Coconut Water

I mentioned sea salt in a post earlier this week as a food craze du jour ... well there's another one that's been brewing for quite some time that totally captured my attention yesterday.

Coconut water.

I should have seen it coming because a bunch of the "cool kids" I know started drinking it about two years ago or maybe even more.  I should have known it would be a trend and now here it is.

Perhaps Zico was the first, I'm not sure, but it's now the "official coconut water of professional football players."  Not sure that Gatorade would be happy about that.

Zico is not the only player, there are several.  All of them tout the natural wonders of the beverage, and the unique stories that brought their products to the market.  All of them have celebrity shots and ringing endorsements.  All of them play up a very healthy lifestyle.

O.N.E. calls itself "The Healthiest Drink in America":  now that's quite a claim! :)

What really grabbed me yesterday and hit me right between the eyes was Vita Coco. It is their tagline (claim) that really hit me hard because I have been coming on and off of drinking diet sodas.  Keep trying to kick the habit and it slips right back.

Vita Coco says it's "from a tree, not a lab" (on an outdoor billboard in New Jersey of all places).  Brilliant, motivating, strikingly true.  Of course now I see that billboard every time I turn around, that's how great marketing works.  And with a killer website to back it all up, complete with ARod, Kelly Slater, and Rihanna also choosing to "hydrate naturally"

That's it -- I'm jumping in and trying it today.  No more fabricated drinks, just the natural stuff.  Now what was it about this campaign that caused me to change?  A simple little tagline that resonated with me.  I love when good marketing can change behavior.

What's your experience?  Jim.

Jim Joseph
President of Lippe Taylor
Author of The Experience Effect