The weather is breaking in parts of the U.S., and people are anxious to get outside and meet up. White Claw Hard Seltzer is hoping to capitalize as friends begin to mingle after a year of pandemic lockdowns.
The boozy beverage brand is introducing White Claw Surge, available in blood orange and cranberry flavors, which takes summer sipping to a new level with its 8 percent alcohol content, a 3 percent jump from existing products. John Shea, chief marketing officer at White Claw Hard Seltzer, said the brand was inspired by its consumer base to create the new line of beverages.
"We've got the biggest fanbase, extremely passionate. We don't have to look too far when we're looking for new inspiration on new products," Shea told Cheddar. "They're vocal about it and we've got kind of built-in consumer research just by following social media, so that's where we take our lead."
The brand is also rolling out a line of alcoholic iced teas that will be available in lemon, raspberry, peach, and mango. Those teas, however, will retain the typical 5 percent alcohol content.
With demand for hard seltzer on the rise in the U.S. Shea said the company has already taken steps to make sure there is enough product heading to store shelves by building two "breweries." He said the factories will help the brand remain the leader in the hard seltzer category.
"There's been a big wave into the hard seltzer market. Last year at this time we had about six competitors. Now there's about 170. White Claw's bigger than all of them combined. So our fans have really gotten behind the product and are looking for new innovation, and that's what we're bringing to them," he said.
Shea said the company plans to maintain its position at the top of the hard seltzer category by continuing to listen to its consumers and elevating its offerings with quality products.
"It really starts with the liquid, an amazing, refreshing liquid, and then for White Claw, it's just about pure uncomplicated fun. It's a simple product, light flavors, really refreshing," he noted.
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Meet Corrine Tan, American Girl’s 2022 Girl of the Year. Corrine is the first doll of Chinese descent from the company, debuting in response to a rise in hate crimes against the Asian American community. Jamie Cygielman, president and general manager of American Girl, spoke to Cheddar about the long development of the character. "As the pandemic began we started to see a lot of anti-Asian sentiment across the country," she said. "We sort of blended all of these stories together to create Corinne, an outline for Corinne, and then partnered with the wonderful author Wendy Shang to help tell that story to our fans." Cygielman also touched on linking up with AAPI Youth Rising, donating $25,000 for education efforts.
