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Dr. Pepper Snapple Group – Innovation and Balance

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This post is sponsored by Dr Pepper Snapple Group and The Motherhood.

Learning about what goes on behind the scenes at various business is one of the things I have found most interesting about blogging. And last week I had the chance to get a behind the scenes insight at a huge company, which produces a product my family and I use all the time, Dr. Pepper Snapple Group.  I attended a virtual briefing with some of the managers and directors from the Dr. Pepper Snapple group, and it was fascinating!  I learned random fun facts like the fact that only two people know the formula for Dr. Pepper, and that there have been over 250 flavors of Snapple over the years.  I also learned about the company’s commitment to balance and innovation.

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We are big fans of Diet Dr. Pepper at my house, and frequently bring a 12 pack of the soda home from the grocery store. But the company makes much more than that, and in fact they sell more than 50 brands of carbonated soft drinks, teas, juices, mixers and other premium beverages. The company is focused on innovation and balance, and tries to direct their new projects equally in two main areas: Calories In and Calories Out.

Innovation

Half of all innovation projects focused on reducing calories, smaller portions and improved nutrition.  They voluntarily took full-calorie beverages out of schools, which has reduced the calories in beverage shipments to schools by more than 90%. Dr. Pepper Snapple has a number of different lower calorie beverages, from the Diet Dr. Pepper I usually drink, to the newer Dr. Pepper TEN, which offers the taste experience of a regular soft drink, but with only 10 calories.

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Additionally they have received consumer feedback about the desire for products with only natural sweeteners, so they have been testing Naturally Sweetened versions of Dr Pepper, 7UP and Canada Dry, sweetened with a blend of stevia and sugar. Learning all the things that go into testing a new product was interesting!  Products can go through over 40 variations before developers settle on the final best tasting version. Dr. Pepper Snapple employs an expert tasting panel which includes both consumers and flavorists with years of experience to find the best tasting beverages.

The research and development that goes into producing a new beverage is amazing, and includes professionals from all kinds of areas including chemists, nutritionist, process engineers and more. Scaling up from making small batches of a drink to a full production run is an involved process in itself, and part of the reason it takes 2-3 years to launch a new product.

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They are also testing some new flavors and varieties of Schweppes and Canada Dry Sparkling Seltzer waters, which I am going to be looking for.  And there are many low and no calorie options available for Snapple too, including things like diet half & half (half lemonade, half iced tea) and lightly sweetened Snapple white teas.

Commitment to Active Play

Doctor Pepper Snapple launched the Let’s Play initiative in 2011, which was a three year partnership to improve 2,000 playgrounds. This has recently been expanded to help make it possible for kids to get outside and get the active play that they need. Studies show that two-thirds of kids get less than an hour of play a day, and better more accessible playgrounds can help with that. The playgrounds that received funds have been all over the country, from places like Ottumwa, Iowa to Brooklyn, NY.  Many of the playgrounds that have been improved are in areas where the company has an operations base, and employees are encourage to get involved and volunteer. The website www.LetsPlay.com has ideas on how you can add additional playtime to your family schedule, and you can learn how to nominate a playground for a grant!

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Doctor Pepper Snapple is expanding their initiative to provide services for older kids too. Playgrounds are great for younger kids, but older ones want organized sports programs. Unfortunately those can require expensive outlays for equipment and uniforms. This year, DPS made a $1 million commitment to Good Sports, a national non-profit dedicated to helping older children by providing athletic equipment to disadvantaged young people nationwide.

It sounds like there are lots of great things in store from the Dr. Pepper Snapple Group and I can’t wait to see what is next!

anne

Hi, I’m Anne!

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6 thoughts on “Dr. Pepper Snapple Group – Innovation and Balance”

  1. I agree. Learning what goes on behind the scenes is really neat and enlightening. I am glad to learn the Dr Pepper Snapple group has a commitment to helping kids stay active.

    Reply
  2. Diet Dr. Pepper is about the only diet drink that I have found that doesn’t taste drastically different than the full version. So when I want a reduced-calorie drink, that’s my go-to.

    Reply
  3. I agree with what you said about finding it interesting to learn behind the scenes facts about companies. I’ve enjoyed learning more behind the companies I work with. I had no idea all those brands were from the same company. I think it’s cool that only two people know the secret to Dr. Pepper!

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  4. I love what DPS is doing. Everyone knows pop is bad for you. There’s no getting around that. I love that they’re offsetting that with encouraging kids to stay active and helping build places for that activity.

    Reply

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