PepsiCo's beverage focus in 2020 will include growing the Bolt24 fitness line and reinvigorating Mtn Dew sales, particularly the Mtn Dew Amp Game Fuel energy brand, says CEO Ramon Laguarta. In addition to Gatorade Zero exceeding $500 million in sales since launching last year, he reports the Lifewtr and Propel brands have hit double-digit net revenue growth.

Today's carton packaging is produced using aseptic technology, which enables food and beverage safety for shelf-stable products, without altering taste, says Pedro Goncalves, vice president of US and Canadian marketing for Tetra Pak. He says more recycling programs are including carton packaging, prompting companies to use it for more products, including water.

United Kingdom-based Ugly Drinks, a line of zero-sugar sparkling waters featuring fruit-based essential oils, was unable to launch successfully in the US until CEO Hugh Thomas moved to New York. He explains that understanding the distribution, marketing and regulatory differences required first-hand experience and in-person networking.

Unilever, which owns Lipton, has pledged to cut the amount of new plastic it uses in half by 2025 and to collect and process around 600,000 tons of plastic each year. "It requires us to introduce new and innovative packaging materials and scale up new business models, like re-use and re-fill formats, at an unprecedented speed and intensity," said CEO Alan Jope.

Digital advertising and content recommendation platform Taboola plans to purchase competitor Outbrain, giving the new entity a combined monthly reach of 2 billion people and the intention to take on powerhouses Facebook and Google. ADmantX's Nick Welch cautions that, since neither are "particularly known for their premium or 'quality' headlines," the new company will have to "adapt" to publishers and brands' brand safety sensitivities.

Global ad spending is expected to increase 4.4% this year totaling an estimated $640 billion, with TV capturing the top spot, followed by paid search and social media, reports Publicis Media's Zenith agency. Both TV and social are showing signs of slowing growth and the US accounts for 48% of new ad spend, according to the report.

A growing number of restaurants and retailers are encouraging employees to use their own smartphones at work to access training materials and scheduling apps that make it easier to pick up extra shifts, Tricia Contreras writes. About 57% of millennials said they'd rather use their own phones to access work-related apps, according to a WorkJam survey.

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