Courtside: Sparkling Coconut “Activity Beverage” Aims for Inclusive Approach
As its name suggests, Los Angeles-based Courtside is positioning itself as sitting on the sidelines of several categories. Without leaning too far in any specific direction, the product — a combination of Thai young coconut water, real fruit juice and a touch of carbonation, available in 12 oz. slim cans — is looking to play well on the court and off.
Courtside launched this week online in three flavors — Mango Passionfruit, Coconut Lime and Berry Lemonade, plus a variety pack — priced at $46.99 per 12-pack. Each 12 oz. can contains 45 to 50 calories per serving and zero grams of added sugar.
“We’re not a coconut-forward brand,” co-founder Austin Benzinger acknowledges. Yet at the same time, he says, “We’re not like a muscle, sweat, Michael Jordan sports drink.”
Rather, Benzinger described Courtside as an “activity beverage” that straddles the line between sports and fitness. A bit vague? Maybe, but the brand’s tagline of “Made For Any Movement” is one in which he sees white space to capture a range of consumers — including coconut water-haters and sparkling water burn-outs — under the inclusive umbrella of “community play.”
In other words, think of dog walks rather than marathons, or hitting the pickleball court rather than the heavy bag. The top of each can features call outs to activities like “beach days” and “frisbee golf,” aimed at making the brand more approachable.
“It’s all centered around this idea of like, whether you’re the person sitting on the sidelines or sitting on the blanket or the person playing ultimate frisbee, it’s this ethos of how do we just promote communities and human connection around these sort of active communities,” said Benzinger. “The beverage is the goal of promoting this pathway to a more approachable, less competitive version of sport and activity in everyday lifestyle.”
The concept is being brought to life by a small five-person team in Los Angeles that includes Ariel Irby, the wife of one of Benzinger’s longtime friends. She brings CPG branding and marketing experience, while Benzinger has a background in operations, legal and supply chain management, having formerly served as director of business development at Xos Trucks, a service provider for battery-electric fleets.
“I come from the trucking industry and truck manufacturing — we’re talking about 1000s of components that go into making these trucks and dealing with a complicated supply chain and doing that in a very small team of like 20 or 30 people to try to make a truck happen,” he said. “When we’re talking about six ingredients to make this beverage happen…There’s nuance to dealing with a Southeast Asian supply chain and importing coconut water on containers and ships, but it feels just so utterly simple compared to the world I come from.”
Despite coconut water’s popularity, sparkling versions have seen uneven results when previously attempted. Category leader Vita Coco jettisoned its sparkling line after a reformulation failed to reverse its fortunes. Elsewhere, carbonated line extensions from brands like Taste Nirvana, CocoJoy, Kalena, Blue Monkey and others have experienced limited success.
Against that backdrop, Courtside is taking a patient approach. Benzinger’s connections in trucking have helped the brand land a warehousing partner to fulfill its orders as it begins to self-distribute in the LA area, while discussions with potential DSD partners are still in early stages. The hope is that, with operations and brand identity firmly in place, the liquid itself can be tweaked and improved – within limits – based on early consumer feedback by the time it’s ready to scale up.
“Call me the day that we start slapping ‘mood boosting’ or ‘something-boosting’ on [the can],” he said. “Call me and give me a virtual slap in the face because something’s gone wrong.”
Phyll: No Sugar, Shelf Stable Smoothies Launch Online
Touting the use of a proprietary process, new brand Phyll is aiming to take nutrient-rich smoothies out of refrigerated coolers and into center-store with its new line of shelf-stable ready-to-drink beverages.
The brand launched online this week in three varieties – Greenfest, Chocolate and Mixed Berry – available for $29.99 per 6-pack. Each 11 oz. resealable screw-top carton contains 15 grams of pea protein and one whole serving of vegetables, as well as no added sugars or sweeteners. According to a press release, use of the proprietary Clean-Pressed process “allows for long-lasting shelf life without the need for refrigeration, while still maintaining the fresh flavor and essential nutrients.”
“Growing up on a farm I was accustomed to always having access to fresh produce. However I quickly realized how hard that was to maintain while balancing a hectic work schedule. I wanted an easier way to get nutritious fruits and veggies when pressed for time, and from that the idea for Phyll was born,” said Co-Founder Jeff Goodman.
“I’ve always loved making healthy, homemade smoothies. But once I started traveling frequently for work, I found just how hard it can be to find nutritious grab-and-go options when you’re on the move,” said Sam Dickstein, who co-founded the company with longtime friend Jeff Goodman. “With this in mind, we launched Phyll with the idea to create a fresh-from-the-blender quality smoothie that can be enjoyed wherever life takes you.”