Zevia

Zevia

Type	LLC
Industry	Carbonated soft drinks
Headquarters	Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Area served	Worldwide
Website	www.zevia.com

Zevia is a Los Angeles-based company^[1] that produces zero-calorie soft drinks sweetened with stevia^[2] and erythritol.^[3] Zevia was founded by Derek Newman, Jessica Newman, and Ian Eisenberg.^[4] Donald Thrasher was the company's initial Chief Operating Officer.^[5] Zevia LLC was originally DrinkZevia LLC, which was based on a merger with Thrasher Beverage Corporation.^[6]

Company history

Zevia was launched in 2007 as an alternative soda for those who want to avoid both added sugars and artificial sweeteners.^[7]

Prior to 2009, Zevia was considered a “carbonated stevia supplement” as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had not yet granted stevia approved status as a food additive. In 2009, once FDA GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) status was given, Zevia became classified and marketed as a soda.^[4] The product also contains no net carbohydrates and no fats.^[8]

By the end of 2008 ACNielsen recorded that Zevia was the fastest growing natural product in the United States in terms of sales.^[9] The company’s 2008 revenue was $925,000,^[10] and the product was available in 850 stores.^[11] In 2010, Zevia reported a 300% increase in same-store sales over 2009.^[12]

The current CEO of Zevia is Paddy Spence, who bought Zevia in 2010 and became both CEO and chairman.^{[2][13][14][15]} Spence attended Harvard College and Harvard Business School.^[16]

In July 2012, Zevia ran billboard ads in support of New York City’s soda ban.^[17] Paddy Spence appeared on CNBC to promote healthier soda alternatives.^[18]

In May 2012, the product was the best-selling soda in Whole Foods.^[2] By July 2013, Zevia was the number 17 zero-calorie or low-calorie soda in mainstream grocery stores, making it the only independent brand in the top 20. By the end of 2013, overall sales were over $60 million, and it was the 14th-best-selling diet soda.^[19][20]

In late 2013, Zevia replaced their previous all stevia and erythritol sweetener with a mix of stevia extract, monk fruit extract, and erythritol, a blend that they call SweetSmart.^[21][22]

As of 2014, Zevia is available in more than 16,000 stores in the United States, including Whole Foods, Target, Kroger, Safeway, Sprouts, and other grocery and natural food stores.^{[23][24][25][2][7][26]} Zevia is also sold in Canada, Australia, Europe,^[27] and Latin America, ^[28]

Zevia has been featured in several national publications, including O: The Oprah Magazine^[29] and the Wall Street Journal.^[30] As of 2014, the company produces fifteen different flavors including, Cola, Cherry-Cola, Dr. Zevia, Ginger ale, Lemon-lime Twist, Grape, Black Cherry, Cream Soda, Orange, Strawberry and Mountain Zevia.^[31]

Ingredients and brand portfolio

Zevia contains stevia provided by Sweet Green Fields’ United States crops.^[32] The soda comes in 15 flavors available in 12 ounce cans.^[33] In April 2013, the company released six of their bestselling flavors in glass bottles including Cola, Cherry Cola, Cream Soda, Ginger Ale, Ginger Root Beer, and Grape.^[34] The branding was designed by Shepard Fairey, who designed the “Hope” posters for the Barack Obama presidential campaign.^[24]

References

External links

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