PepsiCo is accepting proposals for its 2020 North America Greenhouse accelerator program through Jan. 6 from purpose-driven food and beverage startups in the US and Canada. Ten finalists will receive $20,000 and six months to develop products with insight from PepsiCo brands, and the winner earns $100,000 and a possible PepsiCo partnership.

Coca-Cola European Partners seeks to reduce its carbon emissions by working with Einride, an autonomous cargo-delivery startup. Pending government approval, CCEP will ship Coca-Cola products from one of its warehouses to a retail distribution center on Sweden's roadways to test the battery-powered system.

Beverage trends for next year will build on demands for functionality by blending categories, such as fitness with energy and ready-to-drink coffee with nutritional support, reports beverage developer Imbibe. Consumers will seek increasingly exotic flavors, new textures and bright colors as well as more options for decreased sugar content while continuing to pay more for premium products, says Imbibe.

The Public Spaces Recycling Bin Grant Program, supported by Coca-Cola and nonprofit Keep America Beautiful is accepting applications through Dec. 31. The program funded 31 groups in 2019 with winners decided by how well they propose to improve waste and recycling in public spaces.

Nestle is increasing product appeal to people from a variety of backgrounds by creating a culture of diversity and inclusion, writes Oliver McAteer. The company's marketing success is the result of tapping into a diverse talent pipeline at the secondary-education level and developing it in-house, achieving pay equity and promoting flexible schedules, according to an Association of National Advertisers report.

GroupM reports that US ad spend growth this year will rise 6.2% to hit $244 billion and increase by 4% during 2020, with a 7% drop in TV ad investment, which, excluding political advertising, will reach $64.3 billion in 2019. The company projects digital ad spend growth of 20% in 2019 and 13% in 2020, while out-of-home advertising is up 8% this year.

PepsiCo's planned purchase of snack maker BFY Brands was this week's most-clicked food-and-beverage story. Nestle's announcement of new plant-based products from its DiGiorno and Stouffer's brands also caught SmartBrief readers' attention this week, as did General Mills' release of the new Dairy Free Oui line of yogurt and Oreo revealing that the cookie's latest mystery flavor was churro.

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