<img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5cf0082a11e2050243009513-2400/gettyimages-1129240567.jpg" /><p>Getty<br /><br />LaCroix is facing a new lawsuit.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></p><ul class="summary-list"><li><a href="https://businessinsider.com/category/lacroix">LaCroix</a> is facing a new lawsuit that claims the president of its parent company, National Beverage Corporation, planned to falsely state in April that its sparkling water cans were free of the<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/endocrine-disruptors-dangerous-chemicals-2019-1"> chemical Bisphenol A</a>, commonly known as BPA.</li><li>National Beverage Corporation president Joseph Caporella "had decided to prematurely announce that the LaCroix cans would be BPA-free going forward, months before the true production date, in order to drive positive buzz and awareness for the suffering brand," the lawsuit claims. </li><li>Albert Dejewski, a former LaCroix executive, was fired less than 24 hours after raising concerns about the alleged BPA-free claim, according to the suit.</li><li>LaCroix currently states on its website that its cans are BPA-free.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.</a></li></ul>LaCroix is facing a new lawsuit that claims the president of its parent company, National Beverage Corporation, planned to falsely state in April that its sparkling water cans were free of the chemical <keyword id="125541" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bisphenol-A">Bisphenol A</keyword>, commonly known as BPA.<br /><br />The suit claims that Albert Dejewski, a former LaCroix executive, was wrongfully fired less than 24 hours after raising objections to the alleged BPA proposal in an email to National Beverage Corporation president Joseph Caporella.<br /><br />Caporella allegedly responded to Dejewski's concerns with an emailed threat, then fired him over a phone call on April 11 that cited the BPA issue, according to the lawsuit, which was filed on Thursday in Passaic Superior Court in New Jersey.<br /><br />The lawsuit names Caporella and National Beverage Corporation as defendants. National Beverage Corporation and its attorneys did not respond to requests for comment. Attempts to reach Caporella by phone were unsuccessful. <br /><br /><em><strong>Read more:</strong> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/la-croix-sales-decline-free-fall-2019-5">LaCroix faces a crippling 'free fall' as it turns 'from bad, to worse, to disastrous,' analyst says</a></em><br /><br />Dejewksi, a veteran of Chobani and PepsiCo, was hired by Fort Lauderdale, Florida-based National Beverage Corporation in April 2018 as the vice president of commercial development and engagement for LaCroix, according to the suit. He worked out of his home in New Jersey. <br /><br />The BPA issue arose one year later on April 9, 2019, when Kate Zelenka, consumer insights analyst for National Beverage Corporation, called Dejewski and said that Caporella was planning to falsely claim that LaCroix cans were BPA free, according to the lawsuit. <br /><br />"During the telephone conversation, Zelenka sounded distressed and said that she was upset because Caporella had decided to prematurely announce that the LaCroix cans would be BPA-free going forward, months before the true production date, in order to drive positive buzz and awareness for the suffering brand," the lawsuit states. Zelenka did not respond to a request for comment.The complaint cites text messages exchanged on April 9 between Zelenka and Dejewski, in which Zelenka stated: "Saying we are BPA Free when we are not. This truly feels like an integrity issue now."<br /><br />Dejewski, who planned to address this with Caporella, responded, "Yup, I will clearly communicate that."<br /><br /><em><strong>Read more:</strong> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/lacroix-ingredients-natural-essences-2018-10">LaCroix is facing a lawsuit over the mysterious ingredient that has made it a huge hit - here's what we know about it</a></em><br /><br /><br />At the time, LaCroix was "at a minimum 4-6 months away from being able to replace its cans with ones that were BPA-free," the lawsuit claims.<br /><br />Caporella was informed by "multiple senior executives" and the company's general counsel not to make the announcement, and "knew that making such an announcement would be a false advertisement," according to the lawsuit.<br /><br />On April 10, Dejewski contacted Caporella by email to discuss the BPA issue, "along with other concerns regarding their publicity crisis," the lawsuit states.<br /><br />According to the suit, Caporella responded to Dejewski in an email, writing that he didn't "know how you heard about BPA, but tell your source if they want to stay with the company, what's said in Ft Lauderdale [sic], stays in here!"<br /><br />Caporella fired Dejewski the following day, April 11, during a phone call that included the company's general counsel, according to the suit.<br /><br /><em><strong>Read more:</strong> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/endocrine-disruptors-dangerous-chemicals-2019-1">A toxic-chemicals expert is sounding the alarm about 4 cancer-linked chemicals that could be making us sicker and fatter</a></em><br /><br />The lawsuit is requesting damages due to lost salary and benefits, as well as pain, suffering, emotional distress, and humiliation.<br /><br />LaCroix's website currently claims that "all LaCroix cans are produced without BPA."<br /><br />National Beverage Corporation is already embroiled in a legal battle. <br /><br />A <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/lacroix-ingredients-natural-essences-2018-10">lawsuit</a> last year alleged that LaCroix contains artificial ingredients, contrary to the company's "all-natural" marketing claims. LaCroix has denied the claims in the suit.<br /><br />Following the lawsuit, sales of LaCroix took a nosedive, according to Nielsen data cited by Guggenheim Securities analyst Laurent Grandet. Over a 12-week period ended in May, sales declined 9.4%, according to the Nielsen data. <br /><br /><em>If you work for National Beverage Corporation or LaCroix and have information to share, contact this reporter at hpeterson@businessinsider.com.</em><br /><br />            <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/manuka-honey-new-zealand-why-so-expensive-2019-6">What makes mānuka honey 100 times more expensive than regular honey</a></h3>        <pre style="display: none;">function receiveMessage(event){ console.log(event.data.fullscreen); Android.fullscreen(event.data.fullscreen); }window.addEventListener("message", receiveMessage, false);</pre>        <br />

LaCroix slammed with new lawsuit alleging execs sparred over whether to falsely claim its cans were free of chemicals

<img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5e4ecb852c24b60d3f3a0138-1324/screen shot 2015-10-08 at 15812 pm.png" alt="LaCroix" /><ul class="summary-list"><li>National Beverage Corporation, the parent company of LaCroix, announced that a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/lacroix-ingredients-natural-essences-2018-10">lawsuit challenging its natural ingredient labeling</a> has officially been dropped, and all related claims have been retracted. </li><li>The class-action lawsuit, filed in 2018, alleged that LaCroix used synthetic ingredients including linalool, a cockroach insecticide.</li><li>"This dismissal confirms our promise to demonstrate that these allegations had absolutely no merit and reaffirms that the Company delivers a pure and innocent product," a National Beverage spokesperson said in a statement.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories</a>.</li></ul><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/lacroix-ingredients-natural-essences-2018-10">A lawsuit alleging</a> that LaCroix used ingredients linked to insecticide has been dropped. </p><p>National Beverage Corporation, the parent company of LaCroix, on Wednesday announced "dismissal with prejudice and complete retraction" of <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/lacroix-ingredients-natural-essences-2018-10">allegations challenging the drink's natural ingredient labeling</a>. In the class-action lawsuit filed in 2018, plaintiffs stated that independent tests found traces of artificial ingredients, including a cockroach insecticide called linalool. </p><p>However, Beaumont Costales, the law firm representing the group, officially retracted the claims this week, stating that testing by a third-party laboratory "made no findings that LaCroix contained any artificial ingredients," according to National Beverage's press release. </p><p>"That laboratory has since confirmed in writing and separately under oath that its testing could not, and did not, determine whether the ingredients were 'synthetic' and made no finding as to the source of the ingredients it identified. We do not dispute that those same ingredients can be derived naturally," Beaumont Costales said in a letter attached to the National Beverage press release. </p><p>"This dismissal confirms our promise to demonstrate that these allegations had absolutely no merit and reaffirms that the Company delivers a pure and innocent product," a National Beverage spokesperson said in a statement. "This is a vindication of National Beverage and confirms the assurances we gave to our loyal following of LaCroix consumers, our customers and our shareholders that this lawsuit was baseless."</p><p>National Beverage <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/lacroix-responds-lawsuit-natural-ingredients-2018-10">repeatedly denied the claims</a> over the past two years, vocally defending the company and taking to social media to urge fans to "please stand with us as we defend our beloved LaCroix." In subsequent statements, National Beverage <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/lacroix-slams-lawsuit-calls-itself-a-cult-2018-10">embraced LaCroix's cult status,</a> once writing in a press release "our Cult, our Consumer, our Love and our LaCroix are . . . Genuinely Natural!"</p><p>"We are grateful to our loyal consumers and healthy advocates that continue to anticipate our new and exciting innovations," the National Beverage spokesperson said regarding the retraction.  </p>

A lawsuit challenging LaCroix's claims of natural ingredients has been dismissed

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5616b128bd86ef175c8b5484-1324/screen shot 2015-10-08 at 1.58.12 pm.png" border="0" alt="LaCroix" data-mce-source="LaCroix" /><p class="source"><span>LaCroix</span></p><p class="caption">LaCroix is under fire.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul class="summary-list"><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/lacroix">LaCroix</a> is <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/lacroix-ingredients-natural-essences-2018-10">defending itself against a class-action lawsuit</a> that claims the sparkling-water brand uses artificial ingredients. </li><li>The lawsuit alleges that LaCroix contains the same ingredients used in a cockroach insecticide. However, while that may be true, it doesn't mean that LaCroix is dangerous or uses artificial flavors. </li><li>"Please stand with us as we defend our beloved LaCroix," the brand tweeted on Friday. </li></ul><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/lacroix">LaCroix</a> is defending itself against a class-action lawsuit claiming that the sparkling water brand is not, in fact, all natural. </p><p>"We've heard your comments and want to address all the misleading allegations,"<a href="https://twitter.com/lacroixwater/status/1048360366412058624"> the brand tweeted on Friday. </a>"LaCroix sparkling water is a healthy beverage. All ingredients in LaCroix are natural. Allegations that claim otherwise are false and trouble us much as they trouble you."</p><p>"Please stand with us as we defend our beloved LaCroix," <a href="https://twitter.com/lacroixwater/status/1048360713050308608">the brand said in a follow-up tweet.</a> </p><p>Last week, a class-action lawsuit was filed against LaCroix's parent company, Natural Beverages, claiming that the brand's all-natural claims are false and that its ingredients are actually synthetic.</p><p>"In fact, as the filing states, testing reveals that LaCroix contains a number of artificial ingredients, including linalool, which is used in cockroach insecticide," the law firm Beaumont Costales said in a<span> </span><a href="http://www.crossroadstoday.com/story/39206939/beaumont-costales-files-class-action-lawsuit-against-lacroix-water">statement</a> about the suit. </p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/59b953b59803c523008b55ec-960/13466044101541647606808564264941168756877769n.jpg" border="0" alt="La Croix" data-mce-source="Facebook/La Croix" data-link="https://www.facebook.com/LaCroix/photos" /><p class="source"><span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/LaCroix/photos">Facebook/La Croix</a></span></p><p class="caption">LaCroix.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><div data-bi-ad="" data-force="" data-type="ad" data-adunit="business-insider/desktop/finance/retail/post" data-pagetype="post" data-tag="retail,lacroix,sparkling-water,lawsuits" data-pos="atf" data-authors="kate-taylor" data-views="" data-region="Desktop In Post Ad" data-responsive="[{" browserLimit:00slotSize:300250fluidbrowserLimit:6000slotSize:300250fluidbrowserLimit:12600slotSize:72890fluidlocation:inline="" data-url="lacroix-ingredients-natural-essences-2018-10" data-amazontamsizes="[[300,250],[728,90]]" data-google-query-id="CNSN2P789t0CFc5iAQod2rcFLQ"><p>Natural Beverages has categorically denied all accusations. And, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/lacroix-ingredients-is-it-bad-for-you-2018-10">experts seem to think</a> that the case doesn't have much of a scientific basis. <br /> <br />Beaumont Costales' argument essentially rests on the fact that these ingredients - which can be derived naturally - are also listed by the Food and Drug Administration as synthetic and can be used for some unappetizing purposes, like in insecticides. <a href="https://www.popsci.com/lacroix-lawsuit-natural-synthetic-flavors">Popular Science breaks down</a> why the argument doesn't seem to hold up, noting that none of the ingredients mentioned in the case are considered dangerous.</p><p>"Whether a substance is 'natural' or 'synthetic' should not be a health issue," Roger Clemens, an expert in food and regulatory science at the University of Southern California, told Popular Science. "It's all about safety as assessed by experts in nutrition, food science, food toxicology, and medicine."</p><p>Just because an ingredient is used in insecticides doesn't mean it is poisonous or dangerous. For example, sodium is used to de-ice planes, but it is also featured in many recipes in the form of table salt. </p><p>While it's unlikely they are dangerous, there is still some confusion over what exactly LaCroix means when it refers to "natural essences." <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/lacroix-ingredients-natural-essences-2018-10">Experts say that it is almost certainly condensed vapors</a> produced by heating items such as fruit and vegetable skins or rinds at high temperatures. </p><p>"The flavors are derived from the natural essence oils extracted from the named fruit used in each of our LaCroix flavors. There are no sugars or artificial ingredients contained in, nor added to, these extracted flavors," LaCroix's website states. </p></div>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/vanilla-expensive-stolen-madagascar-2018-9">Why vanilla is so expensive</a></h3>        <div>            <iframe class="bijwplayerclass" data-player="jwplayer" src="https://content.jwplatform.com/players/c7hvV6t0-CEZHWCBG.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" style="margin:0px;" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><script>function receiveMessage(event){ console.log(event.data.fullscreen); Android.fullscreen(event.data.fullscreen); }window.addEventListener("message", receiveMessage, false);</script>        </div>    </div>

'Please stand with us': LaCroix slams 'misleading' lawsuit that links the sparkling water to insecticides

<p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/59b953b59803c523008b55ec-960/13466044101541647606808564264941168756877769n.jpg" border="0" alt="La Croix" data-mce-source="Facebook/La Croix" data-link="https://www.facebook.com/LaCroix/photos"><p class="source"><span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/LaCroix/photos">Facebook/La Croix</a></span></p><p class="caption">LaCroix posted an open letter to customers.</p></img></div><p></p></div></div><ul class="summary-list"><li><a href="https://businessinsider.com/category/lacroix">LaCroix</a> posted an open letter to customers on Monday that stated, <span>"We never have, and never will, make false statements about our products."</span></li><li><span>"LaCroix's reputation has been maligned over the last year by 'buzzworthy' publicity arising from false and intentionally misleading accusations that may take months or years to refute in court," the company said.</span></li><li><span>A <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/lacroix-lawsuit-claims-executives-sparred-over-bpa-free-claims-2019-6">lawsuit</a> filed earlier this month by a former LaCroix executive claimed that the brand's parent company had planned to advertise that its sparkling water cans were free of the chemical Bisphenol A, commonly known as BPA, before the transfer to BPA-free cans was complete.</span></li><li><span>LaCroix's letter also stated that its sparkling water is made with natural, GMO-free ingredients and that its cans are free of BPA-based liners.</span><span></span></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.</a><span></span></li></ul><p>LaCroix posted an open <a href="https://www.facebook.com/LaCroix/posts/10157086534310856?__xts__%5B0%5D=68.ARDPSyvgyHw6Y7xjCkzRkFW2ct6Cz4RD0J0hc4kNSPqnen0mx_thTPcIJWhEnf1eBmGKHbtvqzQyamibNm-8v_Kzcjazoc06Hb3iQrY6jsiV_DKqzLr5NVNzdo36Ihlijpwt5qtoUHKc_mUJst2Rdr34-DOeNLp_VstXvLMxgI3QVbg8orCD8zSYiudss96zuSIXn4WcAfwJvH-pd9dXEnfJPVtv-mT8VNjotzA8u7i8voFtg2aiBkCW9tCiJYlOYqtIFqpu48tJC23NTj9fes9kuowt82j3kFKjOCWVrEHYqRHftLLr_rLXP5MmoHMpglXDqQxYA0hgKJtu1dpA&amp;__tn__=-R">letter</a> to customers this week following lawsuits regarding the ingredients in its sparkling water and cans.&#xa0;</p><p>"LaCroix's reputation has been maligned over the last year by 'buzzworthy' publicity arising from false and intentionally misleading accusations that may take months or years to refute in court," the company said in the letter, which it posted on Monday to its social media accounts. "Because LaCroix's relationship with our fans is something special to us, we are communicating with you today about LaCroix."</p><p>The company said its sparkling water is "made only with flavor ingredients that have been certified as natural" and that all its ingredients are free of genetically modified organisms, or GMOs.&#xa0;</p><p>LaCroix also said it was "among the first brands to obtain cans with BPA-based liners. All LaCroix products are being filled in cans without BPA-based liners."</p><p><span>BPA is a chemical used in the production of some plastics and aluminum containers. The Food and Drug Administration has&#xa0;<a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/expert-answers/bpa/faq-20058331.">said</a>&#xa0;that BPA is safe at the low levels that occur in some foods.</span></p><p><span><em><strong>Read more:</strong><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/lacroix-responds-lawsuit-natural-ingredients-2018-10">&#xa0;'Please stand with us': LaCroix slams 'misleading' lawsuit that links the sparkling water to insecticides</a></em></span></p><p><span>A <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/lacroix-lawsuit-claims-executives-sparred-over-bpa-free-claims-2019-6">lawsuit</a> filed earlier this month by a former LaCroix executive claimed that the brand's parent company, National Beverage Corp., had planned to advertise that its sparkling water cans were free of the chemical Bisphenol A, commonly known as BPA, before the transfer to BPA-free cans was complete.</span></p><p><span>In its letter posted Monday, LaCroix addressed this claim directly, saying: "We never have, and never will, make false statements about our products."</span></p><p>LaCroix is also facing a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/lacroix-ingredients-natural-essences-2018-10">lawsuit</a> that alleged that its sparkling water contained artificial ingredients, contrary to the company's "all-natural" marketing claims. LaCroix has denied the claims in the suit.</p><p>In addition to addressing its ingredients, LaCroix also shared in the letter that it plans to change its product labels to comply with new federal regulations. As part of the changes, the new LaCroix labels will state that the product is Whole30, non-GMO, and produced without a BPA liner, the company said.&#xa0;</p><p>"We recognize that a brand that presents itself as pure, innocent, and healthy has an obligation to its consumers," the letter stated. "We want you to know that we have been faithful to that obligation."</p><div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FLaCroix%2Fposts%2F10157086534310856&amp;width=500" width="500" height="650" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allow="encrypted-media"></iframe></div>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nike-air-jordans-sneaker-culture-basketball-collectible-expensive-2019-6">A pair of Air Jordans can resell for up to $2,000. Here's why these iconic Nike sneakers are so expensive.</a></h3>        <div>            <iframe class="bijwplayerclass" data-player="jwplayer" src="https://content.jwplatform.com/players/3cnhRsdG-CEZHWCBG.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" style="margin:0px;" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><script>function receiveMessage(event){ console.log(event.data.fullscreen); Android.fullscreen(event.data.fullscreen); }window.addEventListener("message", receiveMessage, false);</script>        </div>    </div>

LaCroix says its 'reputation has been maligned' in an open letter to customers following lawsuits about its ingredients

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/59b953b59803c523008b55ec-960/13466044101541647606808564264941168756877769n.jpg" border="0" alt="La Croix" data-mce-source="Facebook/La Croix" data-link="https://www.facebook.com/LaCroix/photos" /><p class="source"><span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/LaCroix/photos">Facebook/La Croix</a></span></p><p class="caption">LaCroix has been facing a class-action lawsuit over its ingredients.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul class="summary-list"><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/lacroix">LaCroix</a> is embracing its cult status in the face of a lawsuit that <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/lacroix-responds-lawsuit-natural-ingredients-2018-10">claims the drink contains artificial ingredients.</a> </li><li>"There is an unspoken phrase within a cult - 'We got each other's back!'" Nick A. Caporella, CEO of LaCroix parent company Natural Beverages, said in a press release on Friday. "Well, there has been a loud cry of support from our LaCroix consumers." </li><li>The press release also contains a confusing explanation of what "natural essences" are and closes with the phrase: "'Patriotism' - If Only We Could Bottle It!" </li></ul><p>LaCroix is embracing its cult status. </p><p>"There is an unspoken phrase within a cult - 'We got each other's back!'" Nick A. Caporella, the CEO of LaCroix parent company Natural Beverages, said in a press release on Friday. </p><p>"Well, there has been a loud cry of support from our LaCroix consumers embracing the brand that they love - Don't hurt our LaCroix!" Caporella continued. </p><p>Last week, a<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/lacroix-ingredients-natural-essences-2018-10"> class-action lawsuit was filed against Natural Beverages,</a> claiming that LaCroix's all-natural claims are false and that its ingredients are actually synthetic.</p><p>"In fact, as the filing states, testing reveals that LaCroix contains a number of artificial ingredients, including linalool, which is used in cockroach insecticide," the law firm Beaumont Costales said in a<span> </span><a href="http://www.crossroadstoday.com/story/39206939/beaumont-costales-files-class-action-lawsuit-against-lacroix-water">statement</a><span> </span>about the suit.</p><p>LaCroix has responded with an emphatic denial of all claims, calling for customers to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/lacroix-responds-lawsuit-natural-ingredients-2018-10">"stand with us as we defend our beloved LaCroix."</a> </p><p>Friday's press release takes things a step further, emphasizing some loyal customers' cultish love for the brand. The press release reads, in part: </p><p style="padding-left: 30px;">"Our Cult, our Consumer, our Love and our LaCroix are . . . Genuinely Natural!</p><p style="padding-left: 30px;">Our Way is Tastefully . . .</p><p style="padding-left: 30px;">Sparkling !!</p><p style="padding-left: 30px;">Innovation should be new - but ours has the 'essence' to refresh and captivate with FIZZ + Fun</p><p style="padding-left: 30px;">"Patriotism" - If Only We Could Bottle It!"</p><p>Experts say that it's <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/lacroix-ingredients-is-it-bad-for-you-2018-10">unlikely that LaCroix contains dangerous ingredients,</a> and that the class-action lawsuit is relying on confusing labeling laws from the FDA.</p><p>However, there is still some confusion over what exactly LaCroix means when it refers to "natural essences" - something the company touches on in Friday's press release, but does little to actually explain. </p><p>"It is extremely rare to pop open the tab and (1) instantly 'smell' toasted meringue; (2) taste a tangy Florida cay Lime; and (3) on the end of the tongue sense a graham cracker flavor," the release reads. "That is exactly what happens when experiencing LaCroix Key Lime . . . so in National Beverage lingo, essence is - FEELINGS and Sensory Effects!" </p><h2>Read LaCroix's press release in all its glory here: </h2><p style="padding-left: 30px;">National Beverage Corp. (NASDAQ:FIZZ) is receiving emotional outcries on behalf of LaCroix.</p><p style="padding-left: 30px;">"There is an unspoken phrase within a cult - 'We got each other's back!' Well, there has been a loud cry of support from our LaCroix consumers embracing the brand that they love - Don't hurt our LaCroix!" repeated Nick A. Caporella, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.</p><p style="padding-left: 30px;">Heartfelt expressions from our cult following:</p><p style="padding-left: 30px;">"LaCroix is taking it on the chin for everyone in the sparkling water and juice industries, but this is not a fair fight. Our LaCroix is made with natural ingredients magnified through love and caring. I get a feeling of inner peace; a feeling that my LaCroix is made with 'Innocent' avowed on it. I love my LaCroix - it is an excellent product - doesn't our Innocent claim mean anything?"</p><p style="padding-left: 30px;">Essence is our picture word that means:</p><p style="padding-left: 30px;">Nose Sensory, Aroma, Tongue Sense, Measured Taste and Mouth Feel . . . How we use and develop each of these 'senses' relative to all of the above is proprietary.</p><p style="padding-left: 30px;">It is extremely rare to pop open the tab and (1) instantly 'smell' toasted meringue; (2) taste a tangy Florida cay Lime; and (3) on the end of the tongue sense a graham cracker flavor. That is exactly what happens when experiencing LaCroix Key Lime . . . so in National Beverage lingo, essence is - FEELINGS and Sensory Effects!</p><p style="padding-left: 30px;">Naturally Essenced means how we accomplish and create these feelings and taste notes (1) (2) (3) during our production process!</p><p style="padding-left: 30px;">All Natural is a technical regulatory criterion that each and every ingredient must adhere to! LaCroix is developed and produced to extremely complex, high standards . . . quite separate and apart from all others!</p><p style="padding-left: 30px;">Some beverage products from other companies that claim to be "sparkling waters" are sweetened or use artificial ingredients that aid in flavor preservation and product consistency. Although other companies may use the word "essence", it is just their way of trying to copy LaCroix. Naturally Essenced is not a marketing ploy, but rather a core product element!</p><p style="padding-left: 30px;">Our marketing, as is the case with all that we do, is centered on profoundness, innovation and creativity. LaCroix has a devoted fan base that is quick to share its LaCroix 'experience' through social media channels. LaCroix continues to expertly innovate and strives to meet changing consumer's demands.</p><p style="padding-left: 30px;">Our Cult, our Consumer, our Love and our LaCroix are . . . Genuinely Natural!</p><p style="padding-left: 30px;">Our Way is Tastefully . . .</p><p style="padding-left: 30px;">Sparkling !!</p><p style="padding-left: 30px;">Innovation should be new - but ours has the 'essence' to refresh and captivate with FIZZ + Fun</p><p style="padding-left: 30px;">"Patriotism" - If Only We Could Bottle It!</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/vanilla-expensive-stolen-madagascar-2018-9">Why vanilla is so expensive</a></h3>        <div>            <iframe class="bijwplayerclass" data-player="jwplayer" src="https://content.jwplatform.com/players/c7hvV6t0-CEZHWCBG.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" style="margin:0px;" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><script>function receiveMessage(event){ console.log(event.data.fullscreen); Android.fullscreen(event.data.fullscreen); }window.addEventListener("message", receiveMessage, false);</script>        </div>    </div>

LaCroix slams insecticide lawsuit in an over-the-top press release that calls itself a 'cult' deserving of 'patriotism'

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/59b953b59803c523008b55ec-960/13466044101541647606808564264941168756877769n.jpg" border="0" alt="La Croix" data-mce-source="Facebook/La Croix" data-link="https://www.facebook.com/LaCroix/photos" /><p class="source"><span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/LaCroix/photos">Facebook/La Croix</a></span></p><p class="caption">LaCroix's ingredients have sparked questions.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul class="summary-list"><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/lacroix">LaCroix</a> is facing a lawsuit that argues the sparkling beverage brand contains artificial ingredients, a claim LaCroix categorically denies. </li><li>However, LaCroix's use of "natural essences" has <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/la-croix-mystery-ingredient-natural-essences-2017-9">sparked questions and confusion for years. </a></li><li>The essences are reportedly concentrated natural chemicals and are safe to drink. </li></ul><p>For years, LaCroix lovers have been faced with a mystery: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/la-croix-mystery-ingredient-natural-essences-2017-9">What are natural essences?</a></p><p>The sparkling-water brand advertises that the "essences" are key to flavoring the zero-calorie drink, with "naturally essenced" appearing on most cans of LaCroix. But with the brand claiming the drink contains no calories or artificial flavors, understanding what the phrase actually means can be confusing.</p><p>A new class-action lawsuit filed against the brand's parent company, Natural Beverages, claims that LaCroix's all-natural claims are false, alleging these natural ingredients are actually synthetic. </p><p>"In fact, as the filing states, testing reveals that LaCroix contains a number of artificial ingredients, including linalool, which is used in cockroach insecticide," the law firm Beaumont Costales said in a <a href="http://www.crossroadstoday.com/story/39206939/beaumont-costales-files-class-action-lawsuit-against-lacroix-water">statement. </a></p><p>Natural Beverages said <a href="http://ir.nationalbeverage.com/static-files/cba3cdf2-3e86-4381-a15e-0218d3c842e2">in a statement</a> that it "categorically denies all allegations." </p><p>"All essences contained in LaCroix are certified by our suppliers to be 100% natural," the statement continues. </p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5616b128bd86ef175c8b5484-1324/screen shot 2015-10-08 at 1.58.12 pm.png" border="0" alt="LaCroix" data-mce-source="LaCroix" /><p class="source"><span>LaCroix</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Beaumont Costales' argument essentially rests on the fact that these ingredients - which can be derived naturally - are also listed by the FDA as synthetic and can be used for some unappetizing purposes, like insecticides. <a href="https://www.popsci.com/lacroix-lawsuit-natural-synthetic-flavors">Popular Science breaks down why the argument doesn't seem to hold up,</a> noting that none of the ingredients mentioned in the case are considered dangerous. </p><p><span>"Whether a substance is 'natural' or 'synthetic' should not be a health issue," Roger Clemens, an expert in food and regulatory <keyword id="41551" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="60" keywordseo="science">science</keyword> at the University of Southern California, told Popular Science. "It's all about safety as assessed by experts in nutrition, food science, food toxicology, and medicine."</span></p><p>So, if LaCroix probably doesn't have any dangerous ingredients, what <em>are </em>natural essences anyway?</p><p><a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/lacroix-fizzy-water-is-everyones-favorite-nobody-knows-whats-in-it-1505313912">The Wall Street Journal dug</a><span> </span>into the phenomenon of these flavors last year. </p><p>"Essence is actually a clear, concentrated natural chemical that's been used for decades in products as varied as gravy, ice pops, coffee, shampoo and even insecticide, according to industry executives and scientists," <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/lacroix-fizzy-water-is-everyones-favorite-nobody-knows-whats-in-it-1505313912">the Journal reported.</a></p><p>Essence is created by heating items such as fruit and vegetable skins, rinds, and remnants at high temperatures, producing vapors. These vapors are condensed and then sold by the barrel.</p><p>LaCroix still hasn't clarified whether the Journal is right, and what exactly these essences are. All its website has to say is: "The flavors are derived from the natural essence oils extracted from the named fruit used in each of our LaCroix flavors. There are no sugars or artificial ingredients contained in, nor added to, these extracted flavors."</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-christian-louboutin-shoes-are-so-expensive-red-bottoms-heels-2018-9">Why Louboutin shoes are so expensive</a></h3>        <div>            <iframe class="bijwplayerclass" data-player="jwplayer" src="https://content.jwplatform.com/players/tUkxjqkX-CEZHWCBG.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" style="margin:0px;" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><script>function receiveMessage(event){ console.log(event.data.fullscreen); Android.fullscreen(event.data.fullscreen); }window.addEventListener("message", receiveMessage, false);</script>        </div>    </div>

LaCroix is facing a lawsuit over the mysterious ingredient that has made it a huge hit - here's what we know about it

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5cf0064911e205426d497984-2400/gettyimages-1129240567.jpg" border="0" alt="LaCroix" data-mce-source="Getty" /><p class="source"><span>Getty</span></p><p class="caption">LaCroix is in a "free fall," according to Guggenheim.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul class="summary-list"><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/lacroix">LaCroix</a> is "effectively in a free fall," with sales declining 9.4% over the last 12 weeks, according to Guggenheim Securities analyst Laurent Grandet. </li><li>"The LaCroix brand has gone from bad, to worse, to disastrous in a relatively short period of time," Grandet wrote.</li><li><span>A <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/lacroix-ingredients-natural-essences-2018-10">lawsuit</a> last year alleged that LaCroix beverages contain artificial ingredients, which runs contrary to the company's "all-natural" marketing claims. LaCroix has denied the claims in the suit. </span></li><li><span><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet"><span>Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.</span></a></span><span></span></li></ul><p>LaCroix is "effectively in a free fall" amid declining sales and rising competition, according to a new research note from Guggenheim Securities.</p><p>"The LaCroix brand has gone from bad, to worse, to disastrous in a relatively short period of time following negative media attention regarding the 'natural' claim of the brand's flavoring ingredients that surfaced in October of last year," a<span>nalyst Laurent Grandet wrote.</span></p><p><span>A lawsuit last year alleged that LaCroix contains artificial ingredients, which is contrary to the company's "all-natural" marketing claims. LaCroix has denied the claims in the suit. </span></p><p><span><em><strong>Read more:</strong> </em><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/lacroix-responds-lawsuit-natural-ingredients-2018-10"><em>'Please stand with us': LaCroix slams 'misleading' lawsuit that links the sparkling water to insecticides</em></a></span></p><p><span>Following the lawsuit, sales of the seltzer - which had previously enjoyed years of <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/lacroix-sales-are-exploding-2016-6">explosive growth</a> - suddenly dropped off a cliff, according to Nielsen data cited by Grandet. </span></p><p><span>Within the last 12 weeks, LaCroix sales have declined 9.4%, according to the Nielsen data. The data also suggests LaCroix is losing customers to other sparkling-water brands, with its market share dropping to 23% from 28% in October.</span></p><p><span>LaCroix is "unlikely to rebound" as some customers have discovered that "LaCroix doesn't have much that distinguishes it from the competition in terms of intellectual property or added value," Grandet wrote.</span><span></span></p><p><span>LaCroix's parent company, National Beverage Corp., did not immediately respond to a request for comment. </span></p><p><span>The company reported in March that profits <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/lacroix-maker-ceo-blames-injustice-for-sales-drop-2019-3">declined</a> nearly 40% to $24.8 million in the most recent quarter, and revenue fell 2.9% to $220.9 million. </span></p><p><em><strong>Read more:</strong> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/lacroix-maker-ceo-blames-injustice-for-sales-drop-2019-3">CEO of LaCroix maker blames 'injustice' for plummeting sales and promises that customers will remain loyal to the 'LaLa feeling' the drink provides</a></em></p><p><span>While the lawsuit appeared to kick off LaCroix's downturn, there are several other factors that are hindering its recovery, Grandet wrote.</span></p><p>"While we think it's true that this event likely catalyzed the brand's deceleration, we also think it's only part of the story - and ultimately not the reason the brand hasn't been able to subsequently recover," Grandet wrote.</p><p>LaCroix is facing growing competition from PepsiCo, Nestle, and Coca-Cola, as well as from private-label seltzers that tend to have an edge over LaCroix on pricing, he said.</p><p>Other barriers to LaCroix's recovery include "the lack of meaningful innovation to offset core declines and bring new news to consumers, and inexperience managing a rapidly growing brand, made worse by ongoing missteps in public messaging and crisis resolution."</p><p>He continued: "As a result, we think it's unlikely that LaCroix can recover to any meaningful degree while<br />in the hands of National Beverage (or in the absence of a strong distribution partner)."</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/benihana-founder-rocky-aoki-japanese-cuisine-teppanyaki-america-2019-5">How Steve Aoki's wrestler dad turned Benihana into a multimillion-dollar empire</a></h3>        <div>            <iframe class="bijwplayerclass" data-player="jwplayer" src="https://content.jwplatform.com/players/3U5Kb3Yg-CEZHWCBG.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" style="margin:0px;" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><script>function receiveMessage(event){ console.log(event.data.fullscreen); Android.fullscreen(event.data.fullscreen); }window.addEventListener("message", receiveMessage, false);</script>        </div>    </div>

LaCroix faces a crippling 'free fall' as it turns from 'bad, to worse, to disastrous,' analyst says

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/59b953b59803c523008b55ec-960/13466044101541647606808564264941168756877769n.jpg" border="0" alt="La Croix" data-mce-source="Facebook/La Croix" data-link="https://www.facebook.com/LaCroix/photos" /><p class="source"><span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/LaCroix/photos">Facebook/La Croix</a></span></p><p class="caption">LaCroix has switched to BPA-free cans.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul class="summary-list"><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/national-beverage-corp" target="_blank" rel="noopener">National Beverage Corp.</a> said in response to a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/lacroix-lawsuit-claims-executives-sparred-over-bpa-free-claims-2019-6">new lawsuit</a> last week that all <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/lacroix">LaCroix</a> cans are produced without BPA liners as of April 2019.</li><li>Cans produced prior to April that contain BPA-based liners may still remain on store shelves, however.</li><li>"Our customers' inventory stocking and rotational practices are varied," the company told Business Insider, when asked whether all cans now available for purchase are without BPA.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.</a></li></ul><p>National Beverage Corp. revealed last week in response to a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/lacroix-lawsuit-claims-executives-sparred-over-bpa-free-claims-2019-6">new lawsuit</a> that all its LaCroix cans are now produced without the chemical Bisphenol A, commonly known as BPA. </p><p>This doesn't mean all LaCroix cans available on store shelves are BPA-free - yet.</p><p>Here's why: National Beverage said its production facilities switched to 100% BPA-free can liners in April. Some retailers and other distributors may still have LaCroix cans in stock that were produced prior to April and have BPA-based liners.</p><p>"Our customers' inventory stocking and rotational practices are varied," National Beverage told Business Insider, when asked whether all cans now available for purchase are without BPA. "However, we can confirm all LaCroix produced in our facilities are in cans without BPA liners."</p><p>The company, which began converting to BPA-free liners two years ago, did not respond to questions regarding a timeline for completion.</p><p><em><strong>Read more:</strong> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/lacroix-lawsuit-claims-executives-sparred-over-bpa-free-claims-2019-6">LaCroix slammed with new lawsuit alleging execs sparred over whether to falsely claim its cans were free of BPA</a></em></p><p style="font-weight: 400;">The shift away from BPA has the potential to boost brand sentiment among consumers who pay close attention to the ingredients in their food and packaging.</p><p style="font-weight: 400;">But it probably won't have any significant impact on sales, since many people don't know what BPA is, Guggenheim Securities analyst Laurent Grandet told Business Insider.</p><p>BPA is a chemical used in the production of some plastics and aluminum containers, according to the FDA.</p><p>"In cans, BPA-based liners form a barrier between the food and the can surface that prevents corrosion of the can and migration of metal into the food," the FDA states on its website. "People are exposed to low levels of BPA because very small amounts may migrate from the food packaging into foods or beverages."</p><p style="font-weight: 400;"><em><strong>Read more:</strong><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/lacroix-responds-lawsuit-natural-ingredients-2018-10"><span> </span>'Please stand with us': LaCroix slams 'misleading' lawsuit that links the sparkling water to insecticides</a></em></p><p style="font-weight: 400;"><span>The FDA has said that BPA is safe to consume at those low levels. In recent years, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/endocrine-disruptors-dangerous-chemicals-2019-1">some studies have raised concerns about the health effects of BPA</a> and consumers are now paying more attention to its use. </span></p><p style="font-weight: 400;"><span>"Some exploratory scientific studies have appeared in the public literature that have raised questions about the safety of ingesting the low levels of BPA that can migrate into food from food contact materials," the FDA website states. "To address these questions the National Toxicology Program (NTP), partnering with FDA's National Center for Toxicological Research, has been carrying out in-depth studies to answer key questions and clarify uncertainties about BPA."</span></p><p style="font-weight: 400;"><span>As awareness of BPA has grown, many companies have decided to voluntarily remove it from their packaging. </span></p><h2 style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>LaCroix faces stiff competition, but still wins with millennials, analyst says </strong></h2><p>LaCroix is under growing pressure from rising competition in the sparkling water category.</p><p>Sales of LaCroix <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/la-croix-sales-decline-free-fall-2019-5">declined 9.4% over a 12-week period</a> ended in May, according to Nielsen data. The data also suggests LaCroix is losing customers to other sparkling-water brands, with its market share dropping to 23% from 28% in October.</p><p>But with the right innovations, LaCroix could return to growth, according to Grandet, the Guggenheim Securities analyst.</p><p style="font-weight: 400;"><span>"The </span>brand still resonates with millennials. It's still a strong brand," Grandet said, noting that until recently LaCroix enjoyed years of explosive growth.</p><p style="font-weight: 400;">"The major threat to their growth is really competition," he said.</p><p style="font-weight: 400;"><span>LaCroix is facing stiff competition from PepsiCo, Nestle, and Coca-Cola, as well as from private-label seltzers, such as Spindrift, he said. </span></p><p style="font-weight: 400;">He said LaCroix should experiment with premium packaging - such as glass bottles - for restaurants. He also said the company should consider replacing the filtered water in its recipe with spring water.</p><p style="font-weight: 400;">"The issue with sparkling flavored water is that everyone can do it," Grandet said. "The [LaCroix] brand is still cool and appealing for consumers... but they need to find a point of differentiation that they don't have right now."</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-krispy-kreme-doughnuts-are-made-2018-2">A single Krispy Kreme in Southern California makes 50,000 doughnuts a day - here's how</a></h3>        <div>            <iframe class="bijwplayerclass" data-player="jwplayer" src="https://content.jwplatform.com/players/zCN9uXEt-CEZHWCBG.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" style="margin:0px;" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><script>function receiveMessage(event){ console.log(event.data.fullscreen); Android.fullscreen(event.data.fullscreen); }window.addEventListener("message", receiveMessage, false);</script>        </div>    </div>

LaCroix went BPA-free in April, but some stores may still be selling older cans that contain the chemical

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5d1cd916a17d6c3b2a53fde8-1792/hampton jitney.jpg" border="0" alt="Hampton Jitney" data-mce-source="LaCroix" /><p class="source"><span>LaCroix</span></p><p class="caption">A display ad campaign by LaCroix.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul class="summary-list"><li>LaCroix's sales and stock price nosedived after a 2018 lawsuit alleged that the bubbly water contains artificial ingredients.</li><li>But LaCroix's problems were exacerbated by increased competition, poor leadership moves, and outmoded marketing, according to brand experts.</li><li>LaCroix's <a href="https://digiday.com/marketing/the-lacroix-guide-micro-influencers/">unconventional marketing strategy</a> and<span> neon-colored cans helped fuel its ascent. But it's time for a new marketing approach, experts say.</span></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/prime?module=article&amp;area=summary">Click here for more BI Prime stories.</a></li></ul><p>Once the epitome of an it-brand, sparkling water LaCroix has fallen flat in recent months.</p><p>LaCroix became the beverage of choice of woke fitness buffs and Silicon Valley bros alike. But the brand has taken a hit in recent months, with sales nosediving, competition ramping up, and a 2018 lawsuit alleging that LaCroix contains artificial ingredients, contrary to its claims of being natural. </p><p><em><strong>Read More:</strong> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/la-croix-sales-decline-free-fall-2019-5">LaCroix faces a crippling 'free fall' as it turns 'from bad, to worse, to disastrous,' analyst says</a></em></p><p>"LaCroix enjoyed an extended honeymoon for years, but other than some retro branding and interesting flavor combinations, consumers have woken up to the fact that it may not be all that," said Chris Allieri, founder and principal of the public relations firm Mulberry &amp; Astor.</p><p>Business Insider asked LaCroix's parent company National Beverage Corp. for comment. A spokesperson pointed toward ongoing marketing efforts but did not directly comment on criticism of its strategy.</p><h2><strong>LaCroix has turned 'from bad to worse to disastrous' </strong></h2><p>Started in 1981, LaCroix was a sleepy regional brand until it burst into the national spotlight around 2011 with a relaunch emphasizing its natural ingredients. Its neon-colored packaging, relatively affordable price and widespread distribution popularized it around the country.</p><p>Then in October came a whistleblower class action lawsuit alleging that LaCroix contained several synthetic compounds and misled customers into thinking it was 100% natural.</p><p>The company has refuted the allegations. Nevertheless, its sales and stock have since fallen. National Beverage Corp. last week reported its second straight quarter of year-over-year sales declines. Its stock price has plummeted 62.5% since September 2018.</p><p>"The LaCroix brand has gone from bad to worse to disastrous in a relatively short period of time following negative media attention regarding the 'natural' claim of the brand's flavoring ingredients that surfaced in October of last year," Laurent Grandet, analyst at financial services company Guggenheim Partners, wrote in May, calling the brand "effectively in a free fall."</p><h2><strong>The brand also faces stiff competition</strong></h2><p>LaCroix still maintains the largest market share in the sparkling water category, but companies like Spindrift and Perrier and deep-pocketed rivals like PepsiCo.'s Bubly and Coca-Cola's Smartwater are starting to eat into its share, according to Guggenheim.</p><p>People are seeking out new options like CBD- and caffeine-infused flavored waters, and LaCroix has mainly stayed with flavored bubbly water, said Deb Gabor, CEO of Sol Marketing.</p><p>Matt Rizzetta, CEO of brand communications firm North 6th Agency, called it a "missed opportunity."</p><p>"They got complacent and didn't pivot or adjust as the landscape became competitive," said Rizzetta. "They had a golden opportunity, but they never made a concerted effort to capitalize on it."</p><h2>LaCroix's organic approach to marketing only took it so far<span></span></h2><p>LaCroix bypassed traditional channels like TV in favor of word-of-mouth and participatory social media campaigns on channels like Instagram that played into the <a href="http://www.wsj.com/articles/lacroix-bubbles-up-in-sparkling-water-brand-competition-1460047940"><span>millennial desire for authenticity and discovery.</span></a></p><p>But its  <a href="https://digiday.com/marketing/the-lacroix-guide-micro-influencers/">unconventional marketing strategy</a> <span>and neon-colored cans only took it so far. </span>The competition heated up and social media platforms pulled back on the organic reach that brands could get, say experts.</p><p>"A disruptor brand can absolutely stick to social media, guerrilla-type marketing," said Mulberry + Astor's Allieri. "But when you're coming up against a PepsiCo, who's putting hundreds of millions of dollars, you can't avoid paid marketing. All of that organic, earned media, and PR was not going to go on forever."</p><p>LaCroix spent a mere $626,000 on platforms on traditional media in 2018, while Pepsi's Bubly shelled out nearly $27 million the same year, according to Kantar Media, followed with a Super Bowl spot featuring Michael Bublé this year. </p><h2>The leadership response hasn't helped </h2><p>Branding experts said the company's leadership failed to show empathy and take responsibility.</p><p>National Beverage Corp. chairman and CEO Nick Caporella blamed the financial slump on unjust smear campaigns and compared the dented brand to people with disabilities, saying that "managing a brand is not so different from caring for someone who becomes handicapped."</p><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/lacroix-lawsuit-claims-executives-sparred-over-bpa-free-claims-2019-6">As Business Insider reported</a>, the company is also facing a new lawsuit that claims that National Beverage Corp. president Joseph Caporella planned to prematurely and falsely state in April that its sparkling water cans were free of the chemical BPA.</p><p>"People want EQ over IQ, and empathy over excuses - and that reaction itself signals poor leadership," said N6A's Rizzetta. "Hubris and arrogance is usually what gets brands from the grey area to the dead zone in the middle of a crisis."</p><p>"Instead of addressing the health and safety concerns head-on, the leadership has been more dishonest and inauthentic," said Gabor. "The CEO asking for a free pass and absolving himself of responsibility is a big cop-out."</p><h2>Social media still fuels LaCroix's marketing</h2><p>The company is still eschewing "traditional higher-cost national <keyword id="35666" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="advertising">advertising</keyword>" in favor of social media platforms, regionally-focused marketing programs, and in-store placement, according to its <a href="http://ir.nationalbeverage.com/sec-filings/sec-filing/10-k/0001437749-19-012816">most recent annual report.</a>  </p><p>This summer, for example, it's running ads on buses and in grocery stores, giving away samples, sponsoring regional festivals, running podcast ads, and hosting social media giveaways tied to the hashtag #LiveLaCroix, a National Beverage Corp. spokeswoman told Business Insider.</p><p>There is no quick fix for LaCroix's brand problems, but shaking up its marketing can be a good first start, experts said.</p><p>"A solid mix of marketing could help them move forward, but they have to move quickly," said Allieri. "They probably don't have the budget for a big TV ad spend, so they will need think outside the box. They could get behind a cause in a big way, and that might earn the trust of consumers."</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/animated-map-where-american-accents-come-from-2018-5">Animated map shows where American accents came from</a></h3>        <div>            <iframe class="bijwplayerclass" data-player="jwplayer" src="https://content.jwplatform.com/players/P3AiyhHD-CEZHWCBG.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" style="margin:0px;" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><script>function receiveMessage(event){ console.log(event.data.fullscreen); Android.fullscreen(event.data.fullscreen); }window.addEventListener("message", receiveMessage, false);</script>        </div>    </div>

LaCroix's retro branding and word-of-mouth marketing catapulted it to the top. But it also exacerbated the crisis it faces today, experts say.

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5616b128bd86ef175c8b5484-1324/screen shot 2015-10-08 at 1.58.12 pm.png" border="0" alt="LaCroix" data-mce-source="LaCroix" /><p class="source"><span>LaCroix</span></p><p class="caption">LaCroix had a rough quarter.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul class="summary-list"><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/lacroix">The CEO of LaCroix's parent company</a> offered a bizarre apology on Thursday after sales plummeted in the most recent quarter. </li><li>"Negligence nor mismanagement nor woeful acts of God were not the reasons - much of this was the result of injustice!" National Beverage Company CEO Nick A. Caporella said in a press release. </li><li>Caporella also compared managing LaCroix's brand to "caring for someone who becomes handicapped," but promised that customers would remain loyal to the "LaLa feeling" of loving the drink. </li></ul><p>LaCroix's parent company is issuing an unorthodox apology after a rough quarter. </p><p>On Thursday, parent company Natural Beverage Company reported net revenues of $24.8 million in the most recent quarter, a significant drop from the $41.1 million it reported in the same quarter in 2018. <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/stocks/fizz-stock">Shares had dropped</a> by more than 13% by Thursday at 6:19 p.m. ET, after the market closed. </p><p>"We are truly sorry for these results stated above," CEO Nick A. Caporella said in a press release. "Negligence nor mismanagement nor woeful acts of God were not the reasons - much of this was the result of injustice!"</p><p>"Managing a brand is not so different from caring for someone who becomes handicapped," he continued. "Brands do not see or hear, so they are at the mercy of their owners or care providers who must preserve the dignity and special character that the brand exemplifies." </p><p>Caporella's comments seem to be a reference to a class-action lawsuit that was filed against Natural Beverage in October, which said that LaCroix's all-natural claims are false and that its ingredients are actually synthetic. LaCroix responded with an emphatic denial of all claims, calling for customers to<span> </span><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/lacroix-responds-lawsuit-natural-ingredients-2018-10">"stand with us as we defend our beloved LaCroix."</a></p><p><em><strong>Read more:</strong> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/lacroix-responds-lawsuit-natural-ingredients-2018-10">'Please stand with us': LaCroix slams 'misleading' lawsuit that links the sparkling water to insecticides</a></em></p><p>LaCroix sales declined by volume in the quarter. Caporella said that Natural Beverage's revenue was additionally hit by a new tax act. </p><p>"No doubt, the sound and personality of the word LaCroix, coupled with the awesome experience of its essence and taste ... is unique," Caporella said in the statement. "One can be induced to purchase by cheapening price or giving away a product, but falling in love with a feeling of joy is the result of contentment."</p><p>He continued: "Just ask any LaCroix consumer ... Would you trade away that LaLa feeling? 'No way, they shout - We just love our LaCroix!'" </p><p>Caporella has a history of some atypical executive remarks. In October, Natural Beverage released a press release <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/lacroix-slams-lawsuit-calls-itself-a-cult-2018-10">calling itself a "cult."</a> </p><h2>Here is Caporella's full statement:</h2><p style="padding-left: 40px;">"We are truly sorry for these results stated above. Negligence nor mismanagement nor woeful acts of God were not the reasons - much of this was the result of injustice! Managing a brand is not so different from caring for someone who becomes handicapped. Brands do not see or hear, so they are at the mercy of their owners or care providers who must preserve the dignity and special character that the brand exemplifies. It is important that LaCroix's true character is not devalued intentionally − in any way. National Beverage Corp. is and will remain the preeminent innovator that adds zest and authenticity to the 'sparkling water' phenomenon in North America.</p><p style="padding-left: 40px;">Additionally, gross margins were impacted by volume declines. Comparisons were further skewed by the adoption of the new tax act in the third quarter of the prior year, which included credits and rate reduction adjustments aggregating $11.3 million. Nothing herein mentioned has detracted from the ultimate value and future of our dynamic company.</p><p style="padding-left: 40px;">There is no greater passion than the kind that creates the wonderful refreshment and contentment described as unique! No doubt, the sound and personality of the word LaCroix, coupled with the awesome experience of its essence and taste ... is unique. One can be induced to purchase by cheapening price or giving away a product, but falling in love with a feeling of joy is the result of contentment. Just ask any LaCroix consumer ... Would you trade away that LaLa feeling? 'No way, they shout - We just love our LaCroix!' I am positive they respond this way each and every time."</p><p class="tagline"><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/intelligence/future-of-retail-ai?IR=T&amp;utm_source=businessinsider&amp;utm_medium=ctgr&amp;utm_term=ctgr_leadgen&amp;utm_content=ecommerce_ctgr_leadgen&amp;utm_campaign=ecommerce_ctgr_leadgen_future-of-retail-ai"><img src="https://static.businessinsider.com/image/5bd9f37e5f1f7538f668523b" alt="Exclusive FREE Slide Deck: Future of Retail:AI by Business Insider Intelligence" border="0" style="width: 100% !important" /></a></p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mcdonalds-donut-sticks-fries-fast-food-breakfast-taste-2019-2">McDonald's just added 'Donut Sticks' to its breakfast menu - here's our verdict</a></h3>        <div>            <iframe class="bijwplayerclass" data-player="jwplayer" src="https://content.jwplatform.com/players/ryiVNeZl-CEZHWCBG.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" style="margin:0px;" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><script>function receiveMessage(event){ console.log(event.data.fullscreen); Android.fullscreen(event.data.fullscreen); }window.addEventListener("message", receiveMessage, false);</script>        </div>    </div>

CEO of LaCroix maker blames 'injustice' for plummeting sales and promises that customers will remain loyal to the 'LaLa feeling' the drink provides

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5d00d9756fc92046fa3b7a74-2400/2019-06-12t103212z339110816rc155327e370rtrmadp3hongkong-extradition.jpg" border="0" alt="Hong Kong protests" data-mce-source="Reuters/Thomas Peter" data-mce-caption="Police officers are seen during a demonstration against a proposed extradition bill in Hong Kong, China." /><p class="source"><span>Reuters/Thomas Peter</span></p><p class="caption">Police officers are seen during a demonstration against a proposed extradition bill in Hong Kong, China.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Here is what you need to know. </p><ol><li><strong><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mass-protests-continued-hong-kong-over-china-extradition-bill-debate-2019-6">Hong Kong police clash with </a></strong><strong><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mass-protests-continued-hong-kong-over-china-extradition-bill-debate-2019-6">protestors</a>.</strong> Police on Wednesday used tear gas to disperse Hong Kongers rallying against a controversial extradition bill that would give China more power over the territory.</li><li><strong style="color: #222222;"><a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/trump-admits-holding-up-china-trade-deal-nightmare-scenario-2019-6-1028272465">Trump says he is the one who's now holding up a trade deal with China</a>. </strong><span style="color: #222222;">"China wants to make a deal very badly," President Donald Trump told reporters outside the White House on Tuesday. "It is me right now that is holding up the deal. And we're going to either do a great deal with China or we're not going to do a deal."</span></li><li><strong><span style="color: #222222;"><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/makan-delrahim-doj-no-need-new-antirust-laws-big-tech-2019-6">A top DOJ official says the department has everything it needs to go after big tech</a>. </span></strong><span style="color: #222222;">"We already have in our possession the tools we need to enforce the antitrust laws in cases involving digital technologies," Makan Delharim, the top antitrust official in the Justice Department, said in the speech on Tuesday, according to CNBC. "US antitrust law is flexible enough to be applied to markets old and new."</span></li><li><strong><span style="color: #222222;"><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trade-war-bear-case-recession-stock-impact-earnings-growth-trough-2019-6">Morgan Stanley updates its bear case for the trade war</a>. </span></strong><span style="color: #222222;">Strategists at Morgan Stanley say in a worst-case scenario the trade war could cause the stock market could fall 16% over the next six-to-12 months. </span></li><li><strong style="color: #222222;"><a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/beyond-meat-stock-price-plunges-jpmorgan-downgrade-2019-6-1028269825">Beyond Meat crashes after getting downgraded at JPMorgan</a>. </strong><span style="color: #222222;">Shares of the plant-based burger maker crashed 25% on Tuesday after JPMorgan said Beyond Meat is "Beyond Our Price Target." The stock is still up more than 404% since the May 1 pricing of its initial public offering.</span></li><li><strong><span style="color: #222222;"><a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/lacroix-owner-national-beverage-stock-price-new-lawsuit-2019-6-1028271289">The maker of LaCroix tumbles after a lawsuit alleges it made false claims about chemicals in its cans</a>. </span></strong><span style="color: #222222;">Shares fell by as much as 10.5% on Tuesday after a former employee filed a lawsuit alleging the president of National Beverage planned to say LaCroix's cans were free of the toxic chemical Bisphenol A. </span></li><li><span style="color: #222222;"><strong><a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/lovesac-stock-warning-trump-china-tariffs-will-hit-profits-2019-6-1028271041">Lovesac warns Trump's tariffs will hit profits</a>.</strong> The maker of Sactionals and Sacs said on Tuesday that Trump's tariffs on Chinese goods causeed gross margins to shrink by 3.4 percentage points and warned of a similar decline in the current quarter. The company also said it is planning to move production out of China in the next 18 months. </span></li><li><strong style="color: #222222;"><a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/indices">Stock markets around the world are lower</a>. </strong><span style="color: #222222;">Hong Kong's Hang Seng (-1.73%) led the losses in Asia and Britain's FTSE (-0.64%) trails in Europe. The S&amp;P 500 is set to open down 0.34% near 2,876.</span></li><li><strong style="color: #222222;"><a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/earnings-calendar">Earnings reports trickle out</a>. </strong><span style="color: #222222;">Lululemon and RH report after the closing bell.</span></li><li><strong style="color: #222222;"><a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/economic-calendar#date=06/12/2019&amp;name=&amp;countries=us&amp;eventtypes=&amp;tab=1,2,3">US economic data is light</a>. </strong><span style="color: #222222;">CPI will be released at 8:30 a.m. ET. The US 10-year yield is down 2.3 basis points at 2.12%. </span></li></ol>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-k2-harder-climb-mt-everest-2017-9">Mount Everest is not the hardest mountain to climb - here's what makes K2 so much worse</a></h3>        <div>            <iframe class="bijwplayerclass" data-player="jwplayer" src="https://content.jwplatform.com/players/S7YhmOnB-CEZHWCBG.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" style="margin:0px;" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><script>function receiveMessage(event){ console.log(event.data.fullscreen); Android.fullscreen(event.data.fullscreen); }window.addEventListener("message", receiveMessage, false);</script>        </div>    </div>

10 things you need to know before the opening bell

<img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5e4eeb400438952ddf50c733-2220/white castle valentines day-37.jpg" alt="White Castle Valentines Day 37" /><p class="source"><span>Irene Jiang/Business Insider</span></p><p class="caption">Irene celebrated Valentine's Day at White Castle and saw why so many people love to do it.</p><p>Hello!</p><p>Happy Friday and welcome to another spectacular edition of The Drive-Thru, Business Insider's weekly roundup of the biggest stories in restaurants and retail.</p><p>If you haven't <a href="https://newsletter.businessinsider.com/click/19254785.1104/aHR0cDovL25ld3NsZXR0ZXIuYnVzaW5lc3NpbnNpZGVyLmNvbS9qb2luLzRucC9kcml2ZXRocnU_bnJfZW1haWxfcmVmZXJlcj0xJnV0bV9zb3VyY2U9U2FpbHRocnUmdXRtX21lZGl1bT1lbWFpbCZ1dG1fY29udGVudD1Ecml2ZVRocnU/5d978191ecf12a264074f7bdBfbd82cac" target="_blank" rel="noopener">subscribed</a> to The Drive-Thru yet, let me advise you to make like Nike and Just Do It<em>. </em><a href="https://newsletter.businessinsider.com/click/19254785.1104/aHR0cDovL25ld3NsZXR0ZXIuYnVzaW5lc3NpbnNpZGVyLmNvbS9qb2luLzRucC9kcml2ZXRocnU_bnJfZW1haWxfcmVmZXJlcj0xJnV0bV9zb3VyY2U9U2FpbHRocnUmdXRtX21lZGl1bT1lbWFpbCZ1dG1fY29udGVudD1Ecml2ZVRocnU/5d978191ecf12a264074f7bdBfbd82cac" target="_blank" rel="noopener">(Sign up here!)</a></p><p>Also, if we haven't yet met, I'm Shoshy Ciment, a junior reporter here at BI, where my coverage mostly focuses on sneakers. Next week I'm heading out to eTail West in Palm Springs, California, where I'll be leading a fireside chat with Adam and Ryan Goldston, the twin brothers who founded shoe company Athletic Propulsion Labs out of their dorm room. </p><p>Stay tuned for some of my coverage from the conference next week. For now, here's everything that happened in the retail world this week.</p><h2>Victoria's Secret gets a new owner and its CEO steps down</h2><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5ae9e6c919ee8624008b47cd-889/vs angels.jpg" alt="victorias secret angels" /><p class="source"><span><a href="http://www.gettyimages.com/license/626982582">Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images</a></span></p><p>L Brands, the parent company of Victoria's Secret, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/l-brands-ceo-steps-down-company-sells-majority-share-in-victorias-secret-2020-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> Thursday that private-equity firm Sycamore Partners would acquire a 55% stake in Victoria's Secret in a deal that valued the brand at $1.1 billion.</p><p>Les Wexner, CEO and chairman of L Brands, will step down after nearly six decades with the company. </p><p>An interesting side effect: The L Brands-owned Bath &amp; Body Works will become a standalone company. </p><p>After the sale was announced, the co-CEO of Victoria's Secret rival ThirdLove said the news was a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/victorias-secret-sale-thirdlove-ceo-comments-2020-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">"positive step"</a> for the industry.</p><p><strong>Big picture:</strong> Victoria's Secret has been struggling for months as it loses <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/victorias-secret-downward-spiral-explained-2018-11">relevance among shoppers</a> and controversial <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/victorias-secret-addresses-plus-size-problem-interview-2018-11" target="_blank" rel="noopener">executives</a> cause issues at the head of the company. Now, at least one analyst <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/victorias-secret-new-owner-sycamore-partners-plans-for-store-2020-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">expects</a> the company's new owner to reimagine the product line to ditch sexiness for comfort and functionality.</p><h2>Target is being hit with a labor board investigation <img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5e4ef039a27fc533bc1c811c-2400/target store.jpg" alt="Target store" /><p class="source"><span>Mark Wilson/ Getty</span></p></h2><p>Target is being <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/target-blocks-activist-website-server-for-promoting-hate-racism-2020-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">accused of restricting workers' rights.</a>  An employee activist website was blocked from store servers last week and flagged for "hate and racism."</p><p>Adam Ryan, liaison for the employee activist group Target Workers Unite, filed an unfair labor practices charge with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) on Friday, claiming that blocking the website falls under discouraging union activity in disciplining or retaliating against employees engaging in protected activities.</p><p>I got the scoop on how this all went down. According to a Target spokesperson, a third-party company is responsible for blocking and flagging would-be problematic websites on Target's server. Target determines which categories of flagged websites should be denied access, but it is not directly involved in the process of blocking specific websites.</p><p>Target said it flagged the issue to the third-party company and the website was moved into a new, unblocked category, late Friday. </p><p><strong>What's next?</strong> The NLRB received <a href="https://www.nlrb.gov/news-outreach/graphs-data/charges-and-complaints/charges-and-complaints" target="_blank" rel="noopener">18,552</a> charges in the 2019 fiscal year. Now, an investigation is under way to see if the incident could count as an unfair labor practice.</p><h2>Burger King touts a moldy Whopper</h2><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5e4fe415fee23d06ff6b91fa-2056/screen shot 2020-02-18 at 14517 pm.png" alt="Screenshot of moldy Whopper video" /><p class="source"><span>Courtesy of Burger King</span></p><p class="caption">Burger King launched an ad with a moldy Whopper.</p><p>A moldy Whopper is at the center of <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/burger-king-moldy-whopper-ad-campaign-showcases-no-preservatives-2020-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Burger King's new ad campaign</a>. The fast-food brand posted a video to YouTube on Wednesday that showed a Whopper growing old and moldy. </p><p>Though it might seem gross at first glance, the ad is meant to represent the chain's move away from preservatives and artificial flavors. Irene wrote about how this move is part of a larger trend in the fast-food industry, which involves a push toward "natural" and socially conscious foods.</p><p>The move was risky, but marketing execs seem to think it could pay off.</p><p>"We knew that the approach was different and that some people would think that it's too risky or would hurt us," Fernando Machado, Burger King's global chief marketing officer, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/the-strategy-behind-burger-king-moldy-whopper-ad-campaign-2020-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told Business Insider's Tanya Dua</a>. "But people are smarter than that, and the biggest risk for us is to go with an idea that would fall flat."</p><h2>Taste test of the week: Fried chicken and doughnuts are an unexpected hit</h2><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5e4feb30fee23d0ec268c1fc-1960/kfc chicken and donuts-6.jpg" alt="KFC Chicken and Donuts 6" /><p class="source"><span>Irene Jiang/Business Insider</span></p><p class="caption">KFC is launching Chicken &amp; Donuts nationwide.</p><p>KFC <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/kfc-chicken-and-donuts-sandwich-basket-launches-nationwide-2020-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> this week that it would be rolling out Chicken &amp; Donuts nationwide.</p><p>Hayley tried and enjoyed the unlikely combination back in September, during a test run of the menu item. Now that it's rolling out nationwide, a slew of taste testers at Business Insider got to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/kfc-fried-chicken-sandwich-between-2-glazed-doughnuts-review-2019-9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">try the strange sandwich on Thursday.</a></p><p>The verdict? Though it probably had a frightening calorie count, taste testers agreed that the sandwich was the most delicious new item that KFC has come out with in a long time.</p><p>One taster summed it up nicely: "I didn't want to love it, but I loved it."</p><p><em><strong><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/kfc-fried-chicken-sandwich-between-2-glazed-doughnuts-review-2019-9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Read the full taste test here.</a></strong></em></p><h2>Everything else you need to know:</h2><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5e4ff071fee23d13c2369fca-2222/white castle valentines day-53.jpg" alt="White Castle Valentines Day 53" /><p class="source"><span>Irene Jiang/Business Insider</span></p><p class="caption">White Castle goes all out for Valentine's Day.</p><ul><li>Eating at White Castle on Valentine's Day is a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/white-castle-valentines-day-review-sliders-and-love-2020-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fantastic experience</a> - even if you're alone. </li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/build-a-bear-baby-yoda-stuffed-animal-release-details-2020-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Baby Yoda</a> is coming to Build-a-Bear - here's what it looks like.</li><li>Tyler Haney is <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/outdoor-voices-ceo-steps-down-amid-losses-2020-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> stepping down as CEO of Outdoor Voices.</li><li>The 7-Eleven store of the future <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/7-eleven-cashierless-store-test-tour-photos-2020-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">nixes cashiers.</a></li><li>A <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/lacroix-lawsuit-natural-ingredient-dismissed-2020-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lawsuit against LaCroix</a> has been dismissed.</li><li>Walmart's China business is being <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/walmart-coronavirus-china-ceo-executives-sams-club-2020-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hurt by the coronavirus outbreak.</a></li><li>Priscilla <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/olive-garden-first-time-visit-disappointing-review-2020-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">didn't love</a> Olive Garden.</li><li>Sneaker resellers use <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/teen-sneaker-reseller-makes-thousands-using-tiktok-instagram-2020-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">TikTok</a> to help win over customers.</li><li>The <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/fast-food-menu-items-south-korea-not-america-2020-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">South Korean fast-food</a> dishes you can't get in America.</li><li>Pier 1 filed for <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/pier-1-chapter-11-bankruptcy-sale-2020-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">bankruptcy</a>.</li></ul>            <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-pan-am-went-from-pioneering-air-travel-to-bankruptcy-2020-2">The rise and fall of Pan Am</a></h3>                    <iframe class="bijwplayerclass" src="https://content.jwplatform.com/players/6XgQKaJ9-CEZHWCBG.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" style="margin:0px;"></iframe>            

You Searched For "lacroix lawsuit" and got 12 results

LaCroix slammed with new lawsuit alleging execs sparred over whether to falsely claim its cans were free of chemicals

Hayley Peterson

A lawsuit challenging LaCroix's claims of natural ingredients has been dismissed

Bethany Biron

'Please stand with us': LaCroix slams 'misleading' lawsuit that links the sparkling water to insecticides

Kate Taylor

LaCroix says its 'reputation has been maligned' in an open letter to customers following lawsuits about its ingredients

Hayley Peterson

LaCroix slams insecticide lawsuit in an over-the-top press release that calls itself a 'cult' deserving of 'patriotism'

Kate Taylor

LaCroix is facing a lawsuit over the mysterious ingredient that has made it a huge hit - here's what we know about it

Kate Taylor

LaCroix faces a crippling 'free fall' as it turns from 'bad, to worse, to disastrous,' analyst says

Hayley Peterson

LaCroix went BPA-free in April, but some stores may still be selling older cans that contain the chemical

Hayley Peterson

LaCroix's retro branding and word-of-mouth marketing catapulted it to the top. But it also exacerbated the crisis it faces today, experts say.

Tanya Dua

CEO of LaCroix maker blames 'injustice' for plummeting sales and promises that customers will remain loyal to the 'LaLa feeling' the drink provides

Kate Taylor

10 things you need to know before the opening bell

Jonathan Garber

The Drive-Thru: Victoria's Secret changes, problems at Target, and moldy Whoppers

Shoshy Ciment