforts into product placement in movies and TV shows, such as the show Grey's Anatomy.[15]

In 2016, PepsiCo was sued in a class action lawsuit that alleged the original Izze brand was deceptively marketed, as it claimed to have "no preservatives" and had "two servings of fruit based on USDA’s 2010 Dietary Guidelines"; the plaintiffs alleged the drinks fit neither of these descriptions.[6] In July 2017, PepsiCo launched Izze Fusions, and promoted the version to teenagers by sponsoring the "Camp Izze" music festival on April 8, which was the start of musician Shawn Mendes' worldwide tour that year.[4][5][16] The company is partnered with Stroh and Woloson's Global Education Fund nonprofit.[12][9]

References

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  1. ^ "Meet Our Flavors – IZZE Sparkling Juice Drink". izze.com. Retrieved 2024-07-31.
  2. ^ Corte, Michael La (2022-12-29). "The 8 best beverages to buy at Costco". Salon. Retrieved 2024-07-31.
  3. ^ a b "IZZE® Brings Back A Summertime Sparkler: Lemon". PR Newswire. May 24, 2012. Retrieved July 30, 2024.
  4. ^ a b PepsiCo. "New IZZE FUSIONS Will Not Be Defined". www.prnewswire.com. Retrieved 2024-07-31.
  5. ^ a b Kell, John. "PepsiCo Debuts Two New Drinks as Part of Its Health Overhaul". Fortune. Retrieved 2024-07-31.
  6. ^ a b "Why PepsiCo and TBWA are staying fuzzy on details in new Izze Fusions push". Campaign Live. March 21, 2017. Retrieved July 31, 2024.
  7. ^ Dolan, Kerry A. "How To Blow $9 Billion: The Fallen Stroh Family". Forbes. Retrieved 2024-07-31.
  8. ^ "Industry vet dances to health tune". The Denver Post. 2008-03-21. Retrieved 2024-07-31.
  9. ^ a b c d "Izze Beverage Co.: Spreading Good Karma | Beverage Industry". www.bevindustry.com. Retrieved 2024-07-31.
  10. ^ a b Dolan, Kerry A. "From Stroh Brewery To Izze Soda And Beyond: One Stroh Family Member's Entrepreneurial Path". Forbes. Retrieved 2024-07-31.
  11. ^ Hamilton, William L. (2004-07-04). "SHAKEN AND STIRRED; Fruity Fizz for Adults". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-07-31.
  12. ^ a b c "IZZE Founder Todd Woloson to Speak at BevNET Live". BevNET.com. 2011-10-06. Retrieved 2024-07-31.
  13. ^ Camera, Daily (2009-08-13). "The Final Word – Oct. 9". Boulder Daily Camera. Retrieved 2024-07-31.
  14. ^ Post, Kimberly S. Johnson | The Denver (2006-09-26). "PepsiCo taking big swig of Izze". The Denver Post. Retrieved 2024-07-31.
  15. ^ Steinberg, Brian (April 1, 2009). "Getting Izze to Izzie on 'Grey's Anatomy'". Ad Age. Retrieved July 30, 2024.
  16. ^ "See Izze's Teen-Focused Product Launch". BizBash. 2017-05-08. Retrieved 2024-07-31.
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