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Vultaggio does have reason to brag: his brand dominated 2005, a year in which Coke and Pepsi fizzled. "Arizona went nuts," says Jeffrey Klineman, editor of Beverage Spectrum magazine, a trade publication. According to Beverage Digest, Arizona topped the retail iced-tea market in 2005, taking a 32.3% market share in supermarkets, convenience stores and drugstores and picking up more business than any other brand. Arizona's annual sales in major retail-distribution channels topped $417 million, according to Information Resources. The company says its total sales, including Wal-Mart and all the hundreds of tiny corner bodegas that sell...
...driving the market, while the once invincible colas have lost their crown. "Carbonated beverages are in serious trouble," says Tom Pirko, president of BevMark, an industry consulting firm. Shipments of soda slipped 0.7% in 2005, says Beverage Digest--the first annual decline in 20 years. Coca-Cola's flagship, Coke Classic, was down 2%; Pepsi-Cola fell 3.2%. And soda is absorbing some of the blame for America's obesity. A study released in early March linked soda to teenage weight gain. Meanwhile, other sweetened drinks have largely escaped criticism and instead are touting their health benefits...
...guys coming around to complicate it?" he asks. Vultaggio says remaining independent lets him move drinks quickly to market. He sees an alluring piece of cobalt-blue glass on the beach, and a few months later, Arizona has a cobalt-blue bottle. Vultaggio has discussed a distribution deal with Coke that would put Arizona in Coke's vending machines. Without the vast distribution networks of Coke and Pepsi, Arizona still lags behind Nestea and Lipton in vending machines and fast-food fountains. Vultaggio says Coke has talked to him about buying out Ferolito's share of Arizona, with Vultaggio still...
Some analysts think that Vultaggio's stubborn streak, especially his rejection of advertising, is hurting him. Pirko, president of BevMark, believes that with soda lagging, Coke and Pepsi will shift some focus to trouncing Arizona. "It's vulnerable," Pirko says of Arizona. "Word of mouth might work when there's little competition, but now the shelves are overloaded, groaning with new products. He who spends is usually he who gets the space." Vultaggio is utterly unmoved. "We've got a winning formula," he says. "What's the sense of changing...
...packaged in a sleek black can--a bizarre combination that promises to keep you up all night while helping your heart. Don't be surprised if Vultaggio finds another hit. "People see something exciting, and they remember it," he says. "Think they remember the first time they had C2 [Coke's low-calorie cola]? I doubt it." Sure, you can take the CEO off the street. But that doesn't mean he can't still hurl some bricks...