Dear Client: In a surprise move, Anheuser-Busch’s Vice President of Beyond Beer, Randy Ornstein, notified wholesaler partners yesterday that his time at A-B has come to an end. Randy, who began his career at A-B in 2005 as the brewer’s category space manager for Wal-Mart, was named the VP of A-B’s Beyond Beer division less than a year ago. The email, which was sent from Randy’s personal address, did not specify why he was departing the company, but did say that yesterday (June 4) would be his last day at A-B. “While my time at A-B is done for now, expect to see great things from me in the...

Dear Client: Late this summer, Natural Light hopes to lay a big turd in White Claw’s punch bowl. Having launched Strawberry Lemonade Naturdays — which A-B says is among the top beer innovations this year — value brand Natural Light is leveraging yet another extension. Natural Light Seltzer. Yes, this time, it’s a seltzer. A seltzer going directly after White Claw, with just two flavors, in a new space that theoretically makes sense: “Better Value.” They plan to price at a “75-90 national average index vs. seltzer market leader.” But one distributor told BBD that 24 packs will go for $13.99....